A new Rolling Stone profile details DMX living in Arizona in the late 2000s, creating a gospel-influenced double album. The album was the product of X escaping drug, legal, and marriage issues.
The unreleased bodies of work were titled Walk With Me Now and You’ll Fly With Me Later, the first being Hip-Hop songs and the second being a composition of profanity-free spiritual offerings. “No songs about b—-es, no songs about robbing, just straight ‘Give God the glory,’” DMX said of music at the time.
The albums were created with producer Divine Bars and a singer named Janyce. X reportedly met the singer at a Nordstrom in Phoenix. The in-studio talent of Janyce inspired DMX to record verses on the spot. Some of the songs leaked; however, a majority was stored away on hard drives.
Arizona wasn’t all bright times for DMX. While he recorded most of the songs for the gospel album in one night in 2008, X reportedly would take trips to a nearby loft to smoke crack. He also would be arrested multiple times over identity theft, drug possession, and more.
DMX ambitioned to perform the gospel album on tour at Southern megachurches and wanted to open his own church, House of the Afflicted, where he would minister to the homeless and those who struggle with addiction.
You can read the full report from Rolling Stone here.
