#The Music Box Series Celebrates The Late Rapper

I was first exposed to DMX’s music at college in Westchester County, New York, the same place where he grew up. The song “Party Up (Up in Here)” was a fixture in the dorms, and it and the album, “And Then There Was X,” both earned Grammy nominations. After “Romeo Must Die,” DMX teamed with action star Jet Li again for “Cradle 2 the Grave,” and the lead single from that film’s soundtrack, “X Gon’ Give It to Ya,” would find renewed popularity after making its way into an R-rated superhero film, “Deadpool,” in 2016.

Here’s the official synopsis for “DMX: Don’t Try to Understand:”

HBO’s DMX: DON’T TRY TO UNDERSTAND, part of the Music Box series, directed by Christopher Frierson and executive produced by The Ringer’s Bill Simmons (HBO’s “Andre The Giant,” “Showbiz Kids”), focuses on a year in the life of rapper Earl “DMX” Simmons as he is released from prison in early 2019 and attempts to rebuild his career in the music industry and reconnect with family and fans. Unfolding in cinéma vérité style and with unfettered access, the film bears witness to a man searching for reinvention and redemption, striving to stay true to himself while reestablishing his roles as a father, an artist, and an icon.

“DMX: Don’t Try to Understand” debuts Thursday, November 25, 2021, at 8:00 p.m. ET on HBO, and will be available to stream on HBO Max.