'DMX: Don't Try to Understand' review: A year in the life of Earl "DMX" Simmons

DMX: Don't Try to Understand is a documentary directed by Christopher Frierson that features the American rapper's life behind the headlines. A prophet, a family man, a rapper, an actor, and an inspiration to many – DMX (18 December 18, 1970 – April 9, 2021) has left behind a rich legacy.

As part of HBO's Music Box docuseries, DMX: Don't Try to Understand picks up in 2019 after DMX's release from federal prison (he had been sentenced to serve 12 months for felony tax evasion) and follows him around till March 2020.

DMX: Don't Try to Understand premiered on 25 November 2021 on HBO Max and left viewers feeling bitter-sweet. DMX passed away in April 2021 due to a cocaine-induced heart attack and multiple organ failure. The Thanksgiving release commemorated the rapper's tumultuous life and emphasized his loss to many, but foremost to his family.

HBO's official synopsis for DMX: Don't Try to Understand reads:

"Focusing on a year in the life of rapper Earl “DMX” Simmons as he is released from prison in early 2019, the film bears witness to a man searching for reinvention and redemption, striving to stay true to himself while re-establishing himself as a father, an artist and an icon."

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Remembering Earl Simmons through 'DMX: Don't Try to Understand'

Christopher Frierson's DMX: Don't Try to Understand documents a difficult year in the life of Earl "DMX" Simmons before he died. The documentary not only captures DMX, the hip hop icon, but also unveils Earl Simmons, the human being.

Cameras followed the rapper everywhere from January 2019 to March 2020. The montage also included flashback clips of X's early life.

Majority of the film took place in Yonkers, New York, but it also covered other locations of concerts and group homes. It showcased both the triumphs and tribulations of the legendary hip hop artist.

DMX: Don't Try to Understand also featured some big names in the hip hop industry including Jay Z, Ye, Flavor Fav, Chucky D, and Juvenile. Additionally, DMX's fiancée Desiree Lindstrom and three-year-old son Exodus are constants in the film, with his other children and ex-wife also making appearances.

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DMX: Don't Try to Understand chronicles the artist's tumultuous journey

DMX: Don't Try to Understand begins with X's release from federal prison and highlights the good, bad, and the ugly in the following year of his life. Viewers get a front-row seat to his struggles with drug addiction, relationship problems with his fiancée, ex-wife and children. The documentary also depicted his attempt to revive his career.

DMX returned to Def Jam to sign a new recording contract and kickstarted his tour, with the audience vigor demonstrating that his charisma was still intact. While the documentary showed DMX as a doting father to Exodus, it also focused on his estranged relationship with his eldest son Xavier. The father-son reunion at the end was certainly a moving closure to the documentary.

To say that Earl Simmons had a difficult life would be a huge understatement. DMX: Don't Try to Understand sheds light on his taxing upbringing and turbulent life. After years of legal trouble, drug problems, and conflicts with exes and children, DMX finally wrestles to make things right.

His life inspired his music and that in turn galvanized thousands of young men and women like him. The tears of people who loved him and the heartwarming reunion of his family, featured in the documentary, seemed almost like a prophesy for his imminent demise.

In a bitter-sweet end, DMX: Don't Try to Understand left people with Gladys Knight & the Pips' cover of The Way We Were/Try to Remember and innumerable memories of the iconic hip-hop artist.

DMX: Don't Try to Understand is now available to watch on HBO Max as part of HBO's Music Box docuseries.