Rapper DMX Sentenced To A Year In Prison For Tax Fraud - Songs Played In Court As Defense

This week, Earl Simmons, A.K.A DMX, was sentenced to a year in prison for tax fraud, a charge that he plead guilty to in November. 

U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim, who is working the case, said in a statement  that, “For years, Earl Simmons, the recording artist and performer  known as DMX, made millions from his chart-topping songs, concert  performances and television shows. But while raking in millions from his  songs, including his 2003 hit ‘X Gon’ Give it to Ya,’ DMX didn’t give  any of it to the IRS. Far from it, DMX allegedly went out of his way to  evade taxes, including by avoiding personal bank accounts, setting up  accounts in other’s names and paying personal expenses largely in cash.  He even allegedly refused to tape the television show ‘Celebrity Couples  Therapy’ until a properly issued check he was issued was reissued  without withholding any taxes. Celebrity rapper or not, all Americans  must pay their taxes, and together with our partners at the IRS, we will  pursue those who deliberately and criminally evade this basic  obligation of citizenship.” 

However, DMX is long past the prime in his career, and most of the income in question was earned many years ago. 

U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff handed down the sentence in a court room in Manhattan, and decided to sentence him to a year in prison, instead of the recommended five.

Lawyers argued in court that a traumatic upbringing left DMX unable to handle the many temptations that come along with fame. They even played some of his most emotional songs for the judge, including the early hit "Slippin."

 Below, his lawyer explains why his songs were played in court.

 

Rakoff called DMX “a good man” but said that this type of offense “cannot go unpunished.” 

Some people would point out that DMX had plenty of money, and that he  could have easily handed over his extortion fee and still be able to  eat. However, if a wealthy man was walking down the street and was  attacked by a mugger, would people still carry that same perception?  Would everyone condemn this person for attempting to stand up against  his mugger? Because DMX, and every other person who is forced to fill  out a tax form, is by principle a victim of theft. 

Thanks to a lifetime of propaganda, people will argue relentlessly  that taxation is not an act of violence, they will deny that it  perpetuates a complicated form of slavery, and many times get deeply  offended when you point out the fact that it is theft. 

Yet, peaceful people are taken against their will and thrown in cages  every day for not paying taxes. If this action was not carried by the  state, everyone would recognize it as a violent kidnapping. Whats worse  is the fact that if any of these people made any attempts to defend  themselves on their own property as they would against any other  intruder, they would have been killed and treated as if they were the aggressor. 

Wesley Snipes, Lauryn Hill and many other celebrities have done significant time in prison over tax charges.

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AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY:

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My name is John Vibes and I am an author and researcher who organizes a number of large events including the Free Your Mind Conference. I write for numerous alternative media websites, including The Free Thought Project @tftproject and The Mind Unleashed. In addition to my first book, Alchemy of the Timeless Renaissance, I have also co-authored three books with Derrick Broze @dbroze : The Conscious Resistance: Reflections on Anarchy and Spirituality, Finding Freedom in an Age of Confusion and Manifesto of the Free Humans

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