Hell and Back is the secondstudio album by rapperDrag-On.[1] Originally scheduled for a September 16, 2003 release, the album was ultimately released February 10, 2004. It was released throughVirgin Records andRuff Ryders and featured production from the likes ofSwizz Beatz andRockwilder.Hell and Back was not as successful as his previous album, only peaking at number 47 on theBillboard 200, however it did fare better on theTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, peaking at number 5. The album featured one music video, for the song "Feel My Pain".
AllMusic editor Andy Kellman found the album to be lackluster compared toOpposite of H2O, criticizing the producers and Drag-On's label mates for crafting uninspired beats and lyrics.[3]Jon Caramanica, writing forRolling Stone, commended Drag-On for emulatingDMX's world-weary flow and fine-tuning his lyricism but felt that he squandered it when either compared to the album's guest artists or delivering generic party tracks.[4]Vibe writer Laura Checkoway praised the combination of Drag-On's vocal delivery over idiosyncratic production and his attempts at lyrical growth on "My First Child" and "Life Is Short", despite diverting away from that established blueprint, concluding that "Hell and Back is still a trip worthwhile."[5]
