DMX Meets Rakim for the First Time

It would be considered a fairly common practice to listen to DMX to raise one's levels of hype, energy or adrenaline. But what makes the Dog Man himself go crazy? Well, according to a video posted recently on YouTube, it's meeting rap legend Rakim.

The clip, posted by Street Heat TV, shows the two MCs exchanging daps and hugs backstage, posing for pictures and answering a few questions

What did Rakim mean to you in hip-hop, an off-camera reporter asked.

"Growing up, it was always a conflict of who was the best rapper. It was between Big Daddy Kane and Rakim. I always went with Rakim. Brother was serious. He didn't compromise his lyrics, went hard and didn't even curse."

X later calls himself Rakim's biggest fan, offering to spit "Microphone Fiend" in its entirety on the spot. The room obviously encourages him to, with X rattling off bars with ease.

Afterward, Rakim reflected on DMX's influence on hip-hop.

"We all know what was going on with hip-hop at that time. When he came through, the shit was so raw, I was like, 'Thank you, man. Finally.' It was like New York could stand up again. And what was dope is I love MCs that say that shit that I can't say. He spoke his shit from day one. You could tell he was walkin' the shit he was talkin'."

"I love this dude. What he mean to hardcore hip-hop is so crazy," Rakim continued. "We met briefly at the Apollo. I was going this way, he was going that way. I just grabbed him and gave him a hug like 'D, you a wild dude.'"

Th footage concludes with DMX bringing Rakim out on stage declaring him "real hip-hop" to a frenzied crowd.

The video comes just one day after reports that DMX had been arrested for failing to pay child support.