HHV Valentine’s Day 2011: DMX – "How’s It Goin’ Down"

Thirteen Years Later, the Ruff Ryders Classic Still Cuts Deeper Than Most Rap Ballads

“How’s It Goin’ Down” is not a love song. It is a song about an affair—messy, real, and unresolved. DMX raps in first person as a man reconnecting with Tenika, a “little hoodrat bitch from 25th” who already has a man and two kids. The chemistry is immediate, the flirting leads to more, and by the second verse, DMX is learning that her baby daddy smacked her because she said his name during sex. He offers to “leave that nigga sleepy” but pulls back because “that’s your kid’s daddy.”

By the third verse, there is no victory lap. DMX watches Tenika embrace her baby’s father and their children from a distance, bows his head, and accepts that “we gon’ always be best of friends.” The chorus—“What type of games are bein’ played? How’s it goin’ down?”—captures the uncertainty and emotional stakes. It is street-level storytelling with no moralizing, no easy answers. Just a man caught in a situation he cannot fully control.

The track was released as the fourth and final single from DMX’s 1998 debut album It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot. It followed the aggressive anthems “Get at Me Dog,” “Stop Being Greedy,” and “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem.” Those songs introduced DMX as a barking, growling force of nature. “How’s It Goin’ Down” showed the other side: vulnerable, reflective, and capable of tenderness without losing his edge. It proved that the same voice that snarled through “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” could also sound resigned and wounded.

The Beat, The Hook, The Faith Evans Touch

Production on “How’s It Goin’ Down” was handled by PK and Dame Grease. Additionally, there was input from the Ruff Ryders production team. The beat is smooth but gritty—a mid-tempo groove built on a soulful sample, understated drums, and a bassline that rolls instead of stomps. It leaves room for DMX’s voice to carry the weight of the narrative. There are no bombastic hooks or hype ad-libs. The track breathes.

Faith Evans appears on the hook for the video version, her vocals floating over the beat before DMX enters. Her presence adds a layer of melancholy and polish that contrasts with DMX’s raspy, unpolished delivery. Evans is known for her work with Puff Daddy and as the widow of The Notorious B.I.G. So, she brings a R&B warmth that makes the song’s harder edges land even harder. The combination is unusual for DMX’s catalog—he rarely leaned this far into melodic territory—but it works.

The song runs 4:42 and was released as a single on June 9, 1998, through Ruff Ryders Entertainment and Def Jam Recordings. It peaked at number 70 on the Billboard Hot 100. Also, it reached number 19 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The RIAA certified it Gold for shipments of 500,000 units. For a fourth single from a debut album, those numbers are solid. But the song’s legacy has always been bigger than its chart position.

Hype Williams Shoots Harlem Noir

The music video, directed by Hype Williams, was shot on location in Harlem, New York City, around the time of the single’s release. Williams was already a legend, known for his work with The Notorious B.I.G., Nas, and Missy Elliott. So, he brought his signature cinematic style: desaturated street tones punctuated by emotional color pops, dramatic lighting that makes DMX’s skin glisten, and fast-paced cuts that keep the energy urgent. The video plays like a short film.

It opens with atmospheric shots and Faith Evans’ vocals setting a moody tone. DMX, wearing his signature wave cap and street gear, drives through Harlem streets, spots Tenika (played by video model Liza Rivera), and pulls over to reconnect. The flirtation builds. Intimate scenes show their affair unfolding: stolen moments, chemistry, the thrill of sneaking around. The baby daddy drama appears in glimpses. First, jealousy. Secondly, a mistaken-identity confrontation. Finally, the physical altercation referenced in the lyrics.

The emotional climax comes near the end. DMX watches Tenika embrace her baby’s father and their children from afar, leaning against an SUV. He bows his head in quiet defeat and acceptance. The shot lingers. There is no gunplay, no shouting, no dramatic exit. Just a man realizing that he cannot win. Intercut throughout are raw performance clips of DMX rapping directly to the camera amid Harlem landmarks, his vulnerability on full display without sacrificing his edge.

Cameos From Future Ruff Ryders Stars

The video also features cameos from artists who would soon become major names in hip-hop. Eve, Ja Rule, Drag-On, and Irv Gotti appear in group and street scenes, injecting high-energy crew camaraderie into the narrative. At the time of the video’s release, these artists were largely unknown outside of hardcore Ruff Ryders circles. Within a year, Eve would release her debut album, Ja Rule would become a crossover star, and he would dominate radio.

Their presence in the video serves as a time capsule of the Ruff Ryders movement at its peak. The label and management company, founded by Joaquin “Waah” Dean and his brothers, had built a roster that combined street credibility with commercial ambition. DMX was the flagship artist, but the cameos in “How’s It Goin’ Down” hinted at the depth of the bench. Watching the video now, those brief appearances now carry the weight of history.

The video also showcases Hype Williams at the height of his powers. He would go on to direct the feature film Belly (also starring DMX) in 1998, and the visual language of “How’s It Goin’ Down” directly foreshadows that film’s aesthetic: hood noir, emotional realism, and a willingness to let silence and stillness carry as much weight as action. It remains one of Williams’ most praised narrative videos from the era.

A Valentine’s Day Reminder of DMX’s Depth

On February 14, the music world is focused on love songs, romantic gestures, and pop ballads. But for hip-hop fans, “How’s It Goin’ Down” offers a different kind of love story. No roses. No candlelight. Just a man in a wave cap, driving through Harlem, trying to figure out if the woman he wants can ever really be his. The answer is no. And DMX raps that no with more honesty than most singers can muster for a yes.

DMX’s career has been defined by peaks and valleys. He has sold millions of albums, headlined arenas, and struggled with addiction and legal troubles. But “How’s It Goin’ Down” remains a high point—not because it is his biggest hit, but because it shows his range. The same artist who barked through “Get at Me Dog” and snarled through “Stop Being Greedy” could also tell a three-act story about an affair, complete with emotional payoff and no easy resolution.

The song endures because it is not glamorous. Tenika is not a video vixen; she is a “little hoodrat bitch” with two kids and a messy baby daddy. DMX is not a hero; he is a man who knows he is in the wrong (“she had two kids by this nigga, it was wrong for me”). The chorus asks “how’s it goin’ down?” and the answer, by the end, is clear: not the way he wanted. Mad love ’til the end, but still just friends.

Conclusion

How’s It Goin’ Down” stands as proof that DMX was never just a snarling pit bull in a durag. He was a storyteller. He could take a street-corner drama—a woman caught between two men, a baby daddy who hits her, a rapper who knows he should walk away—and turn it into a song that feels more real than most confessional ballads. The beat is smooth. The hook is haunting. And the video, directed by Hype Williams, captures the ache of the lyrics without romanticizing the situation.

DMX offers something different: imperfect longing, loyalty without possession, and the quiet pain of knowing you cannot have what you want. That is not a typical love song. But it is a real one.