The reality is far more complex. A husband and devoted father, DMX rarely makes the public overtures that allow others to see the life he came from or the life he lives outside the spotlight. But some facts have emerged. Born Earl Simmons in Baltimore in 1970, he moved to Yonkers, N.Y., shortly thereafter. Sharing a home with an abusive mother (his absentee father left the family when DMX was young) in the notorious Yonkers School Street Projects, Simmons became the classic juvenile delinquent, "the kid that other kids would get beatings for playing with," he told Rolling Stone in 1998.

His mother was convinced by school officials to send him to a group home at the age of 7; he ended up spending more than five years in several of them. "There's a period in your childhood when you accept whatever you're given as normal," he says. By his early teens, Earl was familiar with the jail system, thanks to an affinity for robbery. He would eventually spend seven years in prison, according to an interview with Blaze magazine, "not counting group homes and institutions." He also developed an appetite for alcohol and drugs, perhaps connected to his a lifelong bout with manic depression.

Somewhere along the line, he found the desire to rap; early influences included the '80s group Whodini. He gave himself the title DMX as a hallmark to his beatboxing skills. In 1991, he won Source magazine's prestigious Unsigned Hype award, which led to a record deal with Ruffhouse and a 1992 single, "Born Loser." But the label's attention was clearly focused on its marquee acts, Cypress Hill and Kriss Kross, and DMX asked to be released from his contract, a request honored by Ruffhouse.

Through the mid-'90s, DMX built an unstoppable street buzz around New York City by spitting his rhymes at clubs, on street corners, and on mix tapes. He also made guest appearances on other artists' records, including Mic Geronimo's 1997 track "Usual Suspects." In early 1997, with the help of Ruff Ryders Entertainment (which also manages the Lox and Eve), DMX was signed by Def Jam, leading to appearances on LL Cool J's "4,3,2,1" single and album tracks for the Lox, Mase, and John Forte.

In early 1998, DMX released his first single, "Get at Me Dog," and the world at large began to hear his unmistakable style, a mixture of plainspoken verses and a coarse, rusty bark, in homage to his lifelong affinity for dogs. (The massive tattoo on his back, "One Love Boomer," is a dedication to his late pit bull and "best friend.")

The buzz surrounding DMX was enough to sell 250,000 copies of It's Dark and Hell Is Hot during its first week of release, leading to a surprise No. 1 debut on Billboard with little or no advance promotion. It's Dark sat on the Billboard 200 well into 1999, eventually selling more than three million copies. Meanwhile, a second single, "Ruff Ryders Anthem," ruled urban radio that summer, imprinting DMX's growl in the minds of listeners everywhere. He also continued to make high-profile guest appearances, adding verses to Ice Cube's remixed single "We Be Clubbin'," Jayo Felony's "Whatcha Gonna Do," and the Lox's "Money, Power, and Respect." He also participated in Def Jam's "Survival of the Illest" tour with Onyx and the Def Squad (Redman, Erick Sermon, and Keith Murray).

DMX's unrelenting thug persona immediately drew comparisons to the late Tupac Shakur, who originally championed "thug life." But DMX proved that he was different, at least from a personality standpoint, when an exotic dancer accused him of rape shortly after his first album came out. Rather than parade his case before the media, DMX cooperated with authorities and provided a blood sample, quickly leading to a dismissal of the charge. "I think Tupac was a strong-minded black man, and that's what America fears," he told MTV during the controversy.

Later that year, he starred in his first film, Belly, a crime saga directed by video auteur Hype Williams and co-starring Nas, Method Man, and T-Boz from TLC.

In the final month of 1998, DMX released his second album of the year, Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood, an album that turned out to be full of surprises, beginning with its shocking cover. Holding his hands out to the camera, DMX was covered in blood, as though he had just emerged from some horribly grisly war. The album also featured an unlikely collaboration with Marilyn Manson, "Omen," as well as duets with Mary J. Blige, Jay-Z, and the Lox. Flesh of My Flesh easily shot to No. 1, beating out releases by Garth Brooks and Celine Dion.

Coupling Flesh with Jay-Z's popular Vol. 2 … Hard Knock Life, Def Jam began establishing itself as the most powerful label in hip-hop history, arguably eclipsing previous reigns by Sean "Puffy" Combs' Bad Boy Records and Dr. Dre and Suge Knight's Death Row imprint.

The first half of 1999 proved to be a busy one for DMX. Early on, he joined the Hard Knock Life tour with labelmates Jay-Z, Method Man, Redman, and DJ Clue. The screams and squeals that greeted DMX when he stripped to reveal a sinewy, chiseled frame at each show were proof that he was rap's new sex symbol. Although his asthma forced him to miss one of the dates (which he made up later in the year), DMX proved to be a key figure in hip-hop's most successful recent tour. In addition to his Hard Knock Life tour duties, DMX helped to launch the platinum Ruff Ryders compilation, Ryde or Die Vol. I, paving the way for a rejuvenated Lox and Eve's own solo success.

The final year of the 1900s also brought about some less desirable events. In May, DMX continued his strained relationship with the law when he was arrested on an outstanding warrant concerning a stabbing allegation in Denver, as well as on charges of stabbing a man in Yonkers who allegedly insulted his wife, Tashera. Both cases were eventually dropped. In June, DMX and Tashera were arrested for possessing assault weapons, hollow-tipped bullets, and drug paraphernalia. Finally, DMX was arrested and jailed for two days after swearing during a concert in Trinidad, where public cursing is illegal.

In August, DMX performed at the ill-fated Woodstock '99 festival, then mysteriously dropped out before the start of the Family Values Tour, where he was slated to open for headliners Limp Bizkit. A later run-in with Kurupt of the Dogg Pound led Kurupt to castigate DMX in song with the record "Callin' Out Names."

Despite his mysterious and at times self- destructive behavior, no explanation has been forthcoming from the 30-year-old rapper. For all of DMX's fame, he shuns the spotlight outside of his promotional duties, preferring to spend time with Tashera, whom he has been with since age 17, and their two children, Xavier and Tacoma. His fans love him nevertheless: His most recent album, … And Then There Was X (originally titled The Man, The Dog, The God), became the third album for the rap superstar to debut at No. 1.