DMX HHV Records 23 Items

DMX HHV Records

The key figure of the 2000s

Earl Simmons, a.k.a. DMX, embodied everything needed to be a rap superstar on the East Coast: a voice that stood out from the crowd with its rough tone, a healthy dose of gangster attitude, and the street credibility hard-earned in New York. In the hip-hop scene of the 2000s, he played a pivotal role, and even at the peak of his success, he repeatedly found himself in conflict with the law. The rapper was born in 1970 in Mount Vernon and grew up under challenging conditions, experiencing violence in his household and even living on the streets for some time as a teenager. Hardships drove him into a life of crime: he spent months in prison early on, and simultaneously, his interest in hip-hop grew, as he made a name for himself as a beatboxer in local shows, entering rap battles as Divine Master of the Unknown, or DMX. The magazine The Source featured the rapper in its Unsigned Hype column, and DMX released his first single, Born Loser – shortly afterward, he signed with the label giant Def Jam Recordings. In 1998, after collaborations with Mase and LL Cool J, his single Get At Me Dog was released, reaching the Top 40 of the Billboard Charts and setting the stage for his masterful debut LP, It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot.

Horrorcore and street life

The authenticity of his lyrics remained unbroken – the first album sold five million copies and quickly made DMX a key figure in gangsta rap. His second album, Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood, was released in the same year, once again reaching the top of the charts and achieving Platinum status. “I got blood on my hands and there’s no remorse” – the lyrics reflected horrorcore and street life, and the single Party Up (Up In Here) even earned a Grammy nomination in 2001. Meanwhile, the New Yorker tried his hand at acting, and in 1999, while landing his third number-one album with …And Then There Was X, DMX toured the United States with Jay-Z, Method Man, and Redman on the Hard Knock Life Tour. At the same time, he found it difficult to distance himself from the criminal side of his past: drug possession, robbery, driving without a license, animal cruelty – the list was long and, at times, took the rapper away from music. However, his success remained largely unaffected: The Great Depression proved to be a stylish continuation of the DMX legacy and became a hit.

Club hits and gangster anthems

He openly revealed the darker aspects of his personality – not for nothing did he now interpret his stage name as Darkman X. With Grand Champ in 2003, the street preacher suddenly announced that he would retire from his career. And although there was musical silence around him, the public continued to hear about the rap star’s criminal activities and brief stints in prison. In 2006, Year of the Dog… Again was released, this time with the major label Columbia Records. Simultaneously, his own TV show DMX: Soul of a Man premiered on BET, following his daily life as the rapper worked steadily on new club hits and gangster anthems. When the superhero film Deadpool hit theaters in 2016, the track X Gon‘ Give It to Ya echoed from all directions. And even before another album could be released, his fans received the sad news in April 2021 that he had passed away at the age of just 50 due to a heart attack. The album Exodus was released shortly after and is considered a farewell statement, leaving behind unique tracks like Bath Salts that solidify DMX as a legend of hip-hop.