DMX Biography

Fast Facts

• Became the first artist in music history to have his first five albums reach number one on the Billboard 200
• The second rapper in history, behind Tupac, to release two albums in the same calendar year that would eventually reach number one on the Billboard 200
• His extensive legal record includes bookings for animal cruelty, reckless driving, drug possession and several others
• Gained widespread attention after an article in The Source magazine was written about him in 1991, which was later seen by Columbia Records executives who signed him the following year
• Released his first breakout single in 1998 with Def Jam Recordings, a track that would appear on the album It's Dark and Hell is Hot which would go on to sell over five million copies
• After being released from Columbia Records in the early '90s, he gained widespread attention after appearing on a LL Cool J single in 1997
• While juggling his resurging music career, he would begin to pursue work as a preacher by the late 2000s after being released from jail
• Stated that he planned to retire from music in 2003, however, he would resign with Columbia Records in 2006