Hardcore rapper DMX was born Earl Simmons in Baltimore, MD in 1970. He moved to NYC with his family, and led an abusive and troubled childhood, surviving on the streets by robbing. As an outlet for this criminal life, Simmons began beat-boxing and DJing before finding rap. When DMX, named after the DMX digital drum machine, was written in The Source magazine's Unsigned Hype column, the freestyler earned a record deal with Ruffhouse. He released two singles before the label released him due to underrepresentation and a drug possession conviction.

He continued to collaborate with other artists in the industry, and released his Def Jam single "Get at Me Dog" in 1998. The single went gold and led to his debut album It's Dark and Hell is Hot, which debuted at number one on the pop charts. He appeared in the film Belly, and later released his second album, Flesh of my Flesh, Blood of my Blood that went trip platinum. DMX continued to run into problems with the law, accused of raping a stripper, a stabbing and assaulting a Yonkers man, all charges eventually dropped. Meanwhile, DMX's Ruff Ryder's posse released 1999s Ryde or Die, Vol. 1, debuting at number one.

The third album, ...And Then There Was ,X was his third straight number one album with hits like "Get at Me Dog" and "Party Up (Up in Here)." The album was followed by his appearance on the Jet Li film Romeo Must Die and yet another long list of criminal activities, leaving the rapper to a short jail sentence. After his release from jail, his "No Sunshine" single for the film Exit Wounds let to a film deal with Warner Bros. He released his fourth straight album to debut at number one, 2001's The Great Depression, and went on to see more film and album success through the next few years, retiring from the music business in 2008.