DMX was a tough rapper who lived a hard life and eventually died for it.
But for true fans, that’s not why he’s remembered.
From his struggles with substance abuse (with an overdose that caused a heart attack that killed him on Friday at age 50 at White Plains Hospital) to his attacks on the law, he had fallen from the heights that had made him the leading star of hip-hop.
However, New Yorker Earl Simmons, born in Mount Vernon and raised in Yonkers, was as talented as he was restless. He made his name by fighting in street circles and had an infamous battle with Jay-Z in 1993 before the two became famous. He was one of the most successful commercial rappers of all time, for good reason.
“DMX offered sincere and sincere music, the vibration that filled the void after the loss of Tupac [Shakur]”He told The Post Paradise Gray, chief curator of the Universal Hip Hop Museum (UHHM).
And seeing him on stage was a kind of magic, added Shawn “Cutman LG” Thomas, head of music programming at UHHM.
“There’s no one like DMX,” Thomas told The Post. His “energy was just amazing and it was different from what everyone else was doing. People thought hip-hop was negative, but it brought fun to hip-hop.”
Here are eight ways DMX changed the rap game.
He is the only rapper to make his debut on the first five albums at number 1
DMX has a high place in hip-hop history that not even rap realities like Jay-Z, Eminem and Kanye West can match: their first five albums: “It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot” and “Flesh of My Flesh, “Blood of My Blood,” “… And Then There Was X,” from 1999, “The Great Depression,” from 2001 and 2003 aptly titled “Grand Champ,” all debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 .
This impressive streak finally stopped when “Year of the Dog. . . Again ”opened only one place at the summit (at number 2) in 2006.
And as additional proof of DMX’s commercial weight at its peak, it was multiplatinum with three of its albums, carrying over five million copies of its biggest seller, “… And Then There Was X”.
This was the kind of graphic overcoming consistency that few artists of any genre maintained in their early days.
He brought the Ruff Ryders to the glory of the rap-pack
DMX at the helm of the Ruff Ryders movement turned the rap collective into a hip-hop dynasty in the late ’90s with acts like Lox and Eve.
To demonstrate his love for his hip-hop family, he even dedicated one of his great bangers, the 1998 “Ruff Ryders Anthem,” to his beloved crew.
He filled the void with 2Pac
After the shooting death of Tupac Shakur (followed by the assassination of the Notorious BIG in 1997), DMX became the heavyweight of the rap scene, making comparisons to ‘Pac at a time when fans of the hip-hop were looking for the next gangsta hero to fill the void.
“I have great respect for him and his music,” DMX told MTV in 2012 about his comparison to the late legend. “I think it was more like what he brought to the table and what I brought to the table. It was like we felt sorry for him, so I took it as a sign of respect. “
With his bark delivery, he was the anti-Snoop Dogg
His tough, thick attack, marked by his barking songs like “Get at Me Dog,” his 1998 solo debut with the major label, gave DMX one of hip-hop’s most distinctive deliveries. That fierce flow provided a stark contrast to the laconic attraction of his competition on the west coast, Snoop Dogg, connected to the canines, which he faced with X in a memorable battle of Verzuz last July.
He became a movie star
DMX made the leap from the streets to the screen, with the powerful presence of its rap person turning it into a certified box office raffle with both charisma and gangsta credibility.
He co-starred with another iconic New York emcee, Nas, in his 1998 film debut, “Belly.” Jumping between hip-hop and Hollywood without losing pace, he continued with roles in “Romeo Must Die” in 2000, “Exit Wounds” in 2001, “Cradle 2 the Grave” in 2003 and “Never Die Alone” in 2004.
He was also a TV star
Like Diddy, TI and other hip-hop luminaries whose celebrity grew beyond his music, rapper “X Gon ‘Give It to Ya” once had his own reality show: “DMX: Soul of in Man “broadcast on BET in 2006.
It was both gangsta and gospel
While DMX was known to be as gangsta as he was, he was also a man with deep religious beliefs, sharing in gospel-rap tracks like “Lord Give Me a Sign” from 2006 and “Jesus Loves Me” from 2008.
He kept it real
DMX has struggled with cocaine addiction since he was 14, was in and out of an abusive home and the boys ’homes were growing up, he was diagnosed with bipolar and has been in and out of prison throughout his life. life. But he used these experiences to connect with his fans, staying open about his struggles and his journey to find redemption through religion.
“Songs like‘ Slippin ’gave us hope to try again,” said Thomas of the Universal Hip Hop Museum. “And songs like ‘Party Up’ brought the party back to the dance floor.”