When the Jiggy era was controlling the airwaves, DMX's dark, street-laced lyricism continued the gully tradition of hip-hop. But he does have more than a couple of soft spots. During an interview with GQ, the rapper recounted the first time he was brought to his knees by heartbreak.
He says his first "girlfriend girlfriend" was a girl from Connecticut. They were romantically involved before DMX got sent to prison for four months over a robbery warrant.
"She came to visit me a couple times with her mom and all that, crying on the visit," DMX remembered. "I was really feeling this chick."
When DMX got out of jail, he went to go meet his girlfriend at her job in the mall. He waited in the mall until it closed, but she never showed up. The rapper did see her at the club the same night, but it was clear from their conversation that the relationship had run its course.
"I'm like, 'Oh, here she go. She probably knew I was going to be here anyway,'" he said. "I'm like, 'Yo, what up?' She like, 'Hey.' I'm walking up the steps with her, she was like, 'You coming in?' I'm like, 'Yeah.' Then we get to the door of the club, and she's like, 'You don't have no money.' I'm like, 'Uh-uh.' She was like, 'You ain't got no money? What type of man is you?' I just looked like, 'All right, now it's clear what it is.' So I just left. I just left. That shit hurt my feelings. Because I really liked her, and I know she really liked me before I got locked up. I don't know what happened."
DMX also talked about a few other harrowing experiences from his formative years, including going to jail when he was 10 years old. The rapper went on to revisit his rough relationship with his mother. DMX said he loves her despite their abusive history.
"Maybe she didn't know what to do with me," he said. "I found out I just knew things that she didn't know when I was only six years old. I would get up at night sometimes to drink water because I was so hungry. And I saw something in her notebook that was open on the kitchen table. And it was wrong, so I erased it. I thought I was helping."
DMX confirmed he had a new deal with Def Jam, a label he long wanted to work with since he shared the same last name as its founder. He also shouted out a few current working acts who now have the mainstream acclaim he once owned. "Kendrick [Lamar] is dope. J. Cole. Ya know, lyricists," DMX said.
DMX has been keeping busy since being released from prison at he top of the year. His 2019 schedule included leading a prayer during an edition of Kanye West's Sunday Service.
