Because of our love for hardcore rapper DMX, we choose not to get too close to the man’s life. We don’t want no goddamned reality TV or some shit to dilute the bloody, big-nut, testosterone O.D. fantasy that rages in us whenever DMX is playing. But because this is precisely the kind of base impulse he inspires, it’s easy to simply regard him as a cartoon. Amid all that tough bombast, however, is one of the most intriguing and conflicted figures in modern popular rap. And, of course, there’s that voice, so singular and throat-grabbing that it can command an entire room on its own, which is exactly what it did last time at House of Blues with just a DJ and no hack hype men. Well, X is back to doing what he does best: music. And this is the first leg of a promotional tour to stoke the coals of his fan base for the autumn release of Undisputed, his first album since 2006. – Bao Le-Huu