DMX

With a set of undeniable “it” intangibles — his look, charisma, persona, and a bass-growl of a voice — DMX was the rare artist that transcended genre. He had the attitude of a rock star, the energy of 2Pac, and a vulnerability seldom seen in a rap artist, especially one considered as hardcore as he was. For many, DMX represented the streets in the mainstream. His breakthrough album, It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot, reveals a conflicted, complicated artist and man. Earl Simmons fought many demons for much of his too-brief time on earth, but he had a spiritual side where he found solace. Beaten by his mother and her boyfriends, raised by the streets, and introduced to crack cocaine in his early teens, X spent his life in and out of prisons and rehab, but when he performed he could create concerts that felt more like a church service.