DMX's legacy will continue to live on.
On Friday, April 9th, the hip-hop world lost a legend of its own. The late rapper's death came after his week long hospitalization following a heart attack in White Plains, New York.
Born Earl Simmons in 1970, the Yonkers-raised MC arrived as the physical embodiment of unbridled energy, a one-man distillation of fellow rugged New York acts. With the release of his 1998 debut, It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot, DMX wrapped himself in musical aggression that enhanced his imposing presence across songs like the minimal, clanging “Get at Me Dog” and rowdy breakout “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem.” But X scaled back the pugnacity on that same album’s introspective How’s It Goin’ Down.
DMX took over as the undisputed reigning king of hardcore rap. He was that rare commodity: a commercial powerhouse with artistic and street credibility to spare. His rapid ascent to stardom was actually almost a decade in the making, which gave him a chance to develop the theatrical image that made him one of rap's most distinctive personalities during his heyday, the official press release stated.
Everything about DMX was unremittingly intense, from his muscular, tattooed physique to his gruff, barking delivery, which made a perfect match for his trademark lyrical obsession with dogs. Plus, there was substance behind the style; much of his work was tied together by a fascination with the split between the sacred and the profane. He could move from spiritual anguish one minute to a narrative about the sins of the streets the next, yet keep it all part of the same complex character, sort of like a hip-hop Johnny Cash. The results were compelling enough to make DMX the first artist ever to have his first four albums enter the charts at number one.
To celebrate the life of the late, great DMX, we've gathered a list of some of the films he was a part of throughout the years.
Long Live DMX! - Lupe LLerenas (@LupeLLerenas)