Four years after the world lost one of hip-hop’s most commanding voices, DMX is set to return — this time through a posthumous project titled “DMX Features”, scheduled for release later this year.

Sources close to the project revealed that the album will spotlight unreleased collaborations the late rapper had recorded before his untimely passing in April 2021. The compilation promises to bring fans back to the raw intensity that made DMX, born Earl Simmons, a force in rap music from the moment he exploded onto the scene in the late ‘90s.

The first single off the upcoming album, “Bring Out the Worst,” dropped on May 30 and is already generating buzz for its gritty delivery and signature DMX energy. Over a haunting beat, X growls:

“I’ve been doing this for too long, plus dog is too strong / Let you catch, fight me off the map with a new song…You can bring out the best or bring out the worst. You’re going to bring out the worst; we gonna bring out the hearse.”

It’s a chilling reminder that DMX’s lyrical bite still hits just as hard — even from beyond.

While an official tracklist has yet to be revealed, fans can expect guest appearances from artists like Wiz Khalifa and Kevin Gates, among others. The album appears to be a carefully curated tribute that highlights the depth of DMX’s collaborations and the lasting impact he had on the rap game.

This will be DMX’s first posthumous album since Exodus, released in May 2021 shortly after his death. Exodus featured appearances from Jay-Z, Nas, and Alicia Keys, and served as both a celebration and a farewell to a career that helped shape an era.

DMX first rose to prominence with his 1998 debut It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot, a gritty masterpiece that announced his arrival with unmatched ferocity. Over the years, he gave the world classic anthems like “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem,” “Party Up,” and “Slippin’,” while staying true to the raw emotion and faith-driven vulnerability that made him a legend.

Tragically, DMX passed at the age of 50 following a cocaine-induced heart attack, leaving behind a legacy marked by both triumph and turmoil. His death shook the hip-hop community, which continues to honor his name and spirit.

The release of DMX Features comes in the shadow of another loss for the culture — the passing of Irv Gotti, the iconic producer and co-founder of Murder Inc., who worked with DMX in his early days. A private memorial service was held for Gotti at the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York on February 19, where close friends and collaborators, including Ja Rule, Ashanti, Lloyd, and Charli Baltimore, paid their respects.

In a heartfelt moment captured from the ceremony, Ja Rule stood before mourners and said, “I just want to say Irv, I love you. Everyone in this room loves you.”

As two legends, DMX and Irv Gotti are remembered in different ways this year, DMX Features offers a poignant reminder that music, when made with truth and passion, never really dies.