Throwback Tracks: DMX - Back In One Piece (feat. Aaliyah)

Some songs from the era of the late 90s and early 00s are well known classics, while others are underrated or little known classics. This track is the latter of the two. DMX is a hip-hop legend, with his debut and sophomore albums going platinum in the same year (1998), becoming the first and only rapper to achieve the accomplishment. While DMX became a success in 1998, Aaliyah was already a fixture in hip-hop and R&B herself. Haughton had released two albums, Age Ain't Nothin' But A Number (1994) and One In A Million (1996), and sold over six million records in the United States alone before DMX even debuted. Given the two artists' individual successes, the two together would make for a strong collaboration.

The track "Back In One Piece" wasn't actually a single, but it was a part of the movie soundtrack for Romeo Must Die (2000), starring Jet Li and Aaliyah. The movie was pretty successful, grossing over $55 million in North America, but the soundtrack seemed to outperform it, selling 203,000 copies its first week and eventually going platinum before 2001.

While this album sold very well, this track is very difficult to find outside of the internet, especially an explicit version, with the movie's soundtrack only releasing as a clean censored version. However, the music video is online as both an explicit and a censored version, and depending on the listener's preference, they can enjoy either one.

"Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk" by Parliament is sampled on this track, giving it an even more throwback vibe. DMX is hardcore with his lyrics, nothing out of the ordinary, and then Aaliyah comes in and sings a short verse and delivers a great chorus.

The beat seems to be perfect for these two artists, and their chemistry in both the music video and the track itself to be very strong. This track is a little known classic that's a true gem for anyone that stumbles upon it.

Track Rating: 9.1/10