Earl Simmons, a.k.a. DMX, has brought so many different elements to Hip-Hop culture throughout his life, good, bad, and strange.
This feature focuses on the strange.
As the front man of “Ruff Ryderz,” DMX was at one point, undeniably the most respected, most feared, and most popular rapper in the entire world.
He had a string of albums to back it up:
It’s Dark and Hell is Hot
Flesh of my Flesh, Blood of my Blood
…And then there was X
These are albums that I vividly remember blasting throughout middle school. I remember a specific memory: this hyper-active kid in gym class, Michel, stuffing another 7th grader into a locker while screaming in a DMX voice, “WHATS MY NAME, GRRR ARF ARF.”
DMX’s success and his impact on the music industry and popular culture are well documented topics. STRANGE ENCOUNTERS OF THE DMX KIND will explore the stranger side of DMX’s legend:
This side:
I want to make sure that it’s understood, this feature is not some simple showcase of DMX’s legal troubles / arrests.
This is different.
STRANGE ENCOUNTERS OF THE DMX KIND documents the unbelievable personal encounters with the mythical figure: DMX.
These encounters happen on a day to day basis, on the golf course, in the grocery store.
DMX is a living legend.
His growling, yelling, “I don’t give a fuck” persona on each one of his albums is legit. The Proof?
Your stories.
If YOU have a strange encounter with DMX that you would like to share, even if it’s slightly embellished, please EMAIL your account and description of what happened, where/when it took place to hypothesisspits@gmail.com
Otherwise, enjoy hypothesisspits.com’s first account, the debut feature for
STRANGE ENCOUNTERS OF THE DMX KIND:
Name:
Artist A. [full name currently withheld for safety reasons]
Where:
The parking lot of The Hit Factory
When:
Late at Night, Early-Mid 2007
What Happened?
Hip Hop artist AA was recording material for his new album at notorious Miami studio, The Hit Factory. AA had recently received a mixtape of beats to write to for this recording session. AA was blasting the different instrumental tracks out of his car’s sound system.
This was all part of his pre-studio ritual.
At the time of this strange encounter, AA was alone. The rest of his team had already checked into the studio.
Everything was business as usual.
AA was relaxed, pulling on the end of a blunt, when a shadow began approaching the left side-view mirror of his truck. Because of the poorly lit parking lot, AA couldn’t see what, or rather who, was making the shadow.
Awkwardly pretending he didn’t notice the approaching stranger, even with the song still blasting, AA was startled, when out from the dark came the low pitches of a man’s voice, growling:
Ay Yo.
What are you listening to right here?
AA immediately recognized the voice and thought to himself,
No, it couldn’t be?
Is that….DMX!?
And like a ghost becoming human once again, DMX moved into AA’s focus. The streetlight that was previously keeping his image a secret began flickering on and off. AA’s heart started to beat a little bit faster and he silently worried to himself,
I don’t know whether the fuck to invite him into the car or drive off.
What the fuck, is this mutherfucker trying to rob me right now?
DMX moved a few steps closer, crossing his arms over the open window of AA’s driver-side door. AA returned DMX’s initial question,
It’s a beat CD for my upcoming album
DMX growled back,
Ay yo I like that beat.
I think you gonna have to give me that beat man.
AA couldn’t believe what was happening. His mind raced,
What the fuck is going on. Is DMX trying to get on a track with me right now?
AA snapped out of thought thanks to the slam of a car door. He was horrified to see that DMX had just circled around the front of his whip and sat down right beside him.
DMX was inside the car.
He continued,
I don’t think you understand me right now.
I like that beat I just heard.
You gonna have to give me that beat so I can kill it!
I want that beat. You understand?
AA panicked with the realization that DMX was in fact, trying to rob him.
His forehead began to sweat, he nervously laughed and tried to cut the tension by breaking the silence,
That’s what’s good, look, let’s swap contact info and then we can set up something in the near future.
AA’s answer didn’t please DMX, whose growl became increasingly more aggressive.
Well that’s a problem right now,
Because, I want that beat, right now.
DMX’s kept his eyes madly staring directly into AA’s. Meanwhile, his left hand pointer finger moved closer to the eject button of the car’s CD player.
AA had no trouble making the decision to let DMX have the CD.
At this point, AA just wanted DMX to get the fuck out of the car.
Fortune smiled on AA when a group of dimes walked into the studio before DMX had pressed the button.
The women had caught the attention of DMX, who with one final growl opened the car door and exited, without taking AA’s CD.
Ay yo…
I’m outta here
And like that, DMX vanished into the night once again, leaving only with AA, the memory of the Strange Encounter.
With no introductions given, Artist A. nearly had his mixtape album instrumentals jacked in the Hit Factory parking lot, by DMX.
Only DMX.
Share your strange encounter!
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