  DMX, also known as Dark Man X
and Divine Master of the Unknown, hails from
Yonkers, New York. DMX's rap styling got
notice from his work on tracks by L.L.
Cool J, The Lox, Ice
Cube, and Onyx.
When The Source came
out with its column on "Unsigned
Hype," DMX came out on top.
DMX released the "Born
Loser" on Columbia Records, but
according to DMX, the record company wasn't
interested in promoting his music that
quickly: "Columbia tried to put me
behind other groups... so I didn't wanna
wait... they let me out of the contract and
I'm glad they did."
 DMX signed with Def Jam Records.
 # 131
Singles Artist of the Year
DMX topped the Billboard
Maxi-Singles Sales chart with "Get At Me
Dog" for 10 weeks.
 DMX released his debut LP, It's
Dark And Hell Is Hot and went on
tour with Onyx and Def Squad.
The single "Get At Me
Dog" was certified gold.
DMX was arrested in New York on
rape charges from an incident 3 days earlier.
DMX was charged with sodomy and false
imprisonment as well as the rape of a 29
year-old woman. DMX responded to the charges:
"Obviously there's been a
misunderstanding. It's all gonna be
straightened up in a minute. But it'll all be
straightened out in a bit. I didn't do
anything, dog."
It's
Dark And Hell Is Hot was certified
platinum.
It's
Dark And Hell Is Hot topped the Billboard
200 Albums chart for a week and the R&B
Albums chart for 2 weeks.
 The case against DMX was delayed
until August pending results of a DNA test.
DMX appeared on Jermaine
Dupri's Jermaine
Dupri Presents: Life In 1472 The Original
Soundtrack.
DMX, was cleared of rape and
sodomy charges filed in June after DNA
evidence showed he wasn't at fault. DMX's
lawyer proclaimed, "DMX is dismissed by
DNA!" after the judge dismissed the
charges.
 DMX appeared in the film Belly and talked with MTV
about the controversy over the film's
excessive violence: "...there's a
difference between violence and senseless
violence... this is not a movie about a
serial killer just going around killing for
no reason... for every reason that someone's
murdered in there, for every act of violence
there's a reason behind it... and you can see
why, 'Okay, that's why he was shot... for
this reason.' 'Okay, he had to do that
because of this.'... it's not just killing
for no reason."
It's
Dark And Hell Is Hot was certified 2x
platinum.
 DMX released Flesh
Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood.
DMX began the new year with good
news as his new LP, Flesh
Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood, debuted at the top of
the charts with first week sales surpassing
670,000.
Flesh
Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood was certified 2x
platinum at the end of the month and topped
the Billboard 200 Albums chart for 3 weeks
and the Billboard R&B Album chart for 4
weeks.
It's
Dark And Hell Is Hot was certified 3x
platinum.
 DMX and Jay-Z donated 1-night's
worth of concert profits to the families of
the Columbine victims when their Hard Knock
Life tour hit Denver.
DMX, as part of the Ruff
Ryders, released Ryde
Or Die Compilation, Vol. 1.
DMX was arrested in New York for
an alleged assault and had a warrant against
him for an alleged stabbing in Denver - the
charges were later dropped.
 DMX performed at Woodstock '99
in Rome, New York.
DMX took home a Blockbuster
Award for Favorite New Artist - Male.
DMX spent 2 night in jail in
Trinidad and was fined $25 for "using
obscene language" while performing.
 DMX was named Artist of the
Year, Solo and Live Performer of the Year at
the Source Hip-Hip Music Awards.
DMX was nominated for a MTV Video Music
Award for Best Rap Video ("Ruff Ryders
Anthem").
 DMX released ...And
Then There Was X.
DMX topped the Billboard
Year-End Chart-Toppers as the Top R&B /
Hip-Hop Album Artist and Top R&B /
Hip-Hop Album Artist - Male.
 # 53
Singles Artist of the Year
 DMX won an American
Music Award for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Male Artist.
...And
Then There Was X debuted at #1 on
Billboard's chart after selling more than
600,000 copies in the first week of release.
...And
Then There Was X topped the Billboard
R&B Album chart for 2 weeks.
 An animal protection group, the
Human Society, denounced DMX for glorifying
dog fighting in his latest video. The video
for "What's My Name" does not show
dog fighting, but portrays pitbulls in chains
growling at each other.
 DMX was arrested in New York for
marijuana possession and driving without a
license. He was originally pulled over for
speeding.
DMX was honored with the Sammy
Davis Jr. Award at the Soul Train Music
Awards.
DMX could be heard on the
soundtrack for Romeo
Must Die (with "Come Back In One
Piece" with Aaliyah) as well as seen in
the film.
...And
Then There Was X was certified 3x
platinum.
DMX appeared on the cover of Rolling
Stone.
 DMX turned himself into New York
police after a warrant was issued for missing
a March court date.More charges were added
when marijuana was reportedly found while
processing DMX.
DMX hit the Top 40 with "Party
Up (Up In Here)."
DMX was indicted on weapons and
drug possession charges in New York.
DMX could be
heard on Busta Rhymes' LP, Anarchy, on the track
"Why We Die."
 ...And
Then There Was X was certified 4x
platinum.
DMX, as part of the Ruff
Ryders, released Ryde
Or Die Compilation, Vol. 2.
The video "Party
Up (Up In Here)" was nominated for a MTV
Video Music Award for Best Rap Video. DMX was to perform at
the ceremony, but didn't show up for
rehearsals and was replaced at the last
minute by Nelly.
 Flesh
Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood was certified 3x
platinum and It's
Dark And Hell Is Hot was certified
4x platinum.
 # 144
Singles Artist of the Year
 DMX was nominated for an American Music
Award for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Male Artist.
A 15-day jail sentence on
traffic charge (from last March) wasn't
overturned by a New York judge.
...And
Then There Was X was certified 5x
platinum.
DMX was nominated for 2 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Solo Performance ("Party
Up (Up In Here)") and Best Rap Album (...And
Then There Was X).
DMX turned himself into New York
police for a 10-day jail sentence for charges
stemming from last March.
 DMX could be seen in the film Exit
Wounds (and performing "No
Sunshine" on the soundtrack) which
topped the box-office its first week.
DMX was indicted by a New York
court for failing to begin serving jail time
for a traffic conviction.
The video for "No
Sunshine" was nominated for a MTV Video Music
Award for Best Video from a Film.
 DMX released The
Great Depression. The LP included
"Who We Be" and "I Miss
You" - a track dedicated to his
grandmother and featuring Faith Evans.
The
Great Depression topped the Canadian LP
charts.
DMX topped the Billboard 200
Albums chart for a week and the Hot
R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for a week with
first week sales of The
Great Depression exceeding
439,000 in the US.
 DMX hit the Top 40 with "Who We Be."
The
Great Depression was certified
platinum.
DMX, as part of the Ruff
Ryders, released Ryde
Or Die Compilation, Vol. 3.
 # 122
Singles Artist of the Year
 DMX was
nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance ("Who We Be").
DMX helped out vocally on a
public service announcement for the Humane
Society as part of his animal cruelty
sentence.
DMX's video for
"Who We Be" was nominated
for 2 MTV Video Music
Awards for Best Rap Video and Breakthrough Video.
 # 140
Singles Artist of the Year
 DMX could be heard on the
soundtrack for Cradle
2 The Grave on several tracks - DMX also
starred in the movie.
DMX's Cradle
2 The Grave topped the box-office its first
weekend of release - taking in over $17
million.
 VH1: 50
Greatest Hip Hop Artists includes DMX at # 23.
DMX was arrested in the
Caribbean for using profanities during his
concert performance.
 DMX released Grand
Champ and stated it would be his last
LP: "I'm going into the church. I wanna
take some time off, you know, read my Bible
and just get more into the word." The LP
features an appearance by Patti LaBelle on the track
"Thank You."
DMX topped the
Billboard 200 LP chart for a week and Top
R&B/Hip-Hop Album chart for a week with Grand
Champ selling over 312,000
copies its first week of release in the US.
DMX made history by becoming the first artist
to debut at #1 on the LP charts with his
first 5 LPs.
 Grand
Champ was certified platinum.
DMX could be seen in the film Never
Die Alone.
 DMX was arrested in New York and
charges included possession of crack cocaine,
driving under the influence, and
impersonation of a federal agent after
reportedly attempting to steal a car and
crashing a car at an airport parking lot
gate.
DMX plead guilty to driving
under the influence and reckless endangerment
and had his license suspended for six months.
DMX was arrested for another
driving offense - this time with speeding.
 DMX was arrested after getting
into a minor vehicle accident and driving
with a suspended license.
DMX was released from jail after
a month of serving a 70-day sentence at
Rikers Island in New York for charges from a
parole violation.
DMX left Def Jam, recorded and
signed up with Sony - and released a new LP, Year
Of The Dog... Again.
 DMX topped the Billboard Top
R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and Top Rap
Albums chart with Year
Of The Dog... Again.
DMX released the collection The
Definition Of X: Pick Of The Litter.
 |
It's Dark And Hell Is
Hot
Released: May, 1998
US: 4x Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 1 (for 1 week)
Rolling Stone
review:  - Entertainment
Weekly: C
Tracks: "Intro"
- "Ruff Ryders Anthem" -
"F**** Wit D" - "Storm
(Skit) - "Look Thru My Eyes" -
"Get At Me Dog" - "Let Me
Fly" - "X-Is Coming" -
"Damien" - "How's It Goin'
Down" (with Faith Evans) -
"Mickey" (Skit) - "Crime
Story" - "Stop Being
Greedy" - "Ate" -
"For My Dogs" - "I Can
Feel It" - "Prayer" (Skit)
- "Convo" - "N***** Done
Started Something" |
|
Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood
Of My Blood
Released: December, 1998
US: 3x Platinum
Billboard
peak:
# 1 (for 3 weeks)
Rolling Stone
review: - Entertainment
Weekly: B+
Tracks: "My
N****" (Skit) - "Bring Your
Whole Crew" - "Pac Man"
(Skit) - "Ain't No Way" -
"We Don't Give A F***" -
"Keep Your S*** The Hardest" -
"Coming From" (with Mary J.
Blige) - "It's All Good" -
"Omen" - "Slippin'" -
"No Love 4 Me" - "Dogs For
Life" - "Blackout" -
"Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My
Blood" - "Heat" -
"Ready To Meet Him" |
| | 
