Today marks the 43rd birthday for rap legend, Earl “DMX” Simmons. Awkwardly, when the greatest rapper discussion pops up, somehow X is never mentioned and we’re some of the people who categorize him as one of the elites to ever bless a mic. During 1998 when he first touched the scene with It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot and Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood; DMX provided hardcore rap that was previously missing at the time with both albums.
With the commercial stamp of approval and having love for the streets still, some of us behind-the-scenes here even considered him the King of NY from 1998-99. In recent years, X has been battling some legal issues, being arrested nearly 30 times throughout his life. While dealing with personal issues, we’re still hoping he has one last comeback run to deliver some music Swizz Beatz has been hinting at over the last two years.
After the jump, you can peep our Spotify playlists dedicated to the great; with your favorite hits from the years and a few of our personal gems.
OS REWIND: DMX’s Dr. Phil Interview
OS REWIND: DMX on “Iyanla, Fix My Rap Star Life”
OS REWIND: DMX Sings “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer”