Rapper DMX back behind bars

The 39-year-old rapper, who violated his probation on a 2002 reckless driving conviction, turned himself into authorities in a Los Angeles courtroom Monday, according to his attorney.

DMX’s latest stint comes just weeks after serving a four-month stint behind bars for a probation violation. The gravel-voiced hip-hop star was released from an Arizona prison in May after being behind bars for fraud, drug and animal-cruelty charges.

DMX surrenders
DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, is back in jail for a crime he committed several years ago.

He turned himself to authorities earlier Monday in an L.A. courthouse to begin serving a 90-day jail sentence stemming from a probation violation on a reckless driving conviction in 2002, reports the Associated Press.

Citing DMX’s lawyer, Aja Southern, MTV News reports that the rapper was arrested for DUI way back in 2002, but reached a plea deal for a lesser charge of reckless driving.

"Mr. Simmons is here today to fully cooperate with respect to any matters of the Court's concern," MTV quoted Southern as saying in a prepared statement. "This is one of many steps towards rebuilding his image and rapport with the community and his loyal fans."

DMX’s latest stint comes just weeks after serving a four-month stint behind bars for a probation violation. The gravel-voiced hip-hop star was released from an Arizona prison in May after being behind bars for fraud, drug and animal-cruelty charges.

Not eligible to be freed on electronic monitoring
According to the AP report, Los Angeles City Attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan said a judge ruled that the hardcore rapper cannot be freed on electronic monitoring, work release or home detention.

In a statement, his publicist, Cassandra Cousineau, said, “X has completed a drug rehabilitation program and is committed to resolving all legal issues and focusing on his sobriety.”

New York-born DMX’s representative, Nakia Walker, is confident that the rapper will be able to move on with his life.

“From this day forward, you will see X as you have never seen him before. His business has become his number one priority,” Walker said.

Rapper’s past legal troubles
DMX, whose albums include ‘...And then There was X’ and who starred in the movies ‘Romeo Must Die’ and ‘Cradle 2 The Grave’, has been arrested five times in Arizona, on charges ranging from drug possession and identity theft to animal cruelty.

One of the most commercially successful rappers of all-time, DMX has been arrested by Maricopa County authorities five times, including an August 2007 raid on his north Phoenix home where they found several malnourished dogs as well as several dog carcasses. Guns, ammunition and drug paraphernalia were also found by authorities during the raid.

DMX as a rapper
Born Earl Simmons in Baltimore, MD, on Dec. 18, 1970, DMX (Dark Man X) is a hard core rapper who within a year rose from the streets of Yonkers to become one of hip-hop's most popular and prolific stars.

DMX released his debut album ‘It's Dark and Hell is Hot’ in 1998 and released single ‘Get At Me Dog’ in the same year, which was a top-40 hit that pushed him into the upper tier of popular rappers.

With his immediate follow-up album, ‘Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood’, the rapper increased his audience exponentially. Both albums reached number one on the Billboard charts in their first week, making DMX the first recording artist in music history to have his first two albums reach number one within a year.