One For The Treble

Davy DMX cut the single in late 1983 as a solo Tuff City release, after working in New York’s dance and rap scene with acts such as Kurtis Blow and Run-D.M.C. The record centers on DMX’s guitar, bass, drum-machine programming, scratching, and spare vocal call-and-response. Issued in 1984, the track became one of the early crossover records linking electro, breakdance, and hip-hop production styles. Billboard’s Black Singles chart coverage marked it as Davy DMX’s first step into the spotlight. The track became a widely sampled old-school hip-hop break record and later reached a much wider audience through its use in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. It remains a touchstone for early DJ-led rap production and scratching.