S. Samuel
Former Ruff Ryders leader DMX recently discussed his growth as an individual and artist and why he has no interest in injecting his rap lyrics with tales of intangible wealth.
According to X, he now looks beyond the fame and focuses attention on family.
“I’ve matured as a person,” the rapper tells The BoomBox. “I’ve come to terms with some harsh realities. I’ve found different things that I enjoy about life more. I seek those out more. The music is just a reflection of me growing as a person. I’ve always had the talent. God gave me that. I thank him for not taking it from me — my music is honest. I don’t talk about sh*t I don’t have. I don’t brag. I speak sincerely and I give proper consideration to everything I say.” He mentions enjoying “different things” about his life these days. After asking to clarify his statement, it’s apparent X is focused on the Simmons’ clan. “Smiles from my children, hugs from my babies,” he says of what he looks forward to. (The Boom Box)
Last spring, the platinum-selling rapper exposed his inner emotions during an episode of VH1’s “Couples Therapy.”
“I used to always turn to drugs when I was feeling a certain way and now that I’m not doing that, sometimes the pressure builds up, I’ll call [someone] and say, I just wanted to say ‘Mommy.’ I wanted to say that word,” an emotional X says on “Couples Therapy.” “Mommy. Not ‘My mother,’ you know, I wanted to say mommy. I just wanted to talk to her. I haven’t talked to her in years and I just wanted to be able to say ‘Hi, mommy. I love you.’ Never once did she [say she loved me.] …. [crying] …. You know what, I think people lose sight of the fact that no matter how strong you are, as a man, no matter how tough you are, we all need to be somebody’s baby.” (“Couples Therapy”)
Late last year, X’s publicist Domenick Nati gave SOHH the inside scoop on his state of mind.
“Things have been going good for Earl in these last five months,” Nati told SOHH referring to X’s government name. “He’s in the studio, touring around the country, and making TV appearances, but I also know that family is very important to DMX. Earl and [his wife] Tashera are mature adults and they’ll know what’s best for their relationship.” (SOHH)
Back in 2010, the rapper publicly took aim at the popularity of materialism in hip-hop.
What do y’all think is the state of the rap industry right now? I mean, you know, I’m an artist so I kind of have bias views but I think most these n*ggas suck! I think they not only suck, but they suck d*ck! I mean, correct me if I’m wrong, we’re real people. Most of us got jobs — but you got these n*ggas talking about Bentleys, mansions and pool parties, we don’t rock that sh*t son! So my take on it is, you got Patron in your cup? Good for you! You got a b*tch that wanna f*ck? Good for you! You sittin’ on 24’s? Good for you! You got Lamborghini doors? Good for you! Because at the end of the day? I ain’t got that sh*t…” (Goon Boss TV)
Check out a recent DMX interview below:
