He’s endured much during his 49 years on this earth, but DMX has persevered. He was physically abused by his mother and her boyfriends as a child, he was kicked out of school and sent to a boy’s home, he wandered the streets as a teen, and as an adult, he struggled with addiction and incarceration. No matter his ups and downs, DMX is a talented artist that hip hop fans have continued to support, and during his appearance on the Ruff Ryders Chronicles documentary, the rapper discussed having various personalities that have helped him throughout his life.

DMX, Ryff Ryders Chronicles, Multiple Personalities, Tashera Simmons, BET
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In an interview segment, the person behind the camera asked DMX if there were parts of himself that helped him cope. Before she was able to finish her question, DMX quickly answered “yes.” He added, “They’re different things… There’s a few things, a few people in me and they get me through life.” The rapper was asked what he would want the public to know about those different parts of himself. “I wouldn’t want anyone to know anything,” he replied.

“I don’t talk about them,” added DMX. “You already got me talking about them. Nope.” Elsewhere in the documentary, DMX’s ex-wife Tashera Simmons suggested that “Earl,” the rapper’s real name, is the child that was there before his father left and his mother “didn’t know how to handle him.” The angry persona of “X” was created “to protect Earl.” The entertainer is “DMX” who also looks out for “Earl,” but he’s “much nicer.”

“They’re there to get me through life,” DMX said before tearing up. “I don’t know if I made ’em or if God gave ’em to me, or maybe circumstances and situations did.” Check out the clip below.