Why writing DMX off as another Drug addict is wrong.
I was riding the 3 train while listening to my music and one of my favorite songs by DMX came on:
Please, show me somethin’
I’m tired of talking to him, knowing he frontin’
Crying about, “Life ain’t nothin”, but you either be the one mad cause you trapped or the one huntin’
Trapped in your own mind, waiting on the Lord
Or hunting with the word that cuts like a sword
The spoken word is stronger than the strongest man- Lord Give Me A Sign
I’m in no way religious but when that song first came out it had me wanting to go to someone’s church. I started jamming then I hit the next button by accident and then my next song that I loved by him came on:
I’ve been through mad different phases like mazes, to find my way
And now I know that happy days are not far away
If I’m strong enough I’ll live long enough to see my kids
Doin’ somethin’ more constructive with their time than bids- Slippin
As I was listening to these songs it made me realize how important DMX was and still is not only for the culture but for the people who were and still is going through if not then similar things that he’s been through. And just to write him off as a drug addict, thug, jail bird was all the way wrong.
DMX is one of the few rappers to establish an emotional connection with the people. He was able to tap into his demons & use them to create timeless music. But unfortunately, when you combine fame with childhood trauma, it’s difficult to stay sane.
DMX’s music was his therapy. It kept him alive. The reason his music was so “aggressive” is due to the childhood trauma he was experiencing. He chose to put all of his built up anger into his music.
DMX was raised by a single mother in Yonkers, NY. His mother was young without parents or anyone helping her doing everything on her own. His mother would hide food in her closet to keep her children from eating, they weren’t allowed to eat without permission. To curb his hunger he would drink his mother perfume
YES you read that right he drank his mother perfume because that was the only thing out and available.
When DMX turned 7, his father moved to Philly and never looked back. DMX’s mother took all the pain she was suffering from in her life out on him. She would tell him that he wasn’t shit, never would be shit, and that he was just like his father. She resented him for favoring his father as well.
The nurturing that he wanted so badly from his mother, he received from his grandmother. Whenever he wasn’t at home or with his grandmother, DMX was in the streets. Due to his hunger, he started stealing at age 7. He would steal food.
At the time His community began to fear him. He was no longer doing petty crimes. He would stab kids with pencils, he threw chairs at teachers, and fought his peers. His mother was fed up with his behavior. She took him to Children’s Village, a reform school for at risk youth. She asked him “do you like it?” and he said “yes, this is cool”, she says “cool, because you’re not coming home”, and left him there. He spent 18 months there.
DMX talks about the group home in his track that I mentioned earlier which was Slippin. He delves in deep and talks about the pain he’s endured and love he haven’t received that he wanted so dearly.
DMX got his start in hip hop beat boxing and battle rapping. He got his name from the Oberheim DMX drum machine.
DMX’s partner in crime rapper Ready Rhyme introduced him to weed. He did it every once in awhile, it wasn’t his thing. Until one day Ready Rhyme gave him a laced blunt, that’s when his addiction started. He was 14 years old. This caused him to steal more to fund his addiction.
So him stealing and feeding his addiction landed him into jail. This time locked away gave him time to write, think and write some more. After he was released he started to focus more on his music.
At age 23, he had a vision and conversation with God. He wrote about the experiences he’s had. That experience helped him let go of a lot of the pent up anger he had towards his mother. He felt it was time for him to go on a new path. This made him focus on rapping more.
DMX made his name on the streets freestyling and battle rapping. His name lead to meetings with management group Ruff Ryders. Doing this he gained attention from Irv Gotti.
But due to his past the record labels were terrified of DMX and didn’t understand why he was so aggressive. But Irv was still pushing for him and he set up a meeting with Lyor Cohen and told him that he needed no scratch that we needed DMX. So Lyor called in DMX and let him rap for him and he was signed that same night.
Irv Gotti wanted to be the Anti-Diddy. They didn’t want to be flashy and fancy. They wanted to be gritty and in your face. When you mix DMX and the Ruff Ryders together that’s exactly what we the people got “Gritty and in your face” .
In the summer of 1998, DMX ran the airways. He was a breath of fresh air and his message resignated with the streets. He dropped “It’s Dark and Hell is Hot” and “Flesh of my Flesh, Blood of my Blood” in the same year. Both landed number one and sold millions.
He’s landed movies such as “Exit Wounds”, “Cradle to the grave”, and even the most famous Belly.
DMX was on top of the world. He wasn’t expecting to have so much money and success. But The pain that was still lingering from his childhood came back. Not feeling any love from his mother started to catch up with him.
Fame made him more depressed. He didn’t know how to cope with this and didn’t know how to accept the love that was given to him by so many. So this in combination with his wealth, increased his “need” for drugs.
DMX has had a great career and he has put out some classics and when I say classics I mean CLASSICS. There’s a lot that I didn’t touch on such as his on going issues with the law and his drug addiction. Only because the news, the media already does this and portray this man as the bad guy. I only wrote about what he meant to the culture and to the people. I am not here to talk down on him because everyone else does that and I respect him enough to do anything like that. Despite his battle with his self, drugs and the law we can’t just wipe away the things he’s done, said and even rapped about. No I don’t know him personally but I feel like I do through his music, his interviews and even his VH1 Documentary.
This man is a Legend and forever will be one.
Thank you for Reading.
