DMX’s ‘The Great Depression’ To Receive First-Ever Color Vinyl Release

DMX’s 2001 album The Great Depression will get its first-ever color vinyl pressing this year in honor of its 25th anniversary. The green-and-black marble variant gives a refreshed look to an album that still resonates with listeners today, and features DMX hits like “Who We Be” and “We Right Here.”

The Great Depression, DMX’s fourth album, came out on October 23, 2001 as a joint release from Def Jam and Ruff Ryders Entertainment. DMX handled much of the production on the record himself, working alongside other producers including Just Blaze, Dame Grease, Swizz Beatz, and Black Key. It featured guest appearances from vocalists Stephanie Mills, Faith Evans, and Mashonda. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 200, emphasizing the New York rapper’s high profile at the time, and became certified platinum just two months later.

Although The Great Depression marked a new level of commercial success for DMX, who emerged as a compelling new voice in New York street rap in the late 1990s, it still dealt with much of the same raw thematic territory DMX had been known for. He continued to chart his battles with substance abuse and his city’s policing, while also expressing fresher grief around the untimely death of his close friend Aaliyah, and the struggles he faced navigating heavily increased media attention. One song, “I Miss You,” also served as a eulogy to his late grandmother, who died in 1994.

Since DMX’s own death in 2021, his music and legacy has continued to influence the next generation of New York rappers. Earlier this year, the Yonkers City Council unanimously voted to rename School Street and Brooke Street, a corner close to the housing project where he spent his formative years, as “Earl DMX Simmons Way.” A mural in memory of DMX is also located in the area.

Shop the 25th anniversary edition of DMX’s The Great Depression on color vinyl here.