DMX Released From Phoenix Jail

DMX Released From Phoenix Jail

DMX has been released from a Phoenix jail after serving a 90-day sentence for felony convictions.

The rapper, whose real name is Earl Simmons, left a Maricopa County jail Thursday on a $10,000 bond.

Simmons’ lawyer, Glenn Allen, said his client was in good spirits and was still in Maricopa County.

“He’s extremely happy that he’s home,” Allen said. “We look forward to being able to handle his case with him out of custody.”

A spokeswoman for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office says Simmons will likely return to court to face charges added while in jail. Simmons was booked on a charge of probation violation and aggravated assault for allegedly throwing a tray at a jail officer.

DMX Heading To Jail On Drug, Animal Cruelty Charges

Embattled rapper DMX faces at least 90 days in jail after pleading guilty on Tuesday to drug, theft and animal cruelty charges, Arizona prosecutors said.

The rapper, whose real name is Earl Simmons, pleaded to three felony charges and one misdemeanor count in Maricopa County Superior Court under a deal to settle three criminal cases against him. He also agreed not to own any animals or posses firearms.

Simmons, 38, is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 30. He remains in custody.

“I am pleased that this defendant will be held accountable for both his drug and animal cruelty offenses,” said County Attorney Andrew Thomas in a statement. Simmons attorney Charles Kozelka could not immediately be reached for comment.

The rapper-turned-actor has been battling legal woes during the past year in Arizona, where he maintains a home near Phoenix.

In May, he was arrested on drug and animal cruelty charges after sheriff’s deputies raided his home. Authorities found dog carcasses and malnourished pit bulls at the residence.

He also was charged with assuming someone’s identity and providing false information during a trip to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., in an alleged attempt to avoid paying the bill.

Simmons has missed several court appearances, causing a county court commissioner to issue bench warrants for his arrest. The latest warrant came earlier this month.

DMX

Following the deaths of Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G., DMX took over as the reigning, undisputed king of hardcore rap. He was that rare commodity: a commercial powerhouse with artistic and street credibility to spare. His rapid ascent to stardom was actually almost a decade in the making, which gave him a chance to develop the theatrical image that made him one of rap’s most distinctive personalities during his heyday. Everything about DMX was unremittingly intense, from his muscular, tattooed physique to his gruff, barking delivery, which made a perfect match for his trademark lyrical obsession with dogs. Plus, there was substance behind the style; much of his work was tied together by a fascination with the split between the sacred and the profane. He could move from spiritual anguish one minute to a narrative about the sins of the streets the next, yet keep it all part of the same complex character, sort of like a hip-hop Johnny Cash. The results were compelling enough to make DMX the first artist ever to have his first four albums enter the charts at number one.

DMX was born Earl Simmons in Baltimore, MD, on December 18, 1970. He moved with part of his family to the New York City suburb of Yonkers while still a young child. A troubled and abusive childhood turned him violent, and he spent a great deal of time living in group homes and surviving on the streets via robbery, which led to several run-ins with the law. He found his saving grace in hip-hop, starting out as a DJ and human beatbox, and later moved into rapping for a greater share of the spotlight, taking his name from the DMX digital drum machine (though it’s also been reinterpreted to mean “Dark Man X”). He made a name for himself on the freestyle battle scene and was written up in The Source magazine’s Unsigned Hype column in 1991. Columbia subsidiary Ruffhouse signed him to a deal the following year and released his debut single, “Born Loser.” However, a surplus of talent on the Ruffhouse roster left DMX underpromoted, and the label agreed to release him from his contract. He issued one further single in 1994, “Make a Move,” but was convicted of drug possession that same year, the biggest offense of several on his record.

DMX began to rebuild his career with an appearance on one of DJ Clue?’s underground mixtapes. In 1997, he earned a second major-label shot, with Def Jam, and made a galvanizing guest appearance on LL Cool J’s “4, 3, 2, 1.” Further guest spots on Mase’s “24 Hours to Live” and fellow Yonkers MCs 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 was a gold-selling smash on the rap and dance charts and paved the way for DMX’s full-length debut, It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot, to debut at number one on the pop charts. Produced mostly by Swizz Beatz, who rode the album’s success to a lucrative career of his own, It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot earned DMX numerous comparisons to 2Pac for his booming, aggressive presence on the mic and went on to sell over four million copies. Not long 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 went to make his feature film debut co-starring in Hype Williams’ ambitious but unsuccessful Belly.

Before the end of 1998, DMX completed his second album and a pending buyout of Def Jam pushed the record into stores that December. Featuring a controversial cover photo of the rapper covered in blood, Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood entered the charts at number one and eventually went triple platinum. The following year, DMX hit the road with Jay-Z and the Method Man/Redman team on the blockbuster Hard Knock Life tour. During a tour stop in Denver, a warrant for his arrest was issued in connection with a stabbing, of which he was later cleared; another incident occurred in May, when he was accused of assaulting a Yonkers man who’d allegedly harassed his wife (the charges were once again dropped). More serious charges were brought that summer, when DMX’s uncle/manager was accidentally shot in the foot at a New Jersey hotel. Police later raided DMX’s home and filed animal cruelty, weapons, and drug possession charges against the rapper and his wife; he eventually plea-bargained down to fines, probation, and community service. In the midst of those difficulties, the Ruff Ryders posse — of which DMX was a core, founding member — released a showcase compilation, Ryde or Die, Vol. 1. With contributions from DMX, as well as Eve, the LOX, and multiple guests, Ryde or Die, Vol. 1 debuted at number one in the spring of 1999, further cementing DMX’s Midas touch.

Toward the end of 1999, DMX released his third album, …And Then There Was X, which became his third straight to debut at number one. It also produced his biggest hit single since “Get at Me Dog,” “Party Up (Up in Here),” which became his first Top Ten hit on the R&B charts. The follow-ups “What You Want” and “What’s My Name?” were also quite popular, and their success helped make …And Then There Was X the rapper’s best-selling album to date, moving over five million copies. During its run, DMX returned to the big screen with a major supporting role in the Jet Li action flick Romeo Must Die. In the meantime, he was indicted by a Westchester County, NY, grand jury on weapons and drug charges in June of 2000. He also entangled himself in a lengthy legal battle with police in Cheektowaga, NY (near Buffalo), when he was arrested in March for driving without a license and possession of marijuana. He missed one court date, and when he turned himself in that May, police discovered more marijuana in a pack of cigarettes the rapper had brought with him. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 days in jail, and his appeal to have the sentence reduced was finally denied in early 2001. After stalling for several weeks, he turned himself in and was charged with contempt of court. He was further charged with assault when, upon learning he would not be let out early for good behavior, he allegedly threw a food tray at a group of prison officers. He later bargained the charges down to reckless assault and paid a fine, and accused guards of roughing him up and causing a minor leg injury.

Not long after DMX’s release from jail, his latest movie, the Steven Seagal action film Exit Wounds, opened at number one in the box office. DMX also contributed the hit single “No Sunshine” to the soundtrack and signed a multi-picture deal with Warner Bros. in the wake of Exit Wounds’ success. With his legal problems finally resolved, he returned to the studio and completed his fourth album, the more introspective The Great Depression. It was released in the fall of 2001 and became his fourth straight album to debut at number one. Although it went platinum quickly, it didn’t have the same shelf life as his previous releases. In late 2002, DMX published his memoirs as E.A.R.L.: The Autobiography of DMX and also recorded several tracks with Audioslave (i.e., the former Rage Against the Machine). One of their collaborations, “Here I Come,” was featured on the soundtrack of DMX’s next film, a reunion with Jet Li called Cradle 2 the Grave. The film opened at number one upon its release in March 2003, and its DMX-heavy soundtrack debuted in the Top Ten. Grand Champ was released six months later, followed by 2006’s Year of the Dog… Again. Just prior to that album’s release, his revealing BET reality program made its debut. A compilation titled Definition of X: Pick of the Litter was issued in June 2007.

Lawyer: DMX In Hospital, ‘Should Be OK’

“Rapper DMX was admitted to an Aventura, Fla., hospital yesterday (Sept. 22), according to his laywer Bradford Cohen, a day before he was scheduled to appear in an Arizona court. While Bradford wouldn’t confirm media reports alleging his admittance was due to “fear of stroke,” he did say, “It was serious enough at the time but ultimately he should be OK.”

“It was serious enough for him to be brought and taken into a treatment facility. He spent the night there last night and he will probably spend tonight there as well,” Cohen told Billboard.com. “I don’t think it’s going to be an ongoing thing or a life-threatening situation. He’s going to be alright.”

Earlier this month, DMX, born Earl Simmons, was extradited from Florida to an Arizona jail after pleading out time-served in Miami to face numerous charges he accumulated in the state, including drug possession, traffic violations, animal cruelty accusations and defrauding a hospital with an invalid Social Security number and name. He has since posted bond and has no warrants in the state, although he was due in court today to “clear up the bond issue for the possession case.”

Just last month the former Def Jam artist was also admitted into a hospital the day before he was due in court, although Cohen doesn’t believe this will raise red flags or bring doubt to those working on his case. “If a hospital holds you for observation, then there’s no reason to fear,” he said. “Hospitals want to free up beds. He’s never checked into a hospital and checked right out — his visits always warrant him staying there for a couple of days.”

Pending his discharge, DMX has a Sept. 29 rescheduled Arizona court date, and has a number of other hearings to attend in the following weeks.

While details are scant, the rapper is scheduled to release two albums, tentatively titled “Walk With Me Now” and “Fly With Me Later,” via Bodog Entertainment in late October. The latter will allegedly be a religious set. Touring plans post-release are in the works as well.”

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