It's been three years since the loner from Yonkers brought hip-hop to a standstill and introduced his grimy, eerie flow and street lyrical content. Ruff Ryders' first introduction to the game, DMX, has hit the hip-hop world with his fourth album, The Great Depression. With 17 tracks, and production by DMX himself, Dame Grease, Swizz and other Bloodline producers, this album doesn't seem to hit the same cord that his previous albums did.

Over the summer, the Dark Man has been in a label 'battle' with Ruff Ryders, set up his own label, Bloodline records, as well as a few spells in jail, and it seems his album has suffered as a result.

The first track, Sometimes, is X talking, in his classic gruff voice, and that leads into School street, which comes as a surprise as it bangs into the senses. Other standout tracks include Who We Be, which will have you banging your head with the beat and X's flow. Trina Moe, sounds like classic DMX, We Right Here and Number II will be definite club bangers. Also You Could Be Blind featuring Mashonda, is a nice track with the female singer making her presence known.

The next instalment in the Damien series, Damien III has a nice piano loop but fails to clutch the attention of listeners as well as the previous versions did. Shorty Was The Bomb sounds like another 'getting p*ssy, then gone' type of song which made me fast forward. And a borrowed sample from Stephanie Mills song Watcha Gonna Do (With My Lovin') plays the main point in the track When I'm Nothing but it doesn't play well with the mentals.

The anticipated Bloodline Anthem was expected to do what Ruff Ryders Anthem did but is filled with a rock guitar and a hook, which screams 'it's our time to let them know'. But the saving grace of this track is X's shot at fellow Def Jammer, Ja Rule, Told Niggas to 'do yo' courtesy of Flex/ Put out...Then There Was X, then there was X again/ Ain't my next of kin, just some hard-headed, dick-riding, grown-ass man.

DMX worked hard to get where he is but it sounds as if he is now put his attention onto other things, and his album suffers as a result. The album is more 'fast-forward' than 'rewind' but die-hard DMX fans will push it to the platinum status that he always receives.