Iconic and never forgotten rapper DMX was admitted to NY's White Plains Hospital "in grave condition" on April 2, 2021. The beloved rapper, cultural representative, and movie star was found collapsed in his home. DMX was rushed to the hospital and has been on and off of life support ever since.
DMX is only 50 years old. Per reports, his children, ex-spouse Tashera Simmons, and fiancee' Desiree Lindstrom have been by his side during his most recent ordeal with life. And yes, crack, a drug whose ingredients can't be grown in America but has successfully destroyed hundreds of thousands of Black Americans' lives, was at the scene of the crime.
DMX a Black man's story in America
The iconic artist's life story ascent exposes the unique hassles, negative influences, post-traumatic slave syndrome, plus emotional dysfunctions a young Black man inherits for being Black, talented, and gifted in America. Earl Simmons, aka DMX, was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on December 18, 1970, when segregation and exclusion of Black citizens were in full swing despite its East Hollywood media development. He grew up in Yonkers, NY, with his mom and his sisters. Simmons's mother believed in corporal punishment.
https://themetropole.blog/2018/11/19/when-baltimore-was-hollywood-east-racial-exclusion-and-cultural-development-in-the-1970s/ https://www.npr.org/2021/04/04/984133546/rapper-dmx-on-life-support-following-heart-attack
As a result of using corporal punishment practices, parents plus community alike can unconsciously assist with the domino effect of underachievement that ultimately leads to a life of prison or early demise for Black children & young adults. Scholars have coined this process as "The Cradle to Prison Pipeline. And although Earl Simmons experienced all of those issues and more, Simmons managed to rise to the top, lead the pack in exposing the ills of oppression, the harshness of life on the streets, the cancer of crack cocaine, and the ongoing battle for freedom between survivors of chattel slavery descendants and America. DMX's life story provides both his fans and onlookers an inside look at the harsh reality of structural racism's consequential effect on Black men here in America, even if they survive and become millionaires one day.
(3 min analysis Michelle Alexander New Jim Crow)
What is corporal punishment & how does it connect to post-traumatic slave syndrome?
The learned behavior of taking one's anger out on their children or believing that a child must be beaten into submission in Black families directly correlates to slavery. A practice that existed in America for well over 300 years. Other learned behavior from slavery includes the need to berate one's children publicly and privately. The mental abuse and physical abuse drive most children into the streets to link up with other children who experience similar traumas. The vulnerability of these children left on their own often leads to further mis-education of child plus other exploitations.
Communities who suffer from post-traumatic slave syndrome tend to view behavior as normal. And not the result of them reacting out abuses from the past still unlearned from slave life. Said descendants of North American Chattel slavery & 1st nation genocide typically experience discrimination, disenfranchisement, and poverty that often leads to the compounding of dysfunction inflicted on their communities in particular. Plus, coupled with the devastating after-effect of crack cocaine flooding their communities between 1980 to 2010. Provides the pathway which lead back to systematic racism and its long-term impact on the Black family in particular.
What is systematic racism?
Systematic racism produces the long-term discriminatory policies and practices that behind the scenes keep the segment of Americans who survived slavery and 1st nation genocide commonly called Black people and previously called "people of color " in a caste position. Although utilization of "caste systems" is against the law in America. Until this day, a portion of the Black Americans' population is still impacted by the negative economic causes and effects of systematic racism. This is why Black America has witnessed not just the over fining plus sentencing of working class Black citizenship in America via the American judicial system. But also witness the over fining and jail sentencing of Black millionaires. Despite of the multiple hassles the artist may have experienced Earl Simmons and others like him found solace in the Black church. Where no doubt, Simmons roots come from.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04pcSyzwoTg (Below Simmons participating in his online bible study)
The Black church
One of the early Black church's basic commitment to almighty God and their people between 1794 till the 1980's was to provide a place where the Black community could unlearn chattel slavery practices that were both immoral and brutal. The Black church also encouraged the uplifting and love necessary that empowered regular Black folks to be able to deal with the day-to-day hassles of life and discrimination dished out to them, particularly by mainstream America. The Black church instilled practices of prayer, faith, repentance, community building, and higher education achievement, including the ongoing funding of HBCs & HBCUs.
(The Black Church Stay Woke -3 min presentation)
Unfortunately, because of the
Social and economic disenfranchisement of the Black community per corporations & political parties pushing back because of affirmative action enforcement as well as
Including the outright murder of Black community leaders,
Crack cocaine casualties,
Mass incarceration largely over petty offenses,
Plus non-attendance of historically Black churches by founding laypeople descendants
Many churches today struggle to keep their doors open.
Earl Simmons aka DMX
(Above DMX with kids)
The Def Jam Records and Ruff Ryder Flagship artist's rise to fame broke the stereotypical hip hop feel and "rap bravado" of hip hop in the 90s. DMX didn't come with "a lot of shiny suits & chains." DMX just came with facts. Facts about how gang life wasn't a fuzzy or warm thing. As well as reports on how street life was dark and hell was hot plus unnecessary. His passion was to expose the harsh realities of prison life and sought empathy for the forgotten masses of our people locked behind bars.
DMX came with the testimony of being one who was left out on the streets on his own for way too long. The world would have to hear his and others' like him angry testimonies uncut via his music and songs' message. Earl Simmons unashamedly represented the strength of a Black man when his back is pushed against the wall. DMX represented the fighting factor in Black men to push back, stand tall, protect, and take back what is rightfully yours. His manhood was not stolen from him simply because he did not forfeit it even when put under pressure by the disenfranchisement of the music industry plus pop culture. DMX was like Popeye the sailor man character in many respects. Or as Popeye would say, "I am that I am and that's all that I am!" smile
Family, friends, and fans pray that the beloved artist acquires the strength to come out of his coma-induced circumstances. Per a recent TMZ report, Master P recommends that rappers create a union that will provide fellow artists with psychological, monetary, and emotional resources to help them avoid the pitfall of a drug overdose caused by a stressed-out life.
https://www.tmz.com/2021/04/08/master-p-dmx-drug-overdose-prevented-hip-hop-union-rappers/ (Below DMX with kids)
Sir Earl Simmons, aka DMX, has had other close calls with his health before. Friends, family, and fans are hoping that he pulls through because he's done it before. In closing, DMX reads the bible daily. In my opinion, if not for the unique hassles that he experienced during his life as a Black man in America, he probably would have been an award-winning journalist or a monster civil rights lawyer for his people.
Please keep Earl Simmons and his lovely strong family in pray.
Please reflect and enjoy DMX's "They Don't Know Who We Be" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB2_MmtMoIc
The Destruction of The Black Family as a Manifestation of Structural and Epistemic Antiblackness Undergraduate Research Thesis By Arielle C. Hooks The Ohio State University May 2018 Project Advisor: Professor Franco Barchiesihttps://kb.osu.edu/bitstream/handle/1811/84777/1/arielle_hooks_thesis_asc.pdf
The New Jim Crow Michelle Alexander
Empathy for Black People Dr Joy Leary DeGruy
Stolen Lives The Indigenous People of Canada and the Indian Residential Schools