New York State has decided it will be renaming December 18th “Earl Simmons Day” in honour of DMX, a rapper who died three weeks ago. We know this because Mixmag told us – the same Mixmag who couldn’t care less who he was until they realised they could make money from writing about him.
Look online elsewhere, and it’s the same story. Don’t speak ill of the dead is very much the motto of the press, who are too scared to be seen as taking sides. You’d be half forgiven for thinking DMX was a Christian missionary who went around healing the sick.
If Adolf Hitler died today, you’d probably have articles explaining he had a difficult childhood – as if that fact alone somehow gives you a licence to be an arsehole for the rest of your life. Well, here’s news for you – it doesn’t.
Why, for example, has no one thought to publish the fact he was a notorious homophobe, and transphobic to boot? Look at the lyrics to his 2003 single, “Where The Hood At”. He has never rescinded those words or expressed any kind of regret for it either.
The song goes “Last I heard, y’all niggas was havin sex with the same sex, I show no love, to homo thugs, Empty out reloaded and throw more slugs, How you gonna explain fucking a man?”.
And later in the same song, he says “I don’t fuck with niggas that think they broads, Only know how to be one way, that’s the dog”.
He’s basically saying he thinks men who have gay sex should be shot, and that trans people are no better than dogs. What a nice bloke, eh?
I saw much the same trend when Erick Morillo died last year. Let’s not mention the fact the guy had been charged with rape. Let’s not mention the fact his DNA was found on a rape kit taken as part of the police investigation. Let’s not mention the other allegations made by numerous women over the years that this guy was a complete creep.
No, let’s just mention that he made some decent tunes and was a good DJ and that Pete Tong, Simon Dunmore and several other people are going to miss him. And if anyone claims otherwise, they must be a “hater”.
I’m not saying for one moment that DMX was a totally bad guy. I’m sure he did some good in his life – but don’t insult everyone’s intelligence by pretending he was some sort of modern day Mother Theresa.
