Earl ‘DMX’ Simmons’s Obituary by Faizah Haider
Earl “DMX” Simmons was a titan, with that a once in a lifetime personality, his immense energy, iconic voice, and meaningful lyrics made him an unforgettable force of nature. Starting off beatboxing, (he derived his name from a beatbox machine), he soon discovered rap and exactly what he was born to do; share his life lessons with the world through his poetry.
In the 1990’s DMX’s raw and aggressive MCing style helped pave the way for a gritter sound at a time when R&B was blowing up. After thirteen years of fighting the notation that he wouldn’t be marketable, his debut album, “It’s Dark and Hell is Hot” saved the record label Def Jam with his album sales proving there was a market. He rose to the challenge of writing another album within the same year, and in only seven months, his second album, “Flesh of my Flesh, Blood of my Blood” also hit the number one spot, as did his next three albums.
DMX’s demanding presence coupled with his ability to pour his emotions onto paper, made you take notice of his magnetic persona. If I had to choose one word to describe DMX it would be – authentic. He never compromised the message in his music or changed as his success amplified, “the worst thing I fear is not being able to be myself”. As we watched him master resilience in the face of hardships, he showed us there is no weakness in empathy, but this cold world can harden your heart and force you to do things out of necessity, in his case it was robbing and stealing to survive. DMX was a person who was incredibly strong but not afraid to show us his vulnerable side, and that he felt things deeply. This is what made him so unique. Discussing themes such as spirituality, life and death, as opposed to material ones of jewelry and cars, meant that we could relate to his inner battles on a fundamentally human level. He wasn’t an unapproachable superstar, he was fallible like the rest of us and because of this, his music transcended race, gender, and geographical location. DMX wasn’t just for American men; he was for everybody.
DMX performing at Woodstock 1999, in front of 200,000 people 
The music he produced resonated in times of anger and frustration, yet also in quiet moments of reflection when we needed to be uplifted. He remained honest about the constant battle going on within him, aggravated by his Bipolar disorder. He was unashamed to outwardly practice his faith in God to counteract his darker side, he placed a prayer on every album, communicating important themes and introspections. Regardless of faith, his words resonated with the masses in need of healing. He was truly a gifted poet that had a special way with words. He had been through so much and was now teaching us the lessons he had learnt, the hard truths that no one was teaching us. It was a blessing to have been able to follow his whole music career.
DMX revealed the unfiltered pain throughout his songs was rooted in his childhood traumas, growing up without a father, and being beaten and neglected by his single mother and her friends. He sought solace sleeping on the streets, where began to befriend stray dogs realizing that unlike humans, if he showed dogs love they would show him unconditional love back. This sparked his love for dogs and was the reason or why he later becoming known for barking on tracks. He crawled out of poverty, facing his traumas such as the scarring memory of unexpectedly being left in a group home by his mother, and recalling the time he drank perfume because he was so hungry and had no food to eat. In a system that completely failed him DMX was still able to achieve in his lifetime what most can only imagine, and that in itself, is a huge inspiration. His faith in God gave him fortitude, helping him to channel his pain into strength, and his music became his therapy. DMX left his mark on millions with lyrics like,
“Think back 26 years, be like, “What if his birth was a miscarriage and I never existed? Have I given somethin’ that if taken away you’d have missed it?’
Let me Fly, DMX
Outlining that the message in his music was his crucial driving force.
Juxtaposing his aggressive side with his sensitive nature, he became the embodiment of the struggle, making him the people’s champion. Everybody wanted to see him win, be it in his music or acting career as he starred in several movies. His first in “Belly” with Nas and Method Man in 1998. Followed with roles in other movies such as, “Rome must Die” with Jet Li and the late Aaliyah, “Exit Wounds” and “Never Die Alone”.
Larger than life DMX lived and died by his own rules, he was a rebel with a fragile heart. His charitable work remains unknown to the public, but his darker, more troubled side of clashing with the law and his battle with drug addiction was often highlighted, portraying his highly multi-dimensional character in a one dimensional view that never did him justice. He was often mocked on reality shows where his vulnerability was exploited for entertainment purposes. The media was never kind to him, not even in his last days.
On 09 April 2021, the tragic news of his passing left us in shock, even more so as it contradicted his image of invincibility, DMX was a solider that had been through hell on Earth. His passing was felt deeply by the masses which was a testimony to his legacy, we haven’t just lost a talented rap artist, we have lost a part of ourselves. In a world with fleeting spirituality, DMX shone his light through his darkness and that gave and everyone struggling the hope to go on and we should cherish that.
In an online Bible study post, DMX spoke about using this lockdown time in the pandemic to reflect and that we should learn to pray for ourselves. I hope people will now go back and listen to his albums and remember him for his spirituality and take the lessons he was teaching us- to make time for the people you love.
Within days murals of DMX appeared throughout the world, showing how much he will be missed. As we mourn his loss, we hope he is now at peace with his inner demons that he battled throughout his life and will finally be reunited with his loved ones in meeting his maker, a day that he longed for. In trying to take some comfort in his last words, he expressed the sentiment of believing he had lived a good life, and reminded us that as spiritual people we should be happy for those passing on to the next world as they will be free of suffering. Let’s continue to celebrate his life in the memory of all the positive energy he brought us, and appreciate the knowledge and wisdom he left us as he left his mark in history.
DMX, there will never be another like you.
You will be missed deeply.
We love you.
Rest in Power.
“R.I.P DMX, 1970-2021, FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS” – DMX Tribute, London by @anysurface 
Watch my video tribute for DMX here:
