Alright everybody, get ready.
Because today we are taking a deep dive
into an absolute classic.
It's Roughriders Anthem by DMX.
And yeah, this is a song that I think
most of our listeners are gonna know,
at least a little bit.
But even if you think you know everything about this track,
stick with us because I promise
we've got some surprises in store.
Yeah, no doubt.
And you know, we've got DMX lyrics
in front of us of course.
We've got some choice Wikipedia facts.
And then we also found a really interesting article
by a music journalist that goes deep
into the making of this song.
So yeah, get ready to go behind the music
with Roughriders Anthem.
Yeah, let's do it.
And you know, I was thinking about this song
before we started recording.
Yeah.
And something that always stood out to me
is like the rhythm of the lyrics.
It's so distinct.
Absolutely.
You know, like that stop, drop, shut them down,
open up, shot part.
It's like, it's not just a line.
It's like a command.
It gets in your head, right?
It gets in your head.
It makes you wanna move.
You can't help but nod your head when you hear it.
You can't help but nod your head.
And it makes me wonder if we need like
a deep dive dance move.
Oh man, that's a great idea.
I bet somebody out there has already come up
with some TikTok choreography for Roughriders Anthem.
I'm sure they have.
Yeah.
I'm sure they have.
We'll have to look that up after we're done here.
But you know, it's funny because you mentioned
getting in your head.
And I think part of what makes it so powerful
is that military cadence.
Totally.
You know, it's like a crew marching in unison.
Yeah, it's like they're all moving together as one.
And it's not just about being physically in sync.
It's about that feeling of unity.
You know, that strength in numbers kind of vibe.
And it's funny because it makes me think about
like primal instincts too, you know?
There's something almost aggressive about it.
Yeah.
It taps into that part of us
that wants to like conquer and dominate.
And I think that's why this song hits so much harder
than your average party track.
It's got that extra edge to it.
It does have that extra edge to it.
Yeah.
Speaking of that crew aspect,
when DMX shouts out, that's how rough riders roll,
he's not just talking about himself.
We're talking about like a whole collective
of rappers and producers.
Oh yeah.
You know, they were like a force to be reckoned with
in the late 90s.
Huge.
Do you think that most people listening
know about the rough riders?
You know, I'm not so sure.
I think a lot of people might associate the name with DMX,
but they might not realize that it was this whole movement.
It was like a family, more than just a record label.
It was a family.
It really was.
So, okay.
We've got to talk about this article
we found about the song.
Oh yeah, this is wild.
This is wild.
It basically says that rough riders anthem
almost didn't happen.
Yeah.
Like it almost didn't even get made.
It almost didn't exist.
Can you tell us a little bit about that story?
So basically you've got this young up and coming producer,
Swizz Beatz.
Okay.
And he makes this bet with DMX's mentor
and the stakes are high.
The prize for Swizz Beatz if he wins this bet
is that DMX has to use one of his beats.
What?
Wow.
So DMX's mentor is basically putting DMX on the line.
Yeah, pretty much.
Like, hey, if you lose this bet,
you got to use whatever this young producer cooks up.
Exactly.
That's crazy.
It's high stakes.
And you know, it's interesting to think about like,
what if Swizz Beatz had lost that bet?
I know.
Would we even have rough riders anthem?
Right.
You know, it launched his career.
He went on to produce for like everybody,
Jay-Z, Beyonce, Kanye.
Like he's a legend.
And it all started with this one bet.
That's wild.
It's like a sliding doors moment for hip hop.
Totally.
Like what if that hadn't happened?
It makes you think.
Okay, so we know the song almost didn't happen
because of this bet.
But here's the other crazy part.
Apparently DMX hated the beat when he first heard it.
I know.
He thought it was too rock and roll.
He didn't think it was hood enough.
Can you believe that?
I can't believe it.
I mean, listen to this.
Can we play a little snippet of the beat here?
Yeah, let's hear it.
The part where it like really kicks in.
The part that just gets you going.
Yeah.
Okay.
Now here we go.
Here we go.
Okay, so we've talked about the beat.
We've talked about like the whole origin story of the song,
but now I think we need to like really dig
into the lyrics themselves.
Let's do it.
What are some of the lines that jump out at you?
You know, it's funny
because this song is such a banger.
Like it makes you want to move.
It makes you want to like throw your hands up.
But when you really listen to the lyrics,
there's some real darkness in there.
Yeah.
You know, there's a lot of pain.
Oh, absolutely.
It's that line, all I know is pain.
All I feel is rain.
Yeah.
That's heavy stuff.
It's deep, man.
It's like DMX is really laying his sole bear in this song.
You know, he's not shying away
from the hard stuff he's been through.
And I think that's part of what makes it so relatable.
Right.
Because everybody's got pain.
Everybody's got struggles.
You know, even if they don't always show it.
And it's not just like personal pain either.
Right.
There's like a sense of societal struggle in there too.
Totally.
Like when he talks about being a slave
till my home is a grave,
like that's a whole other level of heaviness.
It speaks to a larger issue.
You know, like systemic oppression,
feeling trapped by circumstances beyond your control.
And I think that line about being a slave
is particularly powerful
because it connects to this history of oppression.
You know, this idea that the system
is rigged against certain people.
You know, there's that whole stop, drop, shut them down
thing that we were talking about earlier.
It's aggressive,
but I also get this feeling of defiance from it.
Oh yeah.
Like it's a refusal to be silenced.
A refusal to back down, to be controlled.
You know, it's like he's saying, we're here.
We're not going anywhere.
And you're going to have to deal with us.
Right. It's like, we're going to make our voices heard.
And it's not just about talking the talk either.
You know, the Rough Riders really did embody
that shut them down energy.
For sure.
Like remember all those stories
about their legendary shows?
Oh yeah.
Like the clashes with other crews.
There was that story about Woodstock 99.
Oh yeah.
Where their set like basically caused a riot.
That's the one.
It was pure chaos.
Pure energy.
And it just goes to show,
like they weren't just making music, they were living it.
Yeah.
You know, they brought that anthem energy to life.
Okay. That is going on my must watch list.
I have to see footage of that Woodstock 99 show.
You got to check it out.
I got to check it out.
But you know, we've talked about like the aggression
and the defiance in the lyrics,
but there's also this really strong sense
of loyalty and brotherhood.
Yeah.
Like when he says, my niggas move in silence,
like you don't know what our style is.
It's about trust.
It's about having each other's backs.
It's about family.
And you know, that's always been a big part
of the Rough Riders identity.
It's more than just music.
It's a way of life.
It's a movement.
And I think that's what makes Rough Riders anthem
so enduring, you know, it's not just about one person.
It's about a collective spirit.
It's about something bigger than yourself.
And that's what we're going to explore further in part three,
how this one song born from a wild bet
and a clash of creative visions
became a cultural phenomenon that transcended music
and spoke to something deeper in the human spirit.
Okay. So we've talked about the lyrics.
We've talked about the beat.
We've talked about the story behind the song,
but like, what about the bigger picture?
Yeah. Where does Rough Riders anthem fit in?
Like in the grand scheme of hip hop history,
was it just a hit or did it actually change the game?
Oh, I think it definitely changed the game.
I mean, first of all,
it put the Rough Riders on the map for real.
Right.
You know, before this, they were like up and comers.
Okay.
But Rough Riders anthem was like their official arrival.
It was their statement to the world, like, yo, we're here
and we're not messing around.
Yeah. It's like they went from contenders
to heavyweight champions.
Exactly.
And I think it also helped to usher in like a whole new wave
of hardcore hip hop.
You know, that raw aggressive sound that was everywhere
in the late nineties and early two thousands.
Rough Riders anthem was like the blueprint.
And it showed that you could be vulnerable,
you could be angry, you could be real
and still make music that connected with people
on a massive scale.
Absolutely.
And let's not forget about Swizz Beatz's production
on this track.
Oh my God.
I mean, that beat is legendary.
It's been sampled and referenced countless times.
It's iconic.
It's instantly recognizable.
As soon as you hear those horns.
Those horns.
Those drums.
You know, it's Rough Riders anthem.
Exactly.
And you know, it showed that you could blend genres too.
Like bring in those rock influences
and still create something that was undeniably hip hop.
Right.
And it's funny,
cause it's like this really hardcore hip hop song,
but it crossed over in such a huge way.
Oh yeah, for sure.
Like it wasn't just a hit in the hip hop world.
You heard it everywhere.
You heard it at sporting events.
At parties.
Yeah.
You know, it was like an anthem for athletes,
for rebels,
for anyone who felt that stop, drop, shut them down energy.
Yeah.
It tapped into something universal.
Like that feeling of defiance,
that feeling of not taking any crap from anybody.
Right.
It's like a rallying cry for the underdogs.
Totally.
And it's amazing to me that it still resonates today.
You know, even with people who might not even know
who the Rough Riders are.
Right.
There's just something timeless about it.
It's true.
It really is timeless.
And it's crazy to think this song is over 25 years old.
Right.
It came out in 98, but it still sounds fresh.
Yeah.
It still gets the crowd hyped up.
It's like woven into the fabric of pop culture
at this point.
Totally agreed.
And you know, thinking about its legacy.
Yeah.
It makes me wonder like,
what makes certain songs become anthems?
That's a great question.
You know, I think it's a combination of things.
It's gotta have a powerful message
that resonates with people.
It's gotta have a beat that gets stuck in your head.
Right.
And it's gotta have a performer
who can deliver it with conviction.
Yeah.
It's like all those elements have to come together
in just the right way.
Like lightning in a bottle.
Lightning in a bottle.
Yeah.
But one thing's for sure,
anthems have the power to unite us, to inspire us,
to make us feel like we're part of something
bigger than ourselves.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
So there you have it folks.
That's our deep dive into Rough Riders Anthem.
We cover a lot of ground today.
From the wild production story to the cultural impact.
And I think we can all agree,
it's a song that deserves its place in hip hop history.
So what do you say we go out
with a little bit of that stop drop energy?
Let's do it.
Keep those speakers bumpin'
and we'll catch you on the next deep dive.