Rapper DMX passes at 50
At the height of his fame, DMX was an anchor in the core group of rap stars that were key players in the East Coast rap renaissance of the late 1990s. And he single-handedly rescued pioneering hip-hop label Def Jam from the brink of extinction.
The veteran rapper, born Earl Simmons, passed away on Friday, April 9 after suffering a heart attack. He was 50 years old.
He was the second child born to Arnett Simmons and Joe Barker on December 18, 1970. Varying accounts list his place of birth as either Baltimore, Maryland or Yonkers, New York. He was reared in Yonkers, suffering through a childhood marred by trauma and poverty. He discovered his passion for hip-hop as a young teen while being shuffled through the system due to instability and abuse at home – and his inclination to lash out in response to his circumstances. His talent was affirmed by fellow residents and a teacher at a group home where he was sent after being expelled from school at 14. He began making beats to accompany his rhymes on an Oberheim DMX drum machine, which is what inspired his rap moniker.
By 1991, The Source Magazine selected him for their then career-defining Unsigned Hype feature. It would be the mid-1990s before he actually broke through thanks to several featured collaborations, particularly the 1995 underground classic “Time to Build” featuring fellow future rap stars Ja Rule and Jay-Z. They delivered verses on Mic Geronimo’s track. DMX quickly caught the attention of the famed, yet fledgling, Def Jam thanks to a young executive who went by Irv Gotti. Gotti later became hip-hop powerbroker in his own right thanks to Murder Inc.
In an Instagram post, Def Jam co-founder and longtime leader Russell Simmons (no relation to Earl Simmons) personally gave credit to DMX for rescuing the label. “He saved Def Jam,” Simmons said of DMX. Russell Simmons called DMX a personal hero and a musical hero as he recalled the moment he discovered DMX through his featured verse on “Bout [expletive]” by The Lox.
Simmons went back to the Def Jam offices proclaiming that he had heard the “most amazing voice,” describing DMX’s gruff and raspy flow. “Def Jam was built on loud, aggressive and abrasive music and vocals to match,” Russell Simmons said. “His sound epitomized everything Def Jam was supposed to be.”
He insisted that DMX be signed to Def Jam. Turns out, Gotti had already signed him.
Def Jam released his 1998 major label debut album, “It’s Dark and Hell is Hot,” the first of three albums on Def Jam that consecutively debuted at number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 Album Charts.
“It was a moment for us. A lot of things happened, and Def Jam exploded,” Russell Simmons said. “But he pulled us out of the mud and brought us back to life.”
As he dominated the industry, DMX also propelled the careers of countless others. Whether it was Gotti, The Ruff Ryders Brand (founded by Joaquin Dean, Darin Dean and Chivon Dean) and their cohort of artists and producer Swizz Beatz, who is a nephew of the Dean brothers. The list could go on and on. He also elevated hip-hop in general within mainstream music with over 70 million albums sold.
His fame came with a dark side, stemming mainly from the residuals of his traumatic childhood. Struggles with addiction preceded his fame as a rap star. In turn, he suffered through low points that included legal issues and arrests.
“I feel like he saved us, but we didn’t save him,” Russell Simmons admitted while fighting back emotion. “DMX had a heart of gold. He was a loving person who wanted the best for everyone. He was always in struggle. But he was always in prayer.”
During a performance in St. Louis in 2013 at the now-defunct Coliseum nightclub, DMX turned Saturday night into Sunday morning. As the capacity crowd popped bottles and engaged in typical “turn up” behavior, he lifted his hands in praise and worship. He shamelessly thanked God for allowing him to take the stage once more with a fervent, convicted prayer before diving into a performance of his greatest hits – most of them club bangers.
Fans recently had the opportunity to see the best of him as DMX and fellow hip-hop veteran Snoop Dogg blessed music lovers in the throes of lockdown last year. The pair held court with a Verzuz Battle that was an illustration of hip-hop unity, as the East Coast and West Coast “dogs” squared off with excerpts of their biggest hits performed as fans watched via Instagram Live. On several occasions during the Verzuz, they jumped in on each other’s tracks. They danced. They rapped along. One would act as the other’s hype man. Despite his troubles, few imagined it would be the last time we would see DMX captivate us with his talent and charisma.
“We should have given him more love,” Russell Simmons said. “We have to be responsible for the next DMX. This has to be a teachable moment.”