WPGU 107.1 Each year within the field of hip-hop, one artist rises above the rest in terms of streams, record sales and concert revenue. Every now and again, the rapper who emerges in such a fashion is a fresh face who dominates the rap scene with wildly popular, chart-topping debut material. Even more seldom does such a newly established household name capitalize even further on their early success, seemingly leaving their prior accomplishments in the dust. Once in a generation, a new hip-hop artist comes around who changes the game forever. DMX was all of the above. Born Earl Simmons just outside of Yonkers in New York City, DMX inarguably had one of the most storied careers in the history of the rap genre before tragically passing away of a drug overdose at the age of 50 a few short weeks ago. Simmons had struggled with drug addiction since the age of 14, ever since a role model of his early childhood pressured him into puffing a joint of marijuana that, unbeknownst to Simmons, was laced with crack-cocaine. This incident in Simmons’ teenage years launched him on a nearly forty-year struggle with addiction that eventually took his life.