How's It Goin' Down

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"How's It Goin' Down"
Single by DMX featuring Faith Evans
from the album It's Dark and Hell Is Hot
B-side"Ruff Ryders' Anthem"
ReleasedJune 9, 1998 (1998-06-09)
RecordedApril 1998
Genre
Length4:42
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Simmons
  • Anthony Fields
Producer(s)
  • P.K.
DMX singles chronology
""Ruff Ryders' Anthem"
(1998)
"How's It Goin' Down"
(1998)
"Grand Finale"
(1998)
Faith Evans singles chronology
"I'll Be Missing You"
(1997)
"How's It Goin' Down"
(1998)
"Love Like This"
(1998)

"How's It Goin' Down" is a song by American rapper DMX, released as the fourth and final single from his first album, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot. The song features vocals by R&B singer Faith Evans and was released to radio on June 9, 1998. The song was a modest hit, peaking at No. 70 on the Billboard Hot 100. It contains a sample of "God Make Me Funky" by the Headhunters from the 1975 album, Survival of the Fittest.

Music video[edit]

Directed by Hype Williams, the music video provides a visual depiction of the song's story, detailing DMX's affair with the a woman named Tenika who is already in a relationship with the father of her two children. It features cameos by then-unknown artists Eve, Ja Rule, Drag-On and Irv Gotti, all of whom would rise to prominence in the following year.

Interpolations and samples[edit]

Canadian rapper and singer Drake incorporated the lyrics to the chorus of "How's It Goin' Down" in his own song, "U with Me?" from the album Views. American rapper Moneybagg Yo sampled "How's It Goin' Down" in his song "Scorpio".

Charts[edit]

Chart Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 70
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks 19

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[1] Gold 500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "American single certifications – DMX – How's It Goin' Down". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 30, 2021.