Fifteen years ago, DMX released two multi-platinum albums, It’s Dark and Hell is Hot and Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood. These two albums marked the beginning of arguably one of the most successful music careers of all time (at least in terms of the Billboard charts).

These two albums began a streak of five consecutive albums to debut at number one on the Billboard charts. DMX is the only musical artist in history to accomplish this feat. His sixth album only missed the top spot by a few hundred sales.

On February 2nd, 1999, I received the CD version of It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot for my 13th birthday.  I listened to that album nonstop for a year until I received Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood for my 14th birthday.

It was a big DMX phase in my life which I will never forget.

Fast forward 15 years.

Items – It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot 15th Anniversary gold-colored vinyl LP and Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood blood-splattered colored vinyl LP.

Purchased – Amoeba Music, Haight Street, San Francisco.

Cost – $75 combined.

Worth to Me – $500 each. At least.

Seriously, check out these gems.

All gold everything.

It’s a bit surreal to own these albums on vinyl, given how much I listened to them on my old CD player as a kid.

Fifteen years later, my relationship with DMX and his music has come full circle.