Following in the hip-hop tradition of Busta Rhymes, A Tribe Called Quest, Dr. Dre, and the entire No Limit roster, DMX has used his nascent stardom to give something back to his crew, the Ruff Ryders. Ostensibly a showcase for the Lox and the unknowns of the family (Drag-On, Eve, Parle, Cross, and Infra-Red), Ryde or Die works even better as a calling card for producer Swizz Beatz, who gets plenty of shout-outs on the Cuban-flavored "What Ya Want" and DMX's "Bugout." Swizz keeps the album bouncing with funky sounds and makes sure all the rappers--even the normally mush-mouthed Juvenile, just one of the plethora of guest stars (including Mase, Jermaine Dupri, Big Pun, and Jay-Z) here--sound crystal clear. There are a few tracks that don't make the cut at all--Parle's limp R&B anthem "I'm a Ruff Ryder" is the worst offender--and no breakout classics, but the tracks here are consistently fun to listen to. --Randy Silver