Rapper DMX took over as the undisputed king of rap. X, whose real name is Earl Simmons was that rare breed of a superstar whose credibility on the streets would turn him into a commercial powerhouse and while his ascent to the top of the rap game was almost a decade in the making, his journey transformed him into one of rap’s most iconic personalities. It can be easy to forget how successful X was. I mean, to this day, he’s the only rapper to ever have his first five studio albums debut at number 1 on the Billboard 200. X has also made headlines for reasons outside of his career. He’s been in jail around 30 times throughout the course of his life with charges varying from drug possession to robbery, to probation violation, and a whole lot in between. He’s also struggled with an addiction to questionable substances since he was 14-years-old – and this addiction to narcotics would result in the latest turn of events in his life – being admitted to the hospital in April of 2021 after suffering a heart attack due to an overdose. So, as DMX fights for his life and as some of his closest friends in the industry send out their warmest wishes for him to get better.