A new documentary series is offering an intimate look at the private life of DMX through the voices of those who knew him best.
In X vs. Earl: The Simmons Family Speaks, Tashera Simmons and her four children recount their experiences growing up alongside the Grammy-nominated rapper, born Earl Simmons. The project centers on the divide between the public persona of “X” and the man his family knew at home.
The children describe a father capable of warmth and spontaneity. Tacoma Simmons recalls riding quad bikes in Arizona as one of his favorite memories. After scraping his knee, he said his father carried him on his shoulders and continued the ride rather than brushing off the injury, a gesture he remembers fondly.
But the series also details the turbulence that increasingly defined their household. Tashera Simmons speaks about what she describes as a marked change in DMX’s behavior, including heightened paranoia and escalating substance use. She recounts instances in which he carried firearms openly around the home and expressed fears that he was being watched, including claiming a helicopter was monitoring him.
Sean Simmons describes witnessing episodes of volatility. According to the documentary, one such incident resulted in DMX accidentally shooting his uncle in the foot during what the family characterizes as a paranoid episode inside a hotel lobby. Tashera recalls the chaotic aftermath, saying the gunshot was initially muffled before the family saw blood and realized what had happened.
The series presents these accounts as part of a broader effort to examine the pressures, addiction struggles and mental health challenges that shadowed one of Hip-Hop’s most recognizable figures.
