New York-spawned rapper DMX has been priming listeners for his debut for months, reciting scene-stealing stanzas on releases by L.L. Cool J, Ice Cube and Mase, among others. And now that his moment is here, he's making the most of it: His Def Jam opus, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, relies heavily on pop-y, verse-chorus-verse song structures more common with commercial rappers than with roughneck MCs. DMX sidesteps the potential banality of this radio-ready format, however, by mixing the storytelling prowess of veteran label mate Slick Rick with a ferocious delivery reminiscent of vintage L.L. Cool J.

DMX sets himself apart with a dog theme, spicing his tracks ("Get at Me Dog," "For My Dogs") with barks and canine imagery. His other trademark is his unique lyrical flow, which alternates sedate, raspy-rhymed verses with rapid-tempo, hypercharged ones; it's an initially impressive style that seems a bit affected by the album's midpoint. And just around then, as his mannered delivery is wearing thin, DMX drops these deeply disturbing lines on "X-Is Coming"; "If you got a daughter older than fifteen, I'm a rape her/Take her on the living-room floor, right there in fronta you/Then ask you seriously, 'What you wanna do?'" Even within the context of a hardcore rap album, DMX goes beyond the pale.

The album does boast stark, rousing grooves, provided mainly by newcomers PK and Dame Grease; one highlight is "Niggaz Done Started Something," a stirring tag-team effort with Mase and the LOX, and DMX partially redeems himself with captivating narratives like "Crime Story." But he doesn't deviate from his implausibly hardcore stance until one of the last cuts, the self-reflective, sermonizing "Prayer." It's Darh and Hell Is Hot delivers on some of the promise of DMX's many cameos but ultimately falls short of expectations. (RS 790-791)

MILES MARSHALL LEWIS