Swizz Beatz Talks DMX Comeback Album, Ruff Ryders Reunion

After having spent 90 days locked up in an Arizona jail this winter, troubled rapper DMX is clean and recording a new album, according to producer and fellow Ruff Ryder Swizz Beatz.

Though videos of a very excited (read, high) X recently appeared on the net, Swizz claims the Yonkers rapper is extremely focused and ready to make a huge comeback.

"If a person don't wanna help themselves, then there's nothing you can do," Swizz told MTV. "The good thing is that X is willing to help himself. I know the X I can work with, I know the X I cannot work with. Right now [he] is the X I can work with. That's why he's on the ['Who's Real'] remix smashing it and we got about seven other records that, if we put out right now, it would mess everybody up."

Swizz and DMX collaborated together on a number of records, including (strip) club hits like 'Ruff Ryders Anthem' and 'Party Up (Up In Here).' At his height, DMX was one of the nation's top-selling artists, recording an unprecedented five straight No. 1 albums, and selling more than 30 million units. He also enjoyed a thriving film career, starring in 'Belly,' 'Exit Wounds' and 'Romeo Must Die.' However, things took a turn in 2004, when X was infamously arrested at JFK airport and charged with impersonating an FBI agent and attempting to carjack a vehicle, while intoxicated and in possession of cocaine.

"I wanna have the proper setup where he's getting a fair chance and the most attention and most respect right now," Swizz said of X's imminent return. "I'm not putting nothing out until we have the lineup together, which we're close to having, and the streets are going to witness that raw uncut street element. X was doing $16 million movies and sleeping outside, just because that's where he felt comfortable. He's the realest in the game. He never was on no jewelry, no cars. X, he's one artist that I truly know is a real artist. It don't get no more real than X."

In addition to the return of Dark Man X, Swizz also said that we will see a reunited Ruff Ryders in the somewhat-near future. Though the LOX, Eve, X and Drag-On are all working on separate projects of their own, Swizz claims that a reunion is a "100 percent" likely.