DMX died on April 9, 2021 in White Plains, New York, after he was hospitalized on April 2 following a reported heart attack.
Biography
Earl Simmons was the second of three children of a single mother, and was born in Mount Vernon, New York Simmons ended up growing up in the School Street housing projects of Yonkers, New York. He began rapping around the age of 13, amusing crowds of children with rhymes that relied on spelled-out words, a style he called "spellbound." A local rapper eventually asked the young Earl to beatbox for him, and Simmons agreed, adopting the stage name DMX, which stands for "Dark Man of the Unknown," X being an algebraic expression for unknown. But at the time, stood for a drum system that delivered amazing beats. Eventually he decided to try his hand at serious rapping, and honed his skills during a stint at a group home. He also got into fights and frequently was on the run from police. During this period, he also began doing shows and battling other rappers (Once battling and defeating Jay-Z), making a name for himself in the New York area. He released his first album called "DMX: Unleashed and Unreleased" which was an instant hit on the streets of Yonkers. He was also featured in the Unsigned Hype section of The Source in 1988.
He stated he wanted to be a preacher when he retires from his rapping career as he stated in his reality TV Show DMX: Soul Of A Man.
DMX was a fan of the Pit Bull type dogs (American Pit Bull Terriers and American Staffordshire Terriers). He had a tattoo of one of his deceased dogs, on his back, which read "One Love Boomer". He later contributed over $1 million to the United Negro Association for unfortunate black children in New York City..
Recording career
In and out of jail, DMX decided to focus solely on his rap career. He began seriously looking for a deal and linked up with Pete McCormick Schaub, an A&R for Small Island at the time. Eventually, he signed a management deal with Ruff Ryders. They negotiated deals with both Bad Boy and Death Row Records, but he eventually landed at Def Jam. He is currently at Sony BMG, set to release his first of three albums on August 1st 2006. Rumors also arose that DMX had signed for 50 Cent's G-Unit Records, but were dismissed in a public news conference.
It's Dark and Hell Is Hot
Before It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, DMX released the single "Born Loser" which was banned on MTV due to the video's graphic images. DMX's debut single was "Get At Me Dog", which was an instant hit. His critically-acclaimed debut album, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, is often credited with revitalizing Hardcore Rap in the mainstream scene, after the death of Tupac Shakur, and after Puff Daddy and Bad Boy Entertainment briefly dominated the charts with their pop-oriented and sample-reliant tunes.
In 1997, DMX earned a second major-label shot with Def Jam, and made a successful guest appearance on LL Cool J's "4, 3, 2, 1." Additional guest spots on Ma$e's "24 Hours to Live" and fellow Yonkers MCs the The LOX's "Money, Power, & Respect" created an even stronger buzz, and in early 1998, he released his debut Def Jam single, "Get At Me Dog." The song went gold and was a hit on the rap and dance charts. The single paved the way for DMX to release his classic first full-length album, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, which debuted as number one on the pop charts.
Produced mostly by Damon "Dame Grease" Blackman, (Swizz Beatz produced the "Ruff Ryders' Anthem", paving the way for future projects between the two). It's Dark and Hell Is Hot earned DMX numerous comparisons to Tupac Shakur for his booming and aggressive presence on the mic. The album went on to sell over four million copies and earned him credit for revitalizing Hardcore Rap after the deaths of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. Shortly after the album's release in May 1998, DMX was accused of raping a stripper in the Bronx, but was later cleared by DNA evidence. He made his film debut together with Nas and Method Man in Hype Williams' mildly successful film Belly. Although not a critical success, the film found a strong following with hip hop audiences.
Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood
DMX completed his second album before the end of 1998, and a pending buyout of Def Jam pushed the record into stores December 15. Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood entered the charts at number one and eventually went triple platinum. This number one hit made DMX the first rapper to have two number one albums in the same year. The cover photo of the rapper covered in pig's blood caused some controversy. The single "Slippin'" became his first chart hit in the UK. DMX hit the road with Jay-Z and the Method Man/Redman team on the blockbuster Hard Knock Life tour the following year. He had a song called "Jack Moves" with the legendary rap group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, but the song did not appear on the album.
...And Then There Was X
DMX released his third album on December 21, 1999, ...And Then There Was X, which was his third straight album to debut at number one. Party Up was his biggest single since "Get at Me Dog" which became his first Top Ten hit on the R&B charts. His next singles off the album, "What's My Name" & "What These Bitches Want" feat. Sisqó were also popular. ...And Then There Was X is the rapper's best-selling album to date, going 6x platinum and 9x platinum worldwide, & one of the fastest made by DMX : Def Jam urged him to realise the tracks within a month, while DMX used to take a year to write songs.
The Great Depression
After resolving his legal problems, DMX returned to the studio and completed his fourth album, The Great Depression. Released October 3, 2001, it was DMX's fourth straight album to debut at number one. The album demonstrated his still strong allegiance with the Ruff Ryders. The Great Depression went platinum quickly, but lacked the staying power of his previous releases.
Grand Champ
Released in 2003, Grand Champ was DMX's fifth straight album to debut at number one, extending DMX's position as the only artist in history to have 5 albums (his entire album catalog at that point) debut at #1. Fans and critics claimed disappointment with the album, most stating that it felt formulaic. After its release, DMX informed the public that he planned on retiring from the rap game and that Grand Champ would be his final album. He later ended his brief retirement and announced his plans to record the album Year of the Dog...Again. It debuted with approximately 125,000 albums sold, but failed to give DMX a sixth consecutive #1 album. The album is his lowest selling to date, and has yet to reach Gold in the U.S.
Year of the Dog...Again
Released August 1st 2006, Year of the Dog...Again had numerous problems due to DMX switching record labels, as well as numerous delays. The album's five predeccesors debuted at #1, while this album missed the top spot by only a few thousand sales. In March, 2006 it was announced that the album had been renamed to "Year of the Dog, Again," from "Here We Go, Again." When DMX switched to Sony, Def Jam allowed him to keep all of the tracks he had created for the album. It was reported that most of the tracks were being reworked, with updated production, however the reworked album has also been leaked. DMX has also appeared on Busta Rhymes' "Touch It (The Remix)". He has also released his new singles "Lord Give Me A Sign", and "We In Here" feat. Swizz Beatz, which are included in "Year of the Dog...Again".
Angel )
DMX Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
for a man to, gain the world.
yet lose his own soul, in the process?
God loves you, yes he does
Said you're alright with him
I wonder
[Chorus: x2]
You're gonna make it through the night to the light with him
Uh, you're alright with him
I said you're alright with him
I'm callin' out to you Lord, because I need your help
See once again I'm havin' difficulty savin' myself
behavin' myself, you told me what to do, and I do it
But every and now and then, gets a little harder to go through
it
Losin' friends, day by day
I'm in so much pain when I'm here Lord, please take me away
I put you here to do a job, and your work ain't done
To live is to suffer, but you're still my son
And there will be a time when you shine as bright as the stars
But there won't be a, his or hers, just ours
Then you'll see what I've been tryin' to show you, all these
years
Do the right thing; cause after the tears, come the cheers
I will, my Lord, with my heart, and my soul
That's gonna be how I roll, from now until I'm old
Lead and I'll follow, you take away the sorrow
I'mma sleep on what you said and holla back tomorrow
[Chorus]
I want you to know Lord, that for what you've given me I'm
thankful
Sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, I'm grateful
You gave us power in our words, so I think before I speak
And that way when I speak, they know I'm here to teach
Can't tell em nothin' wrong, cause I love em too much
I reach a lot of people, and Lord, I'm lovin' the touch
But deep inside, I've got somethin' that's workin' against
everything I know is right, what I know makes sense
That's when you must fight harder, than you've ever fought
before
cause what you've got goin' on inside you is a war
between good and evil, be careful of those who want to be you
They smile, but are not really happy when they see you
Be careful of the ones that always want to get you high
Cause when the time comes, that one'll let you die
Listen to me! I'm here, but I can only help you
if you want me to help, what do you want for yourself?
[Chorus]
My Lord, my saviour, don't judge my behaviour
but instead, take what's in my heart and put it in my head
See I guess I really never knew, how proud I made you
My life is yours, my soul I gave you
I don't know if I'll do good enough (he's by your side)
And we both know the hood is rough (right by your side)
Sometimes I don't know what to do (X, dry your eyes)
But I know what I gotta do (it'll be alright)
You keep givin' me the word, and I'll put it to song
Talk to me, I'll talk to them, and we can't go wrong
This is the start of somethin' strong, and this is just the start
of it
Praises to you my Lord, for lettin' me be a part of it
I was that kid that, been there, did that
Became ashamed so I hid that
But, ain't no longer with that
Use me as an example - if I can do, then they can too
With the Lord behind us, there ain't nothin' that we can't do
[Chorus]
He's by your side
Right by your side
X, dry your eyes
cause it'll be alright
Yeah, he's by your side
Right by your side
X, dry your eyes
Cause, it's gonna be alright
Yeah yeah, yes it is
In "Angel," DMX pleads to God for help and guidance, acknowledging his own struggles with temptation and the difficulty of living up to the expectations that come with his platform. He questions the value of worldly success if it comes at the expense of one's own soul and reaches out for the spiritual support he believes will lead him to a better place.
The chorus of the song highlights the importance of trusting in God and relying on his love to see one through even in the darkest times. DMX struggles with old habits and the negative influences around him, but he knows that with God on his side he can overcome anything.
In the final verse, DMX reflects on his own journey from shame to redemption and encourages others to follow in his footsteps. He recognizes that he has been given a powerful voice and a platform to make a positive impact on the world, and he vows to use it to share the message of hope and faith that has transformed his own life.
Line by Line Meaning
What good is it
for a man to, gain the world.
yet lose his own soul, in the process?
What is the point of gaining the world if you lose your soul in the process?
God loves you, yes he does
God loves you.
Said you're alright with him
I wonder
You say you're okay with God, but I wonder.
I know you never seen him but don't fight with him
You're gonna make it through the night to the light with him
Uh, you're alright with him
I said you're alright with him
You haven't seen God, but don't fight him. You'll make it through the dark times with him. You're okay with God.
I'm callin' out to you Lord, because I need your help
See once again I'm havin' difficulty savin' myself
behavin' myself, you told me what to do, and I do it
But every and now and then, gets a little harder to go through it
I'm calling out to God for help because I'm struggling to save myself. I try to do what God said, but sometimes it's hard.
Losin' friends, day by day
I'm in so much pain when I'm here Lord, please take me away
I put you here to do a job, and your work ain't done
To live is to suffer, but you're still my son
I'm losing friends every day, and it hurts. God, please take me away. I put you on Earth to do a job, and you're not finished yet. Life is full of suffering, but you're still my child.
And there will be a time when you shine as bright as the stars
But there won't be a, his or hers, just ours
Then you'll see what I've been tryin' to show you, all these years
Do the right thing; cause after the tears, come the cheers
There will be a time when you succeed and shine like the stars. There will be no distinction between individuals, just unity. Then you'll understand what I've been teaching you. Do what's right, and you'll be rewarded.
I want you to know Lord, that for what you've given me I'm thankful
Sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, I'm grateful
You gave us power in our words, so I think before I speak
And that way when I speak, they know I'm here to teach
I want God to know I'm thankful for what he gave me. I'm sincerely grateful. God gave us the power of speech, so I'm careful with my words. When I speak, people know I'm here to teach.
Can't tell em nothin' wrong, cause I love em too much
I reach a lot of people, and Lord, I'm lovin' the touch
But deep inside, I've got somethin' that's workin' against
everything I know is right, what I know makes sense
I can't tell people anything wrong because I love them too much. I reach a lot of people, and I love it. But deep inside, something is going against what I know is right and true.
Listen to me! I'm here, but I can only help you
if you want me to help, what do you want for yourself?
Listen to me! I'm here for you, but I can only help if you want me to. What do you want for yourself?
My Lord, my saviour, don't judge my behaviour
but instead, take what's in my heart and put it in my head
See I guess I really never knew, how proud I made you
My life is yours, my soul I gave you
God, please don't judge what I've done. Instead, take what's in my heart and make it part of me. I never knew how much I made you proud. My life belongs to you.
I don't know if I'll do good enough (he's by your side)
And we both know the hood is rough (right by your side)
Sometimes I don't know what to do (X, dry your eyes)
But I know what I gotta do (it'll be alright)
I don't know if I'll do well enough, but God is by my side. We both know the neighborhood is tough, but God is with me. Sometimes I don't know what to do, but I know what needs to be done.
You keep givin' me the word, and I'll put it to song
Talk to me, I'll talk to them, and we can't go wrong
This is the start of somethin' strong, and this is just the start of it
Praises to you my Lord, for lettin' me be a part of it
God, keep giving me words, and I'll put them into my songs. I'll talk to people, and we can't go wrong. This is the beginning of something great, and I'm excited to be a part of it. Praises to you, God, for letting me be a part of it.
I was that kid that, been there, did that
Became ashamed so I hid that
But, ain't no longer with that
Use me as an example - if I can do, then they can too
With the Lord behind us, there ain't nothin' that we can't do
I was that kid who's been in trouble before and became ashamed, so I hid it. But I'm not hiding anymore. Use me as an example - if I can do it, so can others. With God on our side, there's nothing we can't do.
He's by your side
Right by your side
X, dry your eyes
cause it'll be alright
Yeah, he's by your side
Right by your side
X, dry your eyes
Cause, it's gonna be alright
Yeah yeah, yes it is
God is by your side, don't worry. Dry your eyes, everything will be fine. God is right by your side, and everything will be alright.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EARL SIMMONS, IRVING LORENZO, TAIWAN GREEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind