DMX Biography - Hip Hop Writings (2023)

Hip-Hop-Bio:

Earl Simmons (born December 18, 1970), better known by his stage name DMX (also known as Dog Man X and Dark Man X), is a multi-platinum American rapper and actor. His stage name was originally an acronym for Divine Master of the Unknown, but is also a tribute to an instrument he used in the 1980s, the Oberheim DMX drum machine. In 1999, DMX released his best-selling album...And Then There Was X, which featured the hit single "Party Up (Up in Here)." He has acted in movies like Belly, Romeo Must Die, Exit Wounds, Cradle 2 The Grave, and Last Hour. In 2006, he starred in the reality series DMX: Soul of a Man, which aired primarily on the BET cable television network. In 2003, DMX published a book of his memoirs titled E.A.R.L.: The Autobiography of DMX.

Early life

DMX was born on December 18, 1970, to Joe Barker and Arnett Simmons (who became pregnant with him when she was nineteen). There are conflicting accounts as to where he was born, some say he was born in Baltimore, MD and others say he was born in Mount Vernon, New York. He was the second son born; his mother had a two-year-old daughter from a previous relationship. [citation needed] he was raised as a Jehovah's Witness. At a young age, her mother took her to the infamous School Street projects in Yonkers, where DMX learned his art of stealing. When he was young, he committed crimes such as robbery and spent much of his youth in and out of prisons and youth homes. DMX has always looked down on street drug dealers and found it easier to just steal the dealers' profits at the end of the day. Although he was always close to his uncles and some of his close friends, he found his true companionship in the many stray dogs he befriended. During this time, DMX saw hip-hop as an escape from his problems. He was into beatboxing, turntablism and eventually rapping.

1998: It's dark and hell is hot and flesh of my flesh, blood of my blood

In February 1998, DMX released his debut major-label single, "Get at Me Dog", on Def Jam Recordings. The single was certified Gold by the RIAA. His first major-label album, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, which featured the hit single "ruff rydersAnthem" was released in May 1998. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart and has sold over five million copies.

Later in December, DMX released his second album Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, where it stayed for three consecutive weeks. Within a week of the album's release, 670,000 units were sold. [citation needed] It ended up going four times platinum. As a result, DMX was the second rapper in history (afterTupac Shakur), having released two albums in the same year, both debuting at number one on the Billboard 200.

1999 – 2000: ...And then there was X

DMX released his third best-selling album (as of January 2012), ...And Then There Was X, on December 21, 1999. It was his third album to debut at number 1 on the Billboard 200. His most popular single, "Party Up", became her first top ten hit on the R&B charts. Singles "What's My Name?" and "What These Bitches Want" were also popular. The album has been certified six times platinum.

2001-2002: The Great Depression

With his legal situation improving, DMX returned to the studio to complete his fourth album, The Great Depression. Released on October 23, 2001, it was his fourth album to debut at the top of the Billboard 200, with the singles "Who We Be", "We Right Here", and "Shorty Was The Bomb". Despite the album's triple platinum certification, its critical and commercial success was less than that of the previous album.

2003: Grandmaster

His fifth album, Grand Champ, again debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, making DMX the only music artist in history to release five consecutive albums (his entire catalog at the time) that debuted at number one. Singles include "Where Tha Hood At" and "Get it on the Floor." After its release, he announced to the public that he planned to retire and that Grand Champ would be his last album.

2005 - 2007: Year of the Dog...again

DMX signed with Columbia Records in January 2006. He recorded his next album, Year of the Dog... Again, while changing record labels, which caused several delays. It was finally released on August 1, 2006, missing the top spot on Billboard for only one hundred sales. [citation needed] He released two more singles, "Lord Give Me A Sign" and "We In Here".

On June 12, 2008, DMX released a greatest hits compilation, The Definition of X: The Pick of the Litter. Def Jam released another compilation album, The Best of DMX, in 2011, which includes hit singles like "Where the Hood At?". and "X Gon' Give It to Ya".

2012: Undisputed

On October 11, 2011, DMX performed at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards. He stated that he has been working on the new album "every day non-stop" and plans to release it before December 2012. During a performance at Santos Party House in New York on December 25, 2011, DMX stated that the new album would be titled Undisputed and would be released on March 26, 2012. This was later confirmed by DMX (via his official DMX (rapper) Twitter account on Twitter ), where he also confirmed that the first single will be released in January 2012. A video for a new song titled "Last Hope" was released on the internet on September 24, 2011. DMX has not confirmed if the song will appear on his next album. . After numerous delays, the album was finally released on September 11, 2012 and featured production byswiss beatzand J.R. Rotem with MGK.

seven arts entertainment inc. recently purchased David Michery's music holdings, which included some of DMX's music. DMX announced that Undisputed would be released on March 27, 2012. However, it was later revealed that DMX had no intention of releasing the album on that date and the record company pushed that date for him. The album's release date is set for June 26, 2012.

2013-2021: Def Jam and Exodus reunite

In 2013, DMX announced that he had begun work on his eighth studio album. worked with producersswiss beatzand Lady Fat. In December, after retrieving her passport, she embarked on a world tour, performing in Bulgaria and Kosovo. On January 7, 2015, Seven Arts Music announced that DMX would be releasing Redemption of the Beast the following week. However, a close personal friend and recurring collaborator, producer/rapper/manager, Swizz Beatz and DMX's manager confirmed this to be untrue. On January 13, 2015, Seven Arts Music released Redemption of the Beast without signing a legal artist contract. On January 15, 2015, DMX's brother/manager in Montana announced that DMX was no longer signed to Seven Arts Music and that they would be taking legal action against Seven Arts Music for the unauthorized release of Redemption of the Beast.

Long-time collaborator Swizz Beatz stated that two of the collaborators would be on the album.Kanye WestmiDr. Dre. His 2003 song "X Gon' Give It to Ya" was featured in the 2016 Deadpool movie and trailers for him. On June 28, 2016, DMX released a new song titled "Blood Red" produced by Divine Bars. On January 11, 2017, DMX released a new song produced by Swizz Beatz titled "Bain Iz Back". On September 20, 2019, DMX signed a new record deal with Def Jam Recordings, reuniting with the label for the first time since his 2003 album Grand Champ.

DMX's eighth and first posthumous studio album Exodus was released on May 28, 2021 via Def Jam.

Personal life

Religion

DMX was a born again Christian and claimed that he read the Bible every day. In prison, DMX explained that he had a reason for being there: "I came here to meet someone... I don't know who he was, but I'll know when I see him." And I came here to give you a message. And that message is that Jesus loves you.” DMX was an interim deacon in the Christian church and aspired to be ordained as a pastor. He said he received that appeal in 2009. In 2016, he preached at a church in Phoenix, Arizona. In April 2020, he conducted an online Bible study and urged people to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

relationships and children

DMX fathered 15 children by 9 different women. He married his childhood friend Tashera Simmons in 1999 and they were married for 11 years. They had four children together: Xavier (born 1992), Tacoma (born 1999), Sean (born 2002), and Praise Mary Ella (born 2005). In July 2010, after the first of three arrests that year, Tashera announced his separation from her. They remained friends, though in 2016 Tashera accused DMX of failing to meet her $10,000 monthly child support payment.

DMX had extramarital affairs during his marriage to Tashera, some of which produced children. He has a daughter, Sasha (born 2002), with Patricia Trejo. In 2012, Trejo sued DMX for $1 million in unpaid child support. The case was settled in 2013. DMX and Monique Wayne, a Maryland resident, disagreed with his claim that he is the father of his child, born in 2004. She sued him for defamation and child support. After genetic testing proved that DMX was indeed the father, DMX was ordered to pay Wayne $1.5 million in January 2008, but a judge overturned the judgment in May 2008. DMX also had a son in 2008. and had two children with his ex-girlfriend. Yadira Borrego. In 2009 his daughter Sonovah Junior was born. In 2011, his daughter Aaliyah was born, named after her friend Aaliyah. His fifteenth child, Exodus Simmons, was born on August 16, 2016 to his fiancée, Desiree Lindstrom.

finance and bankruptcy

DMX earned $2.3 million from his songs between 2010 and 2015.

He has also declared bankruptcy three times. His first filing was on July 30, 2013, citing his child support obligations as his primary claim. The claim was contested by the United States Trustee Program and on November 11, 2013 by the US Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan dismissed.

Rivalry with Ja Rule

During the 1990s, DMX formed close relationships with other up-and-coming rappers.Jay Zmiand rule. The three worked together many times and formed a group called Murder Inc. The group was short lived due to internal problems between DMX and Jay-Z. After the disbandment of Murder Inc., DMX denigrated Ja Rule in interviews, accusing him of being a copycat and drawing comparisons between him and what he saw as Ja, robbing him of his trademark "rude" delivery style.

DMX released the diss track "They Want War" in 2002 on a mixtape by DJ Kay Slay. Ja Rule never responded directly. DMX also co-released the single "Go to Sleep".Eminemand Obie Trice as part of the Cradle 2 The Grave soundtrack with numerous lines lining upand rule. As time passed and the feud waned, DMX said he wanted to officially end it when he was released from prison in 2005: "Gotti came to me in prison and said he wanted to make it up to you and him. I was like, 'He's alright Gotti, let's do this' Despite this, DMX and Ja Rule did not officially end their feud until 2009 at VH1's Hip Hop Honors.

Rivalry with Jay-Z

When DMX teamed upJay Zmiand ruleIn Murder Inc., there was a rivalry between the two, which also contributed to the failure of the group and the collaboration. The feud reportedly began in the early 1990s after a rap battle between the two that led to DMX's disdain for Jay-Z. Before DMX's death, the feud continued, though it lessened over the years, as DMX said in an Instagram video that he wanted to rap Jay-Z on Verzuz.

legal difficulties

DMX was in prison 30 times for a variety of crimes, including robbery, assault, carjacking, cruelty to animals, reckless driving, drunk driving, illegal driving, drug possession, probation violation, lack of payment of child support, impersonating a federal agent and tax evasion.

1986–1988

DMX was first sent to prison in 1986 after stealing a dog from a junkyard. He was sentenced to two years in the juvenile unit at Woodfield Prison in Valhalla, New York. However, just weeks into his sentence, he and his cellmate successfully escaped from prison and DMX returned home until his mother forced him to surrender and finish his sentence, which he did at the Juvenile Detention Center. McCormick in Brooktondale, New York. Simmons was arrested again in 1988 for auto theft and later transferred to a maximum security prison after attempting to blackmail another inmate with drugs. He was released in the summer of 1988.

1998-1999

When Fort Lee Police Department officers searched his home in 1999, DMX immediately turned himself in for carrying a weapon.

DMX was charged with animal cruelty in 1999 in Teaneck, New Jersey, after a dozen pit bulls were found in his home. The charges were dropped after the actor agreed to take responsibility and register public service for an animal rights group.

2000–2005 New York Subway

In 2000, DMX was serving a 15-day prison sentence for possession of marijuana.

DMX served another prison sentence in 2001 for driving without a license and possession of marijuana. His appeal for a reduced sentence was rejected; instead, he was charged with assault for throwing objects at prison guards.

In January 2002, DMX in New Jersey pleaded guilty to 13 counts of animal cruelty, two counts of sexual assault, and one count of disorderly conduct and possession of drug paraphernalia. He eventually negotiated fines, probation and community service, appearing in public service announcements against the dangers of guns and animal cruelty.

In June 2004, DMX was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport on charges of cocaine possession, criminal identity theft, criminal possession of a weapon, criminal mischief, threats, and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, claiming to be a fed. agent. and trying to steal a vehicle. He was paroled on December 8, 2004, but pleaded guilty to a probation violation on October 25, 2005.

On November 18, 2005, DMX was sentenced to 70 days in jail on Riker's Island for violating probation. The late payment fee added a 10-day extension to the original 60-day penalty. DMX was released earlier (for "good behavior") on December 30, 2005.

2007

In 2007, DMX's home was searched on allegations of animal cruelty.

2008–2011 Arizona y California

On May 9, 2008, DMX was arrested on drug charges and animal cruelty after attempting to barricade himself in his home in Cave Creek, Arizona.

DMX pleaded guilty at a December 30, 2008 hearing to drug possession, robbery, and animal cruelty charges stemming from an August 2007 drug bust and a May 2008 arrest; He was sentenced to 90 days in jail on January 31, 2009.

On May 22, 2009, DMX entered into a plea/remedy agreement and pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated assault in prison.

After serving four months out of six for a drug probation violation, DMX was released from prison on July 6, 2010. A television pilot was filmed that day to depict his road to recovery. However, DMX was arrested three weeks later, and the pilot failed to make it into a series.

On July 27, 2010, DMX appeared in Los Angeles Metropolitan Court on a reckless driving charge he received in 2002. He was sentenced to ninety days in jail.

On November 19, 2010, DMX was arrested in Maricopa County, Arizona for violating probation for aggravated assault on a police officer on February 24, 2009 while incarcerated. On December 20, 2010, DMX was transferred to the Arizona Alhambra State Prison Mental Health Unit and released on July 18, 2011.

On August 24, 2011, DMX was arrested for the tenth time in Maricopa County, this time for driving at a speed of 102 miles per hour (164 km/h) in a 65-mile-per-hour (105 km/h) zone. ). ). , reckless driving and driving with a suspended license. In admitting to speeding, DMX claimed he was going 85 miles per hour (137 km/h).

South Carolina 2013

On February 13, 2013, DMX was arrested in Spartanburg, South Carolina for driving without a license.

On July 26, 2013, DMX was re-arrested in Greenville County, South Carolina and charged with driving under the influence and driving without a license.

On August 20, 2013, DMX was arrested again in Greer, South Carolina during a traffic stop after a car in which he was a passenger made a wrong turn. He was detained under a preventive detention order. Four packages of marijuana were also found in the vehicle, for which he was cited along with the driver.

On November 4, 2013, DMX was re-arrested by police at the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport near Greer, South Carolina, after officers familiar with his previous arrests noticed DMX was behind the wheel of a vehicle in the terminal. DMX was booked for driving on a suspended license, possession of a vehicle without insurance, and driving a vehicle without a license. He was later released after spending three hours in jail.

2015 New York

On April 5, 2015, a man accused DMX of stealing it.

On June 26, 2015, DMX was arrested in New York City, charged with robbery in Newark, New Jersey, and failure to pay child support.

On July 14, 2015, DMX was sentenced to 6 months in prison for failing to pay $400,000 in child support payments.

On December 14, 2015, an arrest warrant was issued for DMX after he missed a court hearing to address child support issues with his ex-wife Tashera Simmons and their four children.

2017-2019: conviction for tax fraud

In July 2017, DMX was indicted on 14 counts of federal tax fraud. Federal prosecutors accused him of failing to file tax returns from 2010 to 2015 (a period during which he earned at least $2.3 million). DMX pleaded guilty to a single count of tax fraud in November 2017. DMX was originally a fugitive pending sentencing, but was sent to prison in January 2018 after being released from a court-ordered drug treatment program and having a relapse with cocaine and oxycodone. In March 2018, Judge Jed S. Rakoff sentenced DMX to one year in prison followed by three years in supervised prison. The court also ordered DMX to pay $2.29 million in damages to the government[109]. He was released on January 25, 2019.

health problems and death

Simmons said he became addicted to crack when he was 14 after Ready Ron tricked him into smoking a marijuana joint. He also said that he suffered from bipolar disorder.

Simmons entered drug rehab multiple times, including in 2002, 2017 and 2019 when he canceled shows.

On February 10, 2016, Simmons was found unconscious in a parking lot of the Ramada Inn in Yonkers, New York. Rescuers revived him and gave him Narcan, an opioid reversal drug, intravenously; He quickly reacted to Narcan and fell semi-conscious. Simmons was then taken to the hospital. A witness said that he had been ingesting some type of substance before the collapse, but police did not find any illegal substances on the property. Simmons claimed that he had an asthma attack.

On April 2, 2021, around 11:00 p.m. m., Simmons was rushed to White Plains Hospital, where he is said to be in critical condition after suffering a heart attack at his home, which may have been caused by a drug overdose. The next day, his attorney, Murray Richman, confirmed that Simmons was on life support. That same night, Simmons suffered cerebral hypoxia (lack of oxygen to the brain) when paramedics tried to revive him for 30 minutes. Simmons' former manager, Nakia Walker, said he is in a "vegetative state" with "lung and brain failure and no current brain activity." His manager, Steve Rifkind, said Simmons is in a coma and he must undergo tests to determine the functionality of his brain and that his family "will determine what is best from there."

On the morning of April 9, 2021, Simmons lost the functionality of several vital organs, reportedly his liver, kidneys, and lungs, and was pronounced dead shortly thereafter at the age of 50. The official cause of death was a cocaine-induced heart attack. .[132][1]

legacy

After DMX's death, The Ringer wrote, "Over the course of his nearly three-decade career, DMX has embodied passion, rawness, and sheer emotional honesty in a way few hip-hop artists have, opening way through hits like "ruff ryders' Anthem" and "Get at Me Dog" one moment, and lament and philosophize the next on tracks like "Slippin'."Tupac ShakurIt's inInfame B.I.G.To this day, few have managed to achieve the heights that he achieved: he is the only rapper to debut at number 1 with his first five studio albums. 1, and he was the first living hip-hop artist to have two projects certified platinum in the same year."

Various celebrities have paid tribute through channels such as social media, including former NFL star Torrey Smith, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Eminem, Gabrielle Union (who co-starred with DMX in the 2003 film Cradle 2 the Grave with Jet Li (who also paid tribute),swiss beatz(with whom DMX collaborated, including on the hit single "Ruff Ryders' Anthem"),Evemimiss eliot.

A "Celebration of Life" was held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on April 24, 2021, headlined byKanye WestThe Sunday Worship Choir. They played several songs in tribute to DMX. The memorial service was held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, with a limited capacity of 1,900 people. It was streamed live on DMX's YouTube and Instagram accounts. On the way to Barclays, DMX's coffin was carried away by a black monster truck with "Long Live DMX" written on the side. A procession of hundreds of motorcyclists in honor of the hip-hop collectiveruff ryders, drove from Yonkers, the birthplace of DMX, to the Barclays Center. Between performances, people gave speeches, including Eve,already,swiss beatzand Ruff Ryders founders Joaquin "Waah" Dean and Darin "Dee" Dean. According to Variety, Kanye West has also been confirmed as a participant in the celebration.

DMX's funeral (“DMX Homecoming Celebration”) was held on April 25, 2021 in Brooklyn at the Christian Cultural Center. It was broadcast live on the BET Network and on his YouTube channel. It lasted about five hours for a limited capacity of 2,000 people. DMX's coffin was red in color and featured the word "FE" in large letters. It was on display at the front of the room. Including those who attendedalready,lil kim, Alicia Keys & Swizz Beatz, and the church's pastor, Reverend A.R. Bernard. Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, joined the service via Zoom. With the exception of Alicia Keys, Nas, and Lil Kim, they all gave speeches. DMX's ex-wife Tashera Simmons andruff rydersThe founders Waah & Dee also gave a speech. There was some controversial testimony, such as that of former Def Jam boss Lyor Cohen when video of him showed a view of a beach and claimed that Earl Simmons was a wonderful man, while DMX was a leprechaun. Like Russell Simmons, co-founder of Def Jam, when he compared his own struggles with substance abuse to DMX via video. Homecoming ended with DMX's obituary being read from the stage and a virtual appearance by Faith Evans.

At the funeral, New York City community leader and peacemaker Erica Ford presented DMX's family with several quotes and proclamations from the New York Governor and Senate. including a proclamation from the New York State Senate declaring December 18, DMX's birthday, as "Earl 'DMX' Simmons Day". Additional quotes were received from Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Mike Spano of Yonkers (DMX's hometown). Cuomo flew the flag at the state capital on the day of DMX's death and presented it to the family.

(Those: musictory.com,Wikipedia)

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