The loss of DMX shook hip-hop to its core, as one of its most definitive, perseverant, and unique voices. While his storied battles with his inner demons inform much of his discography, his close friends and collaborators also keep his legacy alive in other ways. For example, the Ruff Ryders recently announced a Ryde Out through the five boroughs of New York to commemorate the two-year anniversary of his death. Through those acts and other testimonies, they show us a more complete picture of who Earl Simmons was and still is as an individual.
Philly rapper Cassidy recently recalled visiting the Ruff Ryder and Swizz Beatz while in Arizona, as he worked on his third album B.A.R.S. The Barry Adrian Reese Story back in 2006. While on The Bootleg Kev Podcast, he told a fun story involving the crew. “I went back to Arizona for my third album,” the rhymer began on the show. “That was the last time I was really around X, went to his crib… X was in a positive zone. I was liking how he was carrying it at that time.
Cassidy’s Story Time: DMX Versus A Scorpion
“One of the memorable moments was when he showed me this giant scorpion we was riding past,” he continued. “He was on the four-wheeler, we was in the car and he was leading us back to the road to leave. And then he turned around and said, ‘Yo, y’all wanna see a scorpion?’ He took a rock and threw it down and it made the scorpion tail come off. He picked it up like this, and poison was dripping and he was like, ‘Look, look!”
Furthermore, Cassidy spoke on that being the last time he connected with DMX, labeling him a “wild” but gold-hearted soul. In fact, they were once label mates, and although they didn’t get to link up in the same way again, his fond memories of the Yonkers legend persist. “That’s how I remembered him,” Cassidy remarked at another point in his conversation with the show host. “[DMX] didn’t give a f**k about nothing. He was just wild, but a good dude.” If you have a favorite story from the “Party Up” star, leave in in the comments and join us in celebrating his legacy. Also, stick around on HNHH for more moments, memories, and the latest updates on DMX and his incredible impact, career, and triumphant life.