The concept of death within music, more specifically the genre of Rap and the culture of Hip-Hop, has always been complex. From Notorious B.I.G. to Pop Smoke, the sounds, expressions, and thoughts of legendary New York scribes have always found a way to make their way into a recording booths even when they are no longer physically able to display their talents. Earlier this month, Prodigy, who passed away in 2017, stood alongside his longtime collaborator, Havoc, for yet another Mobb Deep album called Infinite. Days later, Nas rapped alongside the late Big L on the first single for his posthumous album, Harlem’s Finest. Now, the late DMX is here to complete the trio.
At the top of the decade, .idk recorded a track called “Dream” in hopes of turning it into a collaboration with the legendary Earl Simmons to be featured on a later project. Tragically, DMX’s passing shortly thereafter cut those dreams down, or did it? While it didn’t happen when he expected it to, a new opportunity to release a track with one of the most influential artists of recent times emerged more recently.
“Years later, while going through a folder of beats Kaytranada had sent me,” he shared in a press release. “One I originally passed on stood out — and my first thought was how X’s verse might sound on it. I reached out to Pat Gallo, and when he sent me the vocals, they locked in perfectly.”
The result of .idk’s request to Pat Gallo is “Start To Finish,” a Kaytranada-produced banger that sprints at a speed that would make Usain Bolt’s eyes widen. .idk sets the pace with a breakneck flow and witty one-liners stacked upon each other that pair perfectly with DMX’s fiery delivery of the song’s infectious hook.
‘”Cause I’m a motherfuckin’ monster with it/It’s how it’s goin’ down from the start to finish/Anything movin’ in the dark can get it/Can’t put my hand on it, then the spark’ll get it/Let’s get that money,” DMX raps.
“Start To Finish” is the first collaboration to be formally approved by the Simmons’ estate since his passing in 2021, and it’s easy to see why. “Start To Finish” is a thunderous production for .idk’s forthcoming project, Even the Devil Smiles, due out later this year.
