DMX

Earl Simmons, better known by his stage name DMX is an American entertainer who rose to fame in the late 1990s. His stage name stands for Dog Man X, the name he used when he first started rapping in 1990. To date, his best-selling album is his 1999 album .And Then There Was X, which featured the hit single "Party Up ". As an actor, he also starred in the films Belly, Exit Wounds, Cradle 2 The Grave, Romeo Must Die and Last Hour, and his own reality television series Soul of a Man on the American cable television network BET. In 2002, DMX wrote an autobiographical book titled E.A.R.L.: The Autobiography of DMX. He also has an extensive arrest record. He is the 5th best-selling rapper, with 30 million units sold. He is currently training for a boxing bout and is scheduled to make his debut in December at Alabama Pride as the under card to Butterbean vs Tank Abbott. Coolio will be replacing DMX in the anticipated boxing brawl that DMX backed away from last week. As reported earlier, DMX was slated to jump in the ring against fighter Eric Martinez next month but the rapper pulled out citing safety concerns. The promoter for the fight, Thunder Promotions, claimed that DMX wanted the fight fixed and they shot down his request.


DMX relocated early in his childhood to Yonkers, a city just north of New York City. He spent much time on the streets committing crimes. However, he considered hip hop to be an escape from his hard times, as he enjoyed beatboxing, turntablism, and eventually rapping. He spent much of his adolescence in and out of jail.


Since 1999 DMX has been married to Tashera Simons. They have four children: Xavier, Tocoma, Shawn and Praise Mary Ella Simmons. In 2004 Baltimorean Monique Wayne gave birth to his son.


Allhiphop.com reports that DMX and a Miami lady have a daughter together.


In 1991, The Source magazine praised him in its "Unsigned Hype" column, which highlighted unsigned hip-hop artists. Later, he was signed to the Columbia Records subsidiary Ruffhouse in 1992; under that label he released his debut single "Born Loser", which did not get much airplay. However, Ruffhouse promoted many other artists on its roster rather than DMX and so agreed to release him from his contract eventually. In 1994, he released a second single, "Make a Move", followed by a guest spot on Mic Geranimo's "Time To Build" along with a young Jay-Z and Ja Rule.

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