Use Your Illusion II is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Guns N' Roses. It was one of two albums released in conjunction with the Use Your Illusion Tour, and as a result the two albums are sometimes considered a double album. Bolstered by lead single "You Could Be Mine", Use Your Illusion II was the slightly more popular of the two albums, selling 770,000 copies its first week and debuting at No. 1 on the U.S. charts, ahead of Use Your Illusion I's first week sales of 685,000.

他们于1993年匆匆的出版了一张 Punk 翻唱专辑《The Spaghetti Incident?》。《The Spaghetti Incident?》是一张以 Hard Rock/Heavy Metal 的手法表现 Punk 的专辑，专辑完成的很顺利，似乎又回到了《Appetite for Destruction》专辑时期痛快的日子，本来是想以 EP 方式发行，但是市场变化使他们还是决定以专辑形式发行，乐队翻唱了 The Stooges, New York Dolls 等 Punk 先锋的歌曲。在辉煌的《Use Your Illusion I》和《Use Your Illusion II》后，Guns N´Roses 想是似乎只是如何支配歌迷而不是在艺术上的进取，这张专集由于是 Guns N´Roses 出品，因此卖的不错，但是不如前两张专集。他们的音乐则具有喧嚣但是出色的旋律，同时拥有旋律非常出色的乐器演奏，他们的音乐涵盖了“HEAVY METAL”和“HARD ROCK”，他们的内核是 PUNK 式的 HARD ROCK。

It´s Dark and Hell Is Hot》发行于2001年。虽然在当今的乐坛上有众多的硬核说唱艺人，但没有任何人能像DMX一样独具一格，自成一派。标签式沙哑的嗓音、惟妙惟肖的犬吠，以及富有震撼力的街区之声，使听过DMX的人无不动容。
本名Earl Simmons的DMX，成长于纽约郊区，自小就过着动荡的街区生活。好在他对于说唱音乐从开始就保持着浓厚的兴趣。从DJ和Beatbox开始，DMX转签到一名专业的饶舌手。在Ruffhouse旗下未得重视得发行了几首单曲后，DMX转签到着名厂牌Def Jam发表首张大碟《It´s Dark and Hell is Hot》才得到了真正的转机。专辑热销超过四百万，也获得了"硬核说唱乐之王"的头衔。

...And Then There Was X is the third from rapper DMX. The album is certified 5x platinum, making it DMX's bestselling album to date. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard chart, firmly ranking DMX within hip hop's only artist to have their first three albums enter the Billboard Top 200 Chart at the #1 spot. Continuing with its Respect The Classics campaign UMe will be reissuing this classic title on vinyl for the first time since it's original pressing over 15 years ago.

专辑简介2001年秋天发行的The Great Depressio再次成为了排行榜的冠军，仍然是白金销量。2002年他又发行了自己的自传，并且在Post-Grunge乐队Audioslave的专辑中客串了几首。2003年3月，DMX和李连杰再次合作的新片Cradle 2 the Grave又成为了票房冠军，并且由DMX领衔的电影原声也有出色的销售业绩。

＊ 史上首位同年度坐拥2张冠军专辑的强震级饶舌巨星
＊ 迭创1999~2001三年三张劲碟皆获全美流行榜与嘻哈榜双料冠军的超硬底实力或许他早已用他那特有的强悍节奏收服我们了。
「史上首位同年度坐拥2张冠军专辑的艺人」，来自美国东岸、本名Earl Simmons的DMX，自’98年发行《It’s Dark & Hell Is Hot》专辑以降，’99年《Flesh Of My Flesh Blood Of My Blood》、2000年《And Then There Was X》、2001年《The Great Depression》三年三张超猛劲碟张张皆获Billboard流行专辑榜与嘻哈专辑榜双料冠军的超硬底实力，还真不是凡人能搞定！累积全球1600万张专辑销售、首本个人自传E.A.R.L.(Ever Always Real Life)助他跻身「畅销作家」一席後，DMX蛰伏两年祭出的最新酷碟《Grand Champ/超级大赢家》甫发行已获AMG音乐网站4星推荐、後势看涨。不过这也难怪，光看有50 Cent/五角、Eve/夏娃、Cam’Ron/肯隆、Patti LaBelle/佩蒂拉贝尔、Jadakiss、Styles P…等人的跨刀增色，全辑能否再度“连庄”继续保持「出辑便掳获Billboard双榜冠军王」的纪录可说是势在必得。
首发单曲＜Where The Hood At＞ DMX硬派的饶舌唱腔混杂着浓冽的嘻哈火药味和Tuneheadzfd狂野似兽的贝斯声线，不禁让人联想到DMX的成名大作＜Get At Me Dog＞；50 Cent和LOX团员-Styles助阵呛声的＜Shot Down＞唱出黑帮世界中男性的对话，由G-Unit节奏创造者(beatmaker)Saleem执掌制作。知名制作Kanye West操刀的＜Dogs Out＞为DMX营塑出80年代中版的节奏气氛，相当好听。DMX说道：「敞开心胸去感受这世界心跳的节奏才有办法做出与众不同的音乐！不管是哪种乐风。在音乐中和歌迷一同去感觉、去挣脱、去探索，其实感觉挺好的。」铁汉也有柔情，整张专辑总之两个字--顺耳！

出道五张专辑全数空降排行冠军,惊创2000万张销售,嘻哈饶舌界最强悍高手/影坛票房巨星投效新东家首张大作
＊ 专辑首周强势攻占全美亚军，Busta Rhymes,Jadakiss,Swizz Beatz,Amerie,Styles P等同台呛声
＊ CD/DVD版收录DMX执导20分钟精彩幕後花絮影片
他是美国新世代嘻哈/饶舌界最强悍高手，粗犷硬帮的饶舌调性成为最显明的注册商标，成功跨及饶舌/节奏蓝调甚至金属摇滚界，虽然发迹在美国却没有缔造任何一首冠军曲於流行单曲,节奏蓝调/嘻哈或甚饶舌单曲榜中，却在DMX犀利硬蕊风格下，惊人缔造出道至今五张专辑，全数空降排行冠军纪录，这个成绩很少有人能破，更跨足大萤幕出演「致命罗密欧」,「以毒攻毒」,「龙潭虎穴」,「绝不低头」..等卖座动作片，DMX的杰出表现赢得多方赞赏及肯定。结束与旧东家Def Jam长达七年宾主关系，投效SONYBMG音乐集团，推出第六张各界企盼并问鼎冠军之全新大碟《Year Of The Dog…Again》。
成长於破碎家庭，并在充满危险,黑暗,暴力及犯罪的街头长大，原名Earl Simmons的DMX，除了自身参与黑帮组织不法勾当，更让残暴武力相向之性格影响到DMX长大後的处事态度。拥有音乐天赋的DMX，转移其注意力在嘻哈/饶舌文化中，开始在当地俱乐部担任DJ工作，不断自我学习饶舌技巧与创作才能。随後的陆续公开表演赢得优异评价，1992年与Ruffhouse正式签约，第一支单曲〈 Born Loser 〉发行并没想像中顺利，不仅唱片公司没有继续捧他的意愿，更将他解约。两年後盼其第二首单曲〈 Make a Move 〉能将事业重新起步，却因被警方认定藏匿毒品，从此警局就如同家里後院般时常来去，折腾到1998年才与美国嘻哈大厂Def Jam签约推出首张专辑《It‘s Dark And Hell Is Hot》，一鸣惊人的夺下冠军宝座并创下四百万张销售佳绩。
进入新东家全新再出发的《Year Of The Dog…Again》，除了DMX本身外还邀来Darrin与Joaquin Dean(Jadakiss,Drag-On,Jin)共通制作。首攻单曲〈 We In Here 〉，请来Ruff Ryders旗下超级制作/饶舌才子Swizz Beatz共通合饶，再度将Party Up旧作延续并掀起一场街头式派对；邀请同换新公司推出专辑的快嘴饶舌高手Busta Rhymes齐声呐喊於〈 Come Thru(Move) 〉中，两位饶舌硬汉使出浑身解数，宣泄硬派嘻哈调调；有着碧昂丝接班人架式，SONYBMG力捧节奏蓝调亮眼新星Amerie，在〈 Dog Love 〉中献上动人声线，滑顺诱人的为此曲添入多样风情；专辑中结合王子式的放客声韵以及嘻哈加摇滚超过瘾佳作〈 Wrong Or Right 〉，不会令摇滚迷失望，犹如展开一场超大型摇滚与嘻哈的欢乐Party！喜爱帮派接头式硬蕊饶舌份子，绝对不容错过此张堪称示范优盘，DMX同样也成功自我再超越的交出一张漂亮成绩单

A posthumous DMX album, Exodus, produced by Swizz Beatz, will be released May 28th via Def Jam Recordings.
The album will mark the first DMX album since 2012’s Undisputed and feature all-new original material. It will arrive nearly two months after DMX’s death, April 9th.
“My brother X was one of the most pure and rare souls I’ve ever met,” Swizz Beatz said in a statement. “He lived his life dedicated to his family and music. Most of all, he was generous with his giving and loved his fans beyond measure. This album, X couldn’t wait for his fans all around the world to hear and show just how much he valued each and every single person that has supported him unconditionally.”
Exodus shares its name with DMX’s son, Exodus Simmons, while the album cover boasts a photo by Jonathan Mannion, who worked with DMX throughout his career. Additional details about the album, such as a tracklist and potential features, were not announced.
While DMX had not released a solo album since Undisputed, he did drop a steady stream of singles in the intervening years, and in 2017, he teamed with the electronic duo, Blackburner, for the collaborative album, Dog Eats Rabbit. Just before his death, a new track “X Moves,” featuring Bootsy Collins, Steve Howe, and Ian Paice was released, as well as an eight-minute EP, A Dog’s Prayers. About a week later, a posthumous cut from the Godfather of Harlem soundtrack, “Been to War,” with Swizz Beatz and French Montana, was also released.
DMX died one week after suffering a heart attack, which put him in the hospital and ultimately left him in a coma and on life support. Following his death, there was a public memorial at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, which featured Swizz Beatz, Kanye West’s Sunday Service Choir, Nas, the Ruff Ryders, and more.

Black Eyed Peas is an American musical group, consisting of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo and J. Rey Soul. Originally an alternative hip hop group, they subsequently refashioned themselves as a more marketable pop-rap act.

David Samuel Pike was an American jazz vibraphone and marimba player. He appeared on many albums by Nick Brignola, Paul Bley and Kenny Clarke, Bill Evans, and Herbie Mann. He also recorded extensively as leader, including a number of albums on MPS Records.

So dubbed because these three sessions -- two from early 1949, one from March 1950 -- are where the sound known as cool jazz essentially formed, The Birth of the Cool remains one of the defining, pivotal moments in jazz. This is where the elasticity of bop was married with skillful, big-band arrangements and a relaxed, subdued mood that made it all seem easy, even at its most intricate. After all, there's a reason why this music was called cool; it has a hip, detached elegance, never getting too hot, even as the rhythms skip and jump. Indeed, the most remarkable thing about these sessions -- arranged by Gil Evansand featuring such heavy-hitters as Kai Winding, Gerry Mulligan, Lee Konitz, and Max Roach-- is that they sound intimate, as the nonet never pushes too hard, never sounds like the work of nine musicians. Furthermore, the group keeps things short and concise (probably the result of the running time of singles, but the results are the same), which keeps the focus on the tones and tunes. The virtuosity led to relaxing, stylish mood music as the end result -- the very thing that came to define West Coast or "cool" jazz -- but this music is so inventive, it remains alluring even after its influence has been thoroughly absorbed into the mainstream

Gerald Joseph Mulligan, also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger.

上世纪五十年代末，Dave Brubeck Quartet组合中的灵魂人物中音萨克斯手Paul Desmond写了这一首名叫Take Five的四重奏乐曲，最开始时这首爵士乐以单曲的形式发行，由于采用了极为罕见的5/4拍，这在当时的爵士音乐界引起了强烈震动，并受到广泛批评，但在符合大众口味的金曲排行榜上却可以和彼时如日中天的猫王的歌曲抗衡。
以后的时间证明了，这种复杂节奏改变了当时人们陈旧、萎靡和一成不变的听力习惯，同时在探索爵士节奏的可能性上作出了深远影响。21世纪福克斯公司也曾经将此曲用做电影题头。
由于Paul Desmond在爵士历史上的地位与名气都远远不如Dave Brubeck，《Take Five》的曲作者经常被误以为是Dave Brubeck。而实际上由Dave Brubeck、Paul Desmond、Joe Morello、Eugene Wright组成的四重奏组合在1959年发行的专辑《Time Out》里，Dave Brubeck的确是除《Take Five》之外的所有乐曲的作者，这张专辑中八分之九拍、四分之五拍、四分之六拍等诸多非常规爵士乐节拍也有出现，但《Take Five》在爵士乐史上石破天惊的意义显然非专辑中其他乐曲可以比拟，在后来发行的绝大多数关于Dave Brubeck Quartet的精选专辑中，几乎100%都会收录。昨日之音系列——《Time Out》这就是完美的爵士。