25. DMX, Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood
Drench in blood, as if emerging from a gory massacre, the goal of the Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood album cover was to share with the world the ugly journey that the Yonkers’ rapper had to dread to get to this point in his career. The shirtless DMX is not necessarily portrayed not as a monster. But if we are to look into his eyes, it is revealed that complicated angst that comes along with being a Black man forced to contend with the savagery of an unkind world.
Positioned in front of a solid white backdrop, Dark Man X is a sign of triumph. A frightful sign of triumph during a time when all he had to give was the flesh of his flesh, and the actual blood of his blood.