DMX, the American rapper who broke through in the late 1990s, was famous for an aggressive, gravel-voiced delivery filled with growls, barks and shouted ad-libs that set him apart from other hip-hop artists of his era. Those vocal tics became part of his public image and were widely imitated, sampled and clipped online long after his songs were released. On soundboards and social video, the isolated growl survives as a shorthand for toughness and intensity, letting creators borrow DMX's unmistakable presence without needing a full song or lyric.