Hip hop star DMX showed up in a district of New York on Tuesday to play an impromptu gig for his fans.

The rapper rolled up at Harlem's Marcus Garvey Park to play a surprise performance to the people of New York, completely free. Fans had heard rumblings of the possible event via the internet and as such a large gathering made it to the park to arrive in time to see DMX setting up and performing a full set for the lucky crowd. Plenty of New Yorkers who happened to be in the vicinity of the park made their way there when they heard the music and DMX's performance seemed to draw people like a magnet – many curious as to what was going on.

This one-off free gig was also an opportunity for DMX to showcase his latest album to the Harlem crowd and it seemed to receive a warm welcome. While the biggest noise was reserved for the star's most famous songs, the gathered people also took to newer tracks which have yet to be released on his new album.

It also gave DMX the chance to perform some of his new items outside of the recording studio for the first time – and he must have been pleased with the reception they got from the excited crowd.

DMX's new album, entitled Year of the Dog…Again, has just been released by the rapper and it is his sixth album to date. However, fans have had to wait a long time for this record, with his last offering released back in 2003. DMX has taken so much more time over this new album partly due to the fact it is his first with SonyBMG after, after he parted company with Def Jam last year.

Among tracks on his latest offering are the anthemic We In Here, alongside less up-front and more soul-searching Lord Give Me A Sign. There is also a number of collaborations, such as Come Thru (Move), which features Busta Rhymes, and Styles P and Jadakiss collaboration, It's Personal.

His first five albums went straight in at the top of the US album charts, making DMX the only artist in the history of the US album charts to see their first five records debut at number one. No doubt the rapper will be eager to see Year of the Dog…Again achieve similar success, especially as critics will be comparing and contrasting its fortunes with those of his Def Jam work.