rap musician
Personal Information
Born Earl Simmons on December 18, 1970, in Baltimore, Maryland.
Career
Signed deal with Columbia Records, 1992; released promotional single "Born Loser," 1992; signed deal with Ruff Ryders/Def Jam Records, 1997; released debut album It's Dark and Hell is Hot, 1998; released single "Get At Me Dog," 1998; performed with hip-hop package festival tour Survival of the Illest; recorded music for animated cartoon South Park, 1998; performed with hip-hop tour Hark Knock Life, released second album, Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood, 1999; released third album, And Then There Was X, 2000; film roles: Belly, 1998; Romeo Must Die, 2000; Boricua's Bond, 2000; Backstage, 2000; Exit Wounds, 2001.
Life's Work
Within a year, rapper DMX rose from the streets of Yonkers to become one of hip-hop's most popular and prolific stars. His raw, aggressive lyrics focus on strength and survival, keys to overcoming the adversity of life on the streets. DMX provided an alternative to the glamorous images and tunes of contemporary rap artists like Puff Daddy, and gained a formidable following with his first debut album, It's Dark and Hell is Hot. He increased his audience exponentially with his immediate follow-up album, Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood. Both albums reached number one on the Billboard charts in their first week, making DMX the first recording artist in music history to have his first two albums reach number one within a year. DMX toured throughout the country with various hip-hop festivals, helping to establish himself as a rap icon. He has also begun a promising acting career.
Born Earl Simmons on December 18, 1970, in Baltimore, Maryland, DMX, also known as Dark Man X, grew up in the School Street Projects of Yonkers, New York. DMX was a lonely boy. Despite his five sisters, the future-rap star was often left alone to walk the streets of his neighborhood, to entertain himself and find his own answers. From this, he says, came his inner strength and his penchant for examining his world, inside and out, an ability that would later be the primary appeal in his candid lyrics about ghetto life. In his solitude, DMX also learned to befriend dogs, developing such a strong bond with his canine friends that he had the name of his former pet, Boomer, tattooed on his back after the dog was struck and killed by a car. DMX often employs dog imagery in his lyrics, exemplified by his smash debut single "Get At Me Dog."
Still an unknown quantity when he signed to Columbia Records in 1992, the new rapper was given very little attention from the label, and his promotional single "Born Loser" came and went unnoticed. DMX protested the label's neglect and was let out of his contract. The Source magazine was, in this case, the only source for predicting DMX's bright future by bestowing upon him, in 1991, the prestigious "Unsigned Hype" award a year before he signed with Columbia.
It's Dark and Hell is Hot
In the years following DMX's failed first attempt, he honed his rugged-voiced and gritty beat by appearing on the singles of several of his contemporaries. He appeared on LL Cool J's "4,3,2,1" and Mic Geronimo's "Usual Suspects." He also wrote and performed an impressive rap, "Money, Power, Respect," for fellow Yonkers recording artist The Lox. He also appeared on Mase's "24 Hrs. to Live," Ice Cube's "We Be Clubbin' (Remix)," and Onyx's "Shut 'em Down," all the while creating a name for himself and building the hype surrounding his debut album. It's Dark and Hell is Hot was released in May of 1998 by Ruff Ryders/Def Jam Records, whom he had signed with in 1997. The album, promoted by the hugely popular single "Get At Me Dog," immediately shot up the Billboard charts, pushing Garth Brooks from the number one spot and selling more than a quarter of a million copies in its first week in stores.
To support the release of his first album, DMX was scheduled to join the "Survival of the Illest" tour with fellow hip-hop artists Onyx and Def Squad. Before the tour could begin in June of 1998 in Roanoke, Virginia, he was forced to return to New York, where he was arrested on charges filed by an exotic dancer from the Bronx of rape, sodomy, and unlawful imprisonment. He posted bail and was released, rejoining the tour. The allegations followed him until August, when he was cleared of the charges after the results of a judge-ordered DNA test came back negative.
Cleared of the allegations, DMX was left to continue the remarkable year that transformed him from unknown Yonkers MC to worldwide hip-hop hero. He teamed with video director Hype Williams to star in the controversial film Belly, which was shut down in mid-production for several months because of the excessive violence used to portray urban life. Williams said of DMX in an interview with MTV in July of 1998, "I had heard his vocals and lyrics for many, many years, and I knew he was a tremendous talent. I just didn't know how big of a talent and I didn't know how big of an actor he would be. In actuality, in my opinion, he's a better actor than a rapper, and people are really going to get a real strong sense of that come November 4." The film debuted, earned little financially, and continued to rouse criticism, but DMX was already hard at work on the next project, his follow-up album.
History-Making Second Album
Released in December of 1998, Blood of My Blood, Flesh of My Flesh did not disappoint his fans. It reached number one, like its predecessor, and disappeared from the shelves at record speed. DMX recorded this album in the tradition of his debut, intending to convey the raw, personal trials and obstacles of ghetto life. "I want Flesh of My Flesh to be like my connection to the community," he told Def Jam Records. "I want to say what's on my peoples' minds, soak up all their pain. I've learned that when I take it all in, I can make one brotha's pain be understood by the world."
With his follow-up success, DMX became the first recording artist in music history to have his first two albums reach number one within a year, according to Billboard. "I wrote fast," DMX told MTV in January of 1999. "I wrote 'The Prayer,' 'Ready to Meet Him' [quickly]. I wrote a lot of joints, you know, but I still got joints to just pick from. I could put out an album right now with joints I've already done, and they're blazin'."
DMX continued to make hip-hop history as part of the "Hard Knock Life" tour, organized by himself and fellow rap artists Jay-Z, Method Man, and Redman. The tour, perhaps the largest and most powerful of its kind, launched in March of 1999.
Sent to Jail
DMX found himself embroiled in further legal troubles when, in January of 2000, his car spun off of Interstate 684 near White Plains, New York. After the accident, authorities allegedly found marijuana cigarettes and an unlicensed handgun in the vehicle. He was indicted in June.
Then, on March 29, 2001, hours after performing a concert in Buffalo, DMX was pulled over by police. Again, marijuana was allegedly found in the car. After pleading guilty to charges of marijuana possession and driving without a license, DMX was sentenced to serve 15 days in jail. However, while serving out his sentence at the Erie County Correctional Facility in Alden, New York, DMX was charged with assault after he allegedly hit a guard over the head with a cafeteria tray. A spokesman for the rapper presented the press with DMX's side of the story, saying that DMX was provoked by the guards.
In the midst of all this, DMX continued his pursuit of an acting career, appearing in the popular Romeo Must Die. The 2000 film, starring Hong Kong action star Jet Li and hip-hop songstress Aaliyah, attempted to blend two film genres--Hong Kong action and the American urban thriller. DMX took on the role of a club owner who refused to sell his business. He also contributed to the film's soundtrack.
Also in 2000, DMX, in partnership with Def Jam, launched Bloodline Records. While he remained a Def Jam/Ruff Ryders artist--he released his third album, And Then There Was X, in 2000--DMX enjoyed the chance to branch out into a new venture. The new label focused on what DMX called in Billboard, "the next generation" of R&B and hip-hop artists. He explained to MTV, "Everybody on my label comes from my bloodline. I had something to do with the development of that artist."
Exit Wounds
With the action film Exit Wounds, Romeo Must Die producer Joel Silver and director Andrzej Bartowiak again sought to merge hip-hop and king-fu into a new sub-genre. While DMX's role in Romeo was only a small one, Silver remembered him when it was time to cast the film. Silver told the Hollywood Reporter, "We loved working with him on Romeo, and audiences loved him too." DMX was offered a lead role, starring opposite action icon Steven Seagal. Based on John Westermann's 1990 novel, the film presented the story of a cop, played by Seagal, who uncovers police corruption in Detroit. DMX's character, Latrell Walker, is a wealthy and mysterious figure who eventually teams up with Seagal.
Reviews for Exit Wounds were mixed. The Boston Herald called the film "as handsome as it is routine." Associated Press writer Anthony Breznican criticized DMX's performance, saying, "DMX performs the fight stunts well enough but has a perpetually sullen look on his face, pouting through scenes like he just wants to go home and sit in a closet." Yet despite lackluster reviews, Exit Wounds, released in March of 2001, claimed the top box office slot its opening weekend.
In 2001 DMX's acting career progressed to the next level when he agreed to take on the starring role of The Crow: Lazarus, the fourth installment in The Crow franchise. DMX also made plans to write his autobiography. "I've got a lot to tell," he told MTV. "I have an incredible story, and it's one of a soul being saved, for real."
With an ever-burgeoning acting career ahead of him, a new record label to man, and an autobiography in the works, DMX's future is indeed bright. Yet, regardless of his future, DMX has already claimed his place among the stars of music. As he told MTV, "We each have a star; all you have to do is find it."
Awards
The Source, Unsigned Hype award, 1991.
Works
Selected discography
- "Born Loser," Columbia, 1993.
- It's Dark and Hell is Hot, Ruff Ryders/Def Jam, 1998.
- Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood, Ruff Ryders/Def Jam, 1998.
- And Then There Was X, Ruff Ryders/Def Jam, 2000.
Further Reading
Periodicals
- Associated Press, March 19, 2001.
- Billboard, October 14, 2000.
- The Boston Herald, March 17, 2001.
- Entertainment Weekly, March 16, 2001.
- Hollywood Reporter, May 3, 2000; June 30, 2000; December 20, 2000.
- News & Observer, February 28, 2001.
- Video Business, July 31, 2000.
- Video Store, July 9, 2000.
Other- Additional materials were obtained online at: the Yahoo! Music website, http://artist.music.yahoo.com/muze/performer/DMX.html; the MTV website, http://www.mtv.com; the Def Jam Records website, http://www.defjam.com; the Internet Movie Database, http://us.imdb.com; and http://tripod.com.
— Karen Gordon and Jennifer M. York
