DMX Biography

DMX (aka Dark Man X), the stage name of Earl Simmons, is an American rapper, actor, and record producer from Yonkers, New York. His best-known single is “Party Up (Up in Here)” from his most successful album to date, “…And Then There Was X”.

Early Life & Career Breakthrough

DMX was born in Mount Vernon, New York, in 1970. He grew up in Yonkers, as a Jehovah’s Witness. His childhood was mostly rough and filled with arrests. In 1991 he recorded his first demos and, one year later he came out with his debut single, “Born Loser”. After collaborating with the likes of Jay-Z, Ja Rule, Mic Geronimo and LL Cool J, he released his first studio album, “It’s Dark and Hell is Hot”, topping the Billboard 200. The first of a spree of 5 number 1 records, “It’s Dark and Hell is Hot” gained a 4x Platinum certification.

Continuous Success

Later in 1998, the rapper’s second album, “Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood”, came out to equal success. In 1999, DMX outdid himself with the next album, “…And Then There Was X“. It sold over 6 million copies in the US alone, earning 6x Platinum. Another massively successful album was released after 2 years, “The Great Depression”, however not able to surpass its predecessor. Furthermore, he released a Silver-certified single, “X Gon’ Give It to Ya”, for the Cradle 2 the Grave soundtrack, which was ulteriorly used frequently in popular culture.

2003’s album “Grand Champ” fell even shorter but spawned the popular “Where Tha Hood At” and “Get it on the Floor”. In 2006, DMX released “Year of the Dog… Again”, which peaked at number 2 and generated the acclaimed single “Lord Give Me A Sign”. After 6 years, the rapper came out with a seventh album, “Undisputed”. DMX is currently working on another album, which includes collaborations with Swizz Beats, Kanye West and Dr. Dre.

Photo credit: Pitchfork