DMX was one of the most successful and influential etrappers but sadly more than a few bad decisions have left him in the glory of the past as his life story is now the ultimate rags-to-riche-to-riches story. the Renaissance. Join us as we take a look back at the Grammy-nominated rapper and actor’s career, accomplishments, and subsequent fall.
DMX Age, Infancy and Glory to Glory
DMX was born Earl Simmons to Arnett Simmons and Joe Barker on December 18, 1970 in Mount Vernon, New York, although he was raised in Yonkers, New York. According to the story, DMX was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, but that didn’t stop him from being abused by his parents, who then abandoned him in a group home. The young boy subsequently became involved in a life of crime which led to numerous arrests.
Around the age of 20, DMX was able to find solace in music as he began to bang. His talent was recognized by The Source magazine and he was featured in the Unsigned Hype column in 1991. The same year he recorded his first demo tapes; Unstoppable Force and Three Little Pigs, which earned him a contract with ColumbiaRecords. Columbia placed DMX under its subsidiary Ruffhouse Records, through which it released its debut single “Born Loser”. The single was unable to receive much airplay and led to Columbia terminating its contract.
This disappointment didn’t seem to stop his ambition as he continued to perform on the underground music scene, notably appearing alongside other New York rappers such as Jay Z and Ja Rule in Mic Geronimo’s classic track, ” Time To Build” and in LL Cool J’s “4, 3, 2” movie, 1” among several other songs, which helped create a buzz around him.
Having already made waves for himself, Def Jam Recordings signed him and released his debut single titled “Get at Me Dog,” which was certified Gold by the RIAA. Following the successes of this single, the label released their first major album, It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot in 1998 to rave reviews. The album, which included the song “Ruff Ryders Anthem,” debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold over five million copies. A few months after the release of their debut album, DMX released their second album titled Flesh of my flesh, blood of my blood, which also debuted at number one on the chart. This made DMX the first rapper to release two No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 chart in one year.
In December 1999, almost a year after their second album, DMX released their third album, …And Then There Was X, which features songs like “Party Up,” “What’s My Name?” and “What These Bitches Want.” The album was placed at number one and sold over 6 million copies.
At the turn of the millennium, DMX maintained their success by releasing two more Billboard 200 albums, number one; The Great Depression and Grand Champion, before signing to Columbia Records in 2006. Under his new label he released Year of the Dog…again before choosing “semi-retirement” and becoming a pastor, although he did however a flashback to release another album titled Undisputed in 2012.
His wife and children
DMX fathered a total of fifteen children, but only four (Xavier, Tacoma, Sean and Praise Mary Ella) were born to him and his estranged wife, Tashera Simmons. He married her in 1999 and the two were said to be friends since childhood but only officially started dating after they were 18. Their marriage lasted until 2010, when Tashera announced the separation.
Despite wanting to stay by his side, they both appeared on season 1 of VH1’s Couh Therapy in 2012, with the former Mrs. Simmons seeming to have had enough to file for divorce that same year since he had no the intention to put an end to his habits.
Divorce proceedings were completed in 2014 as DMX found itself neck and neck in child support. Former Ruff Ryder executive Exodus Simmons’ last child was born to him and his longtime girlfriend Desiree Lindstrom on August 16, 2016.
What happened to him, is he dead?
The DMX is very much alive although it has had a few near-death incidents lately. In 2016, he was found dead in a parking lot in his hometown, but was revived by first responders.
There have been numerous reports saying that the rapper will be returning to the studio to produce music. However, due to his contradictions with the law (tax evasion and child support), he went in and out of prison. More recently, in March 2018, he was sentenced to one year in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
the size
Despite what his usually dominant voice and personality might suggest, DMX, who is 180cm (5ft 11in) tall, isn’t one of the tallest people you’ll ever meet. It weighs about 81 kg.