Operating on the assumption that you can’t really understand the mindset of DMX—and, specifically, his artistic decision to not pay something like $1.7 million in back taxes to the federal government—without first hearing his music, the rapper’s lawyers have requested the chance to play some of his songs as, we guess, evidence(?) in a court of law. Specifically, Spin reports that X’s lawyers are asking to play hits like “Slippin’” and “The Convo” at his upcoming sentencing hearing for tax evasion, both as a way for the court to “understand [DMX] genuinely in his voice”—since he might get too emotional at the prospect of spending as many as five years in jail to speak for himself—and as a testament to his ability to eventually pay the feds back the money he owes.
As noted by lawyer Murray Richman, we’re rapidly coming up on the 20th anniversary of the artist’s breakout hit album, It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot, a milestone that might allow him to capitalize on some renewed interest and make the money to pay off his debt. The rapper’s lawyers are also proposing he undergo rehab and set up a structured plan to pay off the money, all in an effort to avoid jail time. (Meanwhile, we wrote more than our fair share of “X Gon’ Give It To Ya” jokes the last time this story made headlines, but feel free to come up with your own, then print them out and tape them over this sentence on your screen.)