Undisputed (DMX album)

Undisputed
Studio album by DMX
Released	September 11, 2012
Recorded	2008-2012 Saltmine Studio Oasis (Mesa, Arizona) Bishop Powerhouse Studios (Yonkers, NY)
Genre	Hip hop
Length	54:41
Label	Seven Arts Music, Fontana
Producer	DMX (exec.), Dame Grease (also exec.), Bird, Caviar, Deezle, Divine Bars, Elite, J.R. Rotem, Snaggs, Snaz, Swizz Beatz, Tronzilla
DMX chronology
Year of the Dog...Again (2006) Undisputed (2012)
Singles from Undisputed
"I Don't Dance" Released: April 7, 2012 "Head Up" Released: September 4, 2012

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Parlemagazine
XXL
Critic Studio

Undisputed is the seventh studio album by American rapper DMX. It was released on September 11, 2012 through United Music and Media Group, now a division of Seven Arts Music. Seven Arts Entertainment, Inc. acquired all assets of United Music and Media Group in January 2012.

Background

On October 11, 2011 DMX performed at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards. He stated that he has been working "nonstop, every day" on the new album, and plans to release it before December 2012. During a performance at New York's Santos Party House on December 25, 2011, DMX stated that the new album will be entitled Undisputed and would be released on March 26, 2012. This was later confirmed by DMX (via his official Twitter account, Undisputed (DMX album) on Twitter), where he also confirmed that its first single is scheduled for release in January 2012. A video for a new track entitled "Last Hope" was released via Internet on September 24, 2011. This was later released on his 'The Weigh In' EP and omitted from the final release of Undisputed.

Seven Arts Entertainment Inc. recently purchased David Michery's music assets, which included some of DMX's music. DMX's had announced that Undisputed will be released on March 27, 2012. However it was later revealed that DMX did not plan to release the album on that date, and that date was one forced upon him by the record label. The release date for the album was set for June 26, 2012. However, DMX announced in Detroit, MI. on June 9, 2012, that due to the record label that is supposed to release the album, the date will be pushed back again. It was then scheduled for release on August 28, 2012. Later, an official press release from the label pushed the back date to September 11, 2012. He donated the album's first week sales to the victims of the September 11 attacks. The album features only one male guest appearance by rapper Machine Gun Kelly. The album was also supposed to feature Sean Kingston, Tyreese and Busta Rhymes, but all of these artists were not featured in the final cut.

Release and promotion

On May 15, 2012, DMX and Dame Grease released a pre-album EP which would be free for download, called The Weigh In featuring artists such as Snoop Dogg, Big Stan and Tyrese. It also featured production from West Coast rapper and producer Dr. Dre. Promoting his album, DMX announced the Undisputed Tour, with 15 concerts, across the United States throughout June and early July, hitting everywhere from New York to Hawaii.

Singles

On January 6, 2012, DMX performed live the first single of the album, "I Don't Dance" featuring MGK in Long Beach. It was released on iTunes on April 7, 2012. DMX shot a video for the song, also featuring MGK. He also released a behind-the-scenes video. The official video premiered on MTV Jams on June 23, 2012 and was later uploaded to his YouTube account. Xzibit made a cameo appearance. DMX released the second single, "Head Up", on September 4, 2012.

Reception

Critical reception

Upon its release, Undisputed received mixed to positive reviews from music critics. The Washington Post praised the production on Undisputed, which included Swizz Beatz, J.R. Rotem, Dame Grease and Tronzilla, while AllMusic was critical in that it claims Undisputed contained too many tracks for one official album release.

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 19 on the US Billboard 200 selling 17,000 copies, while making it to number 2 in R&B/ Hip-Hop Albums. As of January 2013 it has sold 44,000 copies in the US.

Track listing

• All songs were written by DMX.

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Lookin' Without Seein'" (Intro)	Earl Simmons	Elite	0:50
2.	"What They Don't Know"	Earl Simmons, Kaseem Dean	Swizz Beatz	3:42
3.	"Cold World" (featuring Andreena Mill)	Earl Simmons, Damon Blackman, Nick Zesses, Dino Fekaris	Dame Grease, Snaz	4:04
4.	"I Don't Dance" (featuring MGK)	Earl Simmons, Richard Colson Baker, Jonathan Rotem	J.R. Rotem	3:30
5.	"Sucka for Love" (featuring Dani Stevenson)	Earl Simmons, Darius Harrison	Deezle	4:10
6.	"I Get Scared" (featuring Rachel Taylor)	Earl Simmons, Damon Blackman	Dame Grease	3:55
7.	"Slippin' Again"	Earl Simmons, Gertis Lamont McDowell	Bird	3:47
8.	"Prayer" (Skit)	Earl Simmons	X	1:42
9.	"I'm Back"	Earl Simmons, Gertis Lamont McDowell, Leonard Caston, Jr., Pamela Sawyer, Frank Wilson	Bird	2:33
10.	"Have You Eva"	Earl Simmons, Damon Blackman, Barry Eastmond, Jolyon Skinner	Dame Grease	3:44
11.	"Get Your Money Up"	Earl Simmons	Snaggs	2:21
12.	"Head Up"	Earl Simmons, Maurice White	Tronzilla	4:31
13.	"Frankenstein"	Earl Simmons, Kannon Cross, Gregory Ford, Jr.	Caviar, G'Sparkz	2:34
14.	"Ya'll Don't Really Know"	Earl Simmons, Kaseem Dean	Swizz Beatz	2:38
15.	"I Got Your Back" (featuring Kashmere)	Earl Simmons, Kannon Cross, Gregory Ford, Jr.	Caviar, G'Sparkz	3:15
16.	"No Love" (featuring Adreena Mills)	Earl Simmons, Damon Blackman, Barry White	Dame Grease, Snaz	3:20
17.	"Already"	Earl Simmons, Pat Gallo	Divine Bars	3:59
Total length:				54:41

Deluxe Edition
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
18.	"Fire" (featuring Kashmere)	Earl Simmons, Damon Blackman	Dame Grease	3:13
19.	"Fuck U Bitch"	Earl Simmons	Elite	2:59
20.	"Love That Bitch" (featuring Jannyce)	Earl Simmons, Pat Gallo	Divine Bars	3:20

Notes

• All song samples and production credits are according to the album booklet.

Sample credits

• "I Got Your Back" contains a sample of "Ashley's Roachclip" as performed by The Soul Searchers.
• "I'm Back" contains a sample of "Loving You the Second Time Around" as performed by Eddie Kendricks.
• "No Love" contains a sample of "Our Theme" as performed by Barry White & Glodean White.
• "Cold World" contains a sample of "Mother Nature" as performed by The Temptations.
• "Have You Eva" contains a sample of "Have You Ever Loved Somebody" as performed by Freddie Jackson.
• "Head Up" contains an interpolation of "Keep Your Head to the Sky" as performed by Earth, Wind & Fire.
• "Fire" contains a sample of "Put Out My Fire" as performed by Lamont Dozier.

Personnel

Credits for Undisputed adapted from Allmusic.

• Robert Cardenas -Graphic Direction, Layout
• Marz Castro -Images
• Caviar -Mixing
• R. Colson-Composer
• Kannon "Caviar" Cross- Producer
• Dame Grease -Producer
• DMX -Primary Artist
• Charles Dorman -Instrumentation, Keyboards, Strings
• Barry Eastmond -Composer
• Gregory Ford Jr.-Composer
• Jason Fowler -Management
• Pat Gallo -Producer
• Patrick Gallo -Composer
• Brian "Big Bass" Gardner-Mastering
• Bob Gotti-A&R
• John Gray-Editing, Engineer, Mixing
• Darius Deezle Harrison -Producer
• Jannyce-Featured Artist
• Ronnie Jones-Marketing, Promoter
• Peter Karroll-Executive Producer
• Kashmere-Featured Artist
• Kannon Kross-Composer
• Jason Levine -Editing, Engineer, Mixing
• Machine Gun Kelly-Featured Artist
• Gertis Lamont McDowell-Composer

• David Michery -Executive Producer
• Greg Miller - Marketing, Promoter
• Adreena Mills -Featured Artist
• Cale Moss-Concept
• Jordon Nuttall -Photography
• Jonathan Rivera-Composer
• J.R. Rotem-Producer
• Colin Rothwell-Assistant Engineer
• Don Salter -Quotation Author
• Phil Schlemmer -Engineer, Sound Effects
• Earl Simmons -Composer
• Jolyon Skinner -Composer
• Dani Stevenson-Featured Artist
• Swizz Beatz-Producer
• Morris J. Tancredi-Composer
• Rachel Taylor-Featured Artist
• Joe Warlick- Editing, Engineer, Mixing
• Barry White-Composer
• Maurice White-Composer
• Jason Whittington-Marketing, Promoter
• Ashley Williams-Vocals