Been thinking about Earl Simmons aka DMX throughout the day. It might seem fake to hear, especially today, that he was in constant rotation in my music, but it's true. YEARS ago, I had created a playlist of my fave songs by X that I would play when battling the extreme ends of emotions: anger (to the point of wanting to beat somebody's ass, #letsgetiton, #xgongiveittoya, #getatmedog, yo!) and sheer jubilation (and I wanted to be uber amped frfr, #partyup). The beats, the lyrics, his delivery--was (and still am) there for it. He spoke a lot of his truth in his music, and as a fellow artist, I can empathize, sympathize, and realize how cathartic that can be sometimes; it can help let the beasts out of the mind for a bit. I pray he has the peace he journeyed toward, and I lift prayers of peace and comfort to his family, friends, and fans. https://www.instagram.com/p/CNdqLsjDEBV/?igshid=1ozfu9149bry6