The early days for Simmons were definitely real, born December 18, 1970 in Baltimore Maryland's projects, his family quickly moved to Yonkers with his aunt, with a father that left him at a young age. He also endured an abusive mother, which in combination helped mold Simmons into a life of crime, where he spent years in group homes and jail. This also led to other troubled behavior such as alcoholism and drug abuse, a response to his manic depressed state.

What turned Simmons life around was rap music. In the early days, he paid his dues rapping on street corners, playing in clubs, and distributing his tapes, all this created a buzz for the performer in the New York scene. 1997 brought Ruff Ryders Entertainment and DMX was quickly signed by the Def Jam label. He appeared as a guest of sorts for the likes of LL Cool J, Lox, and Mase  before releasing his first single in 1998, Get at Me Dog. With this created the artists affection for 'the dog'. In fact, DMX has a tattoo dedicated to his late pit bull and what he calls his "best friend" which says "One Love Boomer". His first full album, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, went on to sell 3.6 million copies (and counting). DMX also branched out into film, starring in Belly, a Hype Williams directed crime saga which featured other rappers such as T-Boz and Method Man. The cash strapped Def Jam was eager to get another album out and released the 2nd DMX project of the year with Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood. The controversial cover had DMX in a bathtub full of blood. The album featured a duet called Omen with Marilyn Manson (though the two never met, it was the product of a recording studio match). This and the success of Jay-Z helped catapult Def Jam from near extinction in the prior year to the leader of the hip-hop pack, as the downward spiraling Bad Boy Records (Puff Daddy) and the post Tupac Death Row Records were headed in the opposite direction. His latest album, ...And Then There Was X, has been his biggest hit to date, helped in large part by an all-out media blitz in support of its release. He appeared on Saturday Night Live, Queen Latifah, as well as an episode of Moesha.

Like Tupac, DMX's post celebrity life has been touched with crimes and alleged misdeeds. In 1998, charges that he raped a 29 year old stripper were dropped after DNA tests on the woman came back negative for a match. In addition, he's been arrested in connection with stabbings in Denver and Yonkers, though both of those cases were dropped. He also was arrested on drug paraphernalia and weapons charges in addition to spending two nights in a Trinidad jail for swearing during a concert, were the practice is legally forbidden. Ironically, his hit What's My Name has drawn protests from The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), which they say glamorizes dog fighting, though Def Jam countered that there is no actually dog fighting in the video and that no dogs were harmed. DMX's own love for dogs supports the theory that were was no bad intent with the video, as he has said "I used to take dogs on the street. I used to bring them home if I could, make somewhere for them to sleep right outside the building. I had dogs as long as I could remember, you know."