Mid 20th Century
127-962: Def Jam Vendetta is a 3D professional wrestling fighting video game developed by AKI Corporation and EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports BIG label. It was released for the GameCube and PlayStation 2 in April 2003. The game is the first main installment in EA's Def Jam -licensed hip-hop video game series. It was the publisher's first attempt at a wrestling video game since WCW Backstage Assault . Several Def Jam hip-hop artists were featured in Def Jam Vendetta , including DMX , Method Man , Redman , Ludacris , N.O.R.E. , Capone , Scarface , Ghostface Killah , Keith Murray , WC , Joe Budden and DJ Funkmaster Flex . Christina Milian
254-578: A Jehovah's Witness . He disassociated himself from the spirituality after he was injured in an accident by a driver. At the age of five, his mother sent him to live with relatives in Yonkers ' School Street housing apartments. After suffering from his mother's abuse, he was expelled from a middle school at the age of ten, having been sent to a group home. He then returned to Yonkers at age fifteen, sleeping in empty storage bins and befriending stray dogs. Due to poor grades at Yonkers Middle High School , Simmons
381-435: A bona fide athletic contest or competition. Professional wrestling is not a combative sport. Wrestling constituting bona fide athletic contests and competitions, which may be professional or amateur combative sport, shall not be deemed professional wrestling under this Part. Professional wrestling as used in this Part shall not depend on whether the individual wrestlers are paid or have been paid for their performance in
508-415: A performing art evolved from the common practice of match-fixing among American wrestlers in the 19th century, who later sought to make matches shorter, more entertaining, and less physically taxing. As the public gradually realized and accepted that matches were predetermined, wrestlers responded by increasingly adding melodrama, gimmickry, and outlandish stunt work to their performances to further enhance
635-415: A professional wrestling exhibition. All engagements of professional wrestling shall be referred to as exhibitions, and not as matches. In the industry's slang, a fixed match is referred to as a worked match, derived from the slang word for manipulation, as in "working the crowd". A shoot match is a genuine contest where both wrestlers fight to win and are therefore "straight shooters", which comes from
762-413: A background in authentic wrestling no longer mattered. After this time, matches became more outlandish and gimmicky and any semblance professional wrestling had to catch wrestling faded. The personas of the wrestlers likewise grew more outlandish. Gorgeous George , who performed throughout the 1940s and 1950s, was the first wrestler whose entrance into the arena was accompanied by a theme song played over
889-431: A beach and explained how Earl Simmons was a wonderful man while DMX was a gremlin. Additionally, Def Jam cofounder Russell Simmons compared his own issues with drug abuse to DMX via video. The homegoing ended with DMX's obituary read on stage and a virtual performance from Faith Evans . At the funeral, New York City community leader and peacemaker Erica Ford presented DMX's family several citations and proclamations from
1016-520: A carny term for a shooting gallery gun whose sights were not deliberately misaligned. Wrestling in the United States blossomed in popularity after the Civil War , with catch wrestling eventually becoming the most popular style. At first, professional wrestlers were genuine competitive fighters, but they struggled to draw audiences because Americans did not find real wrestling to be very entertaining, so
1143-513: A central authority. Nor could any of them stomach the idea of leaving the NWA themselves to compete directly with McMahon, for that would mean their territories would become fair game for the other NWA members. McMahon also had a creative flair for TV that his rivals lacked. For instance, the AWA's TV productions during the 1980s were amateurish, low-budget, and out-of-touch with contemporary culture, which lead to
1270-574: A champion that Curley put forth: Dick Shikat . The National Wrestling Association shut down in 1980. In 1948, a number of promoters from across the country came together to form the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). The NWA recognized one "world champion", voted on by its members, but allowed member promoters to crown their own local champions in their territories. If a member poached wrestlers from another member, or held matches in another member's territory, they risked being ejected from
1397-518: A close bond with fellow up-and-coming rappers Jay-Z and Ja Rule . The three collaborated many times and formed a group known as Murder Inc. The group was short-lived due to internal issues between DMX and Jay-Z. After the breakup of the group DMX disparaged Ja Rule, accusing him of being a copycat and drawing comparisons between himself and what he saw as Ja Rule stealing his signature "gruff" style of delivery. DMX would then release his second album Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood which contained
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#17329200168211524-411: A daughter, Bonita, two years prior, and later gave birth to one daughter, Shayla, and two stillborn sons. His father, Barker, painted watercolor paintings of street scenes to sell at local fairs, having moved to Philadelphia to fulfill his career. In his childhood years, Simmons first suffered from physical violence at the hands of his mother and was diagnosed with bronchial asthma. He was raised as
1651-493: A daughter, Sasha (born 2002), with Patricia Trejo. In 2012, Trejo sued DMX for $ 1 million in unpaid child support. The case was settled in 2013. DMX and Monique Wayne, a Maryland resident, fought over her claim that he was the father of her son born in 2004. She sued him for defamation and for child support. After genetic testing proved that DMX was the father, in January 2008, DMX was ordered to pay Wayne $ 1.5 million, but
1778-711: A de facto trade, DMX signed to Columbia Records, Def Jam's former parent company, in January 2006, returning to the label since 1992. He recorded his sixth album, Year of the Dog... Again , while switching between the two labels, which caused numerous delays. It was released on August 1, 2006, and debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. He released two more singles, " Lord Give Me a Sign " and " We in Here ". The album received mixed reviews from critics. On June 12, 2007, Def Jam released his greatest hits album, The Definition of X: The Pick of
1905-427: A degree. Vince Russo, the boss of WCW in 2000, completely disregarded kayfabe by routinely discussing business matters and office politics in public, which alienated fans. I watch championship wrestling from Florida with wrestling commentator Gordon Solie . Is this all "fake"? If so, they deserve an Oscar . DMX (rapper) Earl Simmons (December 18, 1970 – April 9, 2021), known professionally as DMX ,
2032-404: A distinct vernacular . It has achieved mainstream success and influence within popular culture , with many terms, tropes , and concepts being referenced in everyday language as well as in film , music , television , and video games . Likewise, numerous professional wrestlers have become national or international icons with recognition by the broader public. In the United States, wrestling
2159-565: A dog from a junkyard. He served a few months in the juvenile unit of Woodfield Prison in Valhalla, New York. Later that year, he was sentenced to two years for another crime and sent to Industry Institution in upstate New York. However, in December 1986, just a few days after starting his sentence, he and his cellmate successfully escaped the prison and DMX returned home until his mother forced him to turn himself in and finish his sentence, which he did at
2286-410: A fee, a visitor could challenge the wrestler to a quick match. If the challenger defeated the champion in a short time frame, usually 15 minutes, he won a prize. To encourage challenges, the carnival operators staged rigged matches in which an accomplice posing as a visitor challenged the champion and won, giving the audience the impression that the champion was easy to beat. This practice taught wrestlers
2413-477: A judge vacated the judgment in May 2008. DMX also fathered a son and a daughter with Yadira Borrego. The son was 11 years old at the time of DMX's death, while the daughter's age was not known by the general public. He fathered another child with his fiancée Desiree Lindstrom on August 16, 2016. DMX's final two children, twin boys, were born on December 5, 2019. Their mother is Pebbles Junell. DMX did not have
2540-484: A legal artist contract. On January 15, 2015, it was announced by DMX's brother/manager Montana that DMX was no longer signed to Seven Arts Music and that they would be taking legal action against Seven Arts Music for the unauthorized release of Redemption of the Beast . Long-time collaborator Swizz Beatz stated that two of the collaborators on the album would be Kanye West and Dr. Dre . His 2003 song "X Gon' Give It to Ya"
2667-405: A legitimate sport. Firstly, wrestling was more entertaining when it was faked, whereas fakery did not make boxing any more entertaining. Secondly, in a rigged boxing match, the designated loser must take a real beating for his "defeat" to be convincing, but wrestling holds can be faked convincingly without inflicting injury. This meant that boxers were less willing to "take dives"; they wanted to have
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#17329200168212794-545: A lengthy story mode that allows you to level up and enhance one of four player characters in your quest to become the most well known star in the urban fighting league and fight the undefeated underground boss, D-Mob (voiced by actor Christopher Judge ). Players can win in one of three ways; pin, submission or KO. Pins are done by pinning the opponent for 3 seconds before he can kick out. The player can trap opponents in holds that gradually weaken one of their body parts (head, body, legs and arms). This hold can be broken by touching
2921-641: A limited capacity of 1,900. It was livestreamed on DMX's YouTube and Instagram accounts. On the way to Barclays, DMX's casket was carried by a black monster truck with "Long live DMX" painted on the side. A procession of hundreds of motorcyclists, in homage to the hip-hop collective Ruff Ryders, rode from DMX's birthplace of Yonkers, New York to Barclays Center. In between performances, people gave speeches including Eve, Nas , Swizz Beatz and Ruff Ryders founders Joaquin "Waah" Dean & Darin "Dee" Dean. DMX's funeral ("DMX's Homegoing Celebration") took place in Brooklyn at
3048-704: A match against Gus Sonnenberg in January 1929. Bowser then broke away from the trust to form his own cartel, the American Wrestling Association (AWA), in September 1930, and he declared Sonnenberg to be the AWA champion. This AWA should not be confused with Wally Kadbo's AWA founded in 1960. Curley reacted to this move by convincing the National Boxing Association to form the National Wrestling Association , which in turn crowned
3175-424: A more literal meaning in those places. A notable example is India's Pro Wrestling League . In numerous American states, professional wrestling is legally defined as a non-sport. For instance, New York defines professional wrestling as: Professional wrestling means an activity in which participants struggle hand-in-hand primarily for the purpose of providing entertainment to spectators and which does not comprise
3302-440: A new city, attendance was high because there was a waiting fanbase cultivated in advance by the cable TV shows. The NWA's traditional anti-competitive tricks were no match for this. The NWA attempted to centralize and create their own national cable television shows to counter McMahon's rogue promotion, but it failed in part because the members of the NWA, ever protective of their territories, could not stomach submitting themselves to
3429-425: A one-year period (seven months by calculation) and the first since Tupac Shakur ; DMX's record would later be surpassed two different times in 2020 by YoungBoy Never Broke Again , who made the number one position with two albums in six months (a month down by proxy, making it the fastest) and also had three number one albums in ten months between 2019 and 2020, also beating another Billboard record by DMX involving
3556-926: A purpose for being there: "I came here to meet somebody...Don't know who it was, but I'll know when I see him. And I came here to give him a message. And that message is Jesus loves them." DMX was a transitional deacon and aspired to become ordained as a pastor, stating that he received this call in 2009. In 2016, he gave a sermon at a church in Phoenix, Arizona. DMX was the father of 15 children from 9 different women. He married his childhood friend Tashera Simmons in 1999. They divorced in 2014. They had four children together: Xavier (born 1992), Tacoma (born 1999), Sean (born 2002), and Praise Mary Ella (born 2005). In July 2010, after his first of three incarcerations that year, Tashera announced their separation. They remained friends, although in 2016, Tashera accused DMX of missing his $ 10,000/month child support payment. DMX had
3683-563: A quantity of number one rap albums within a year. He released his third album ... And Then There Was X , on December 21, 1999. It was his third album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200. Its most popular single, " Party Up (Up in Here) ", became his first top ten hit on the R&;B charts, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 2001 Grammy Awards . The album
3810-591: A significant impact on hip hop music and is considered a "legend" in the genre. He's credited for having "defined 2000s rap" and for being "among the most prolific rappers of his era". He broke and set numerous records. His early work was vastly different from most mainstream hip hop music at the time; while Puff Daddy and other artists of the Bad Boy Records label were at the height of popularity, characterized by their "big-budget videos, lavish party-throwing, and dancefloor-ready music", DMX achieved success with
3937-475: A single count of tax fraud in November 2017. DMX was originally free pending sentencing but was remanded to jail in January 2018 after leaving a drug treatment program ordered by the court and relapsing with cocaine and oxycodone. In March 2018, Judge Jed S. Rakoff sentenced DMX to one year in prison followed by three years of supervised release. The court also ordered DMX to pay $ 2.29 million in restitution to
Def Jam Vendetta - Misplaced Pages Continue
4064-705: A style called "Spellbound" where he spelled each word out letter by letter. He and future rival, K-Solo , engaged in battles. He later made an appearance on The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show in January 1991, where he provided a freestyle. The Source praised DMX in its Unsigned Hype column that highlighted unsigned hip-hop artists. In 1991, DMX signed a management deal with the then-unknown record label Ruff Ryders Entertainment . Later that year, Columbia Records signed DMX to its subsidiary labels Chaos Records and Ruffhouse Records , which released his major debut single "Born Loser" in 1993. Failing to meet commercial projections and not reaching any music charts, he
4191-497: A typical American household only received four national channels by antenna, and ten to twelve local channels via UHF broadcasting . But cable television could carry a much larger selection of channels and therefore had room for niche interests. The WWF started with a show called All-American Wrestling airing on the USA Network in September 1983. McMahon's TV shows made his wrestlers national celebrities, so when he held matches in
4318-575: A victory for all the pain to which they subjected themselves. In the 1910s, promotional cartels for professional wrestling emerged in the East Coast (outside its traditional heartland in the Midwest ). These promoters sought to make long-term plans with their wrestlers, and to ensure their more charismatic and crowd-pleasing wrestlers received championships, further entrenching the desire for worked matches. The primary rationale for shoot matches at this point
4445-526: A will . As a result, legal battles ensued in probate courts following his death. DMX filed for bankruptcy three times. His first filing was on July 30, 2013, citing his child support obligations as his priority claim. The filing was challenged by the United States Trustee Program and was dismissed by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan on November 11, 2013. During the 1990s, DMX formed
4572-475: A world tour with performances in Bulgaria and Kosovo. On January 7, 2015, Seven Arts Music announced that DMX would be releasing Redemption of the Beast the following week; however, close personal friend and recurring collaborator producer/rapper/entrepreneur Swizz Beatz and DMX's management confirmed that this was false. On January 13, 2015, Seven Arts Music released Redemption of the Beast , without acquiring
4699-436: Is a form of athletic theater that combines mock combat with drama , with the premise that the performers are competitive wrestlers. Professional wrestling is distinguished by its scripted outcomes and emphasis on entertainment and showmanship . The staged nature of matches is an open secret , with both wrestlers and spectators nonetheless maintaining the pretense that performances are bona fide competitions, which
4826-410: Is a true sport. Wrestlers would at all times flatly deny allegations that they fixed their matches, and they often remained in-character in public even when not performing. When in public, wrestlers would sometimes say the word kayfabe to each other as a coded signal that there were fans present and they needed to be in character. Professional wrestlers in the past strongly believed that if they admitted
4953-570: Is challenged by Ludacris to a fight in Club Luda. Afterwards, D-Mob claims the Protagonist and Manny are nothing, adding that if anyone in the club wants power and respect, they must beat him at the Def Jam tournament. Manny tells the Protagonist to stop fighting, but is ignored. DMX challenges the Protagonist, but must first overcome The Dragon House's offer. They then fight Method Man and Redman in
5080-427: Is generally practiced in an amateur context. No professional league for competitive wrestling exists due to a lack of popularity. For example, Real Pro Wrestling , an American professional freestyle wrestling league, dissolved in 2007 after just two seasons. In other countries, such as Iran and India , wrestling enjoys widespread popularity as a genuine sport, and the phrase "professional wrestling" therefore has
5207-470: Is likened to the suspension of disbelief employed when engaging with fiction . Professional wrestlers perform as characters and usually maintain a " gimmick " consisting of a specific persona , stage name , entrance theme , and other distinguishing traits. Matches are the primary vehicle for advancing storylines, which typically center on interpersonal conflicts, or feuds , between heroic " faces " and villainous " heels ". A wrestling ring , akin to
Def Jam Vendetta - Misplaced Pages Continue
5334-504: The Billboard 200, becoming his final album in his lifetime to do so. It sold over four million in the U.S., including the singles "Where the Hood At?" and "Get It on the Floor". After its release, he informed the public that he planned to retire, intending for Grand Champ to be his final album. After conflict with Def Jam, and in exchange for signing Nas (his Belly co-star) to the label in
5461-524: The Christian Cultural Center on April 25, 2021. It was livestreamed on the BET Network and its YouTube channel. It lasted around five hours to a limited capacity of 2,000 people. DMX's casket was in the color red and featured the word "FAITH" in large printing. It was featured in the front of the room. People who were in attendance included Nas, Lil Kim , Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz as well as
5588-495: The DJ Spider, although the story is the same for each of them. Upon selecting their street fighter, the Protagonist is called to help out their friend Manny by taking his place in a street fight. Once the Protagonist wins a certain number of fights, they fight the rapper Scarface. Once the Protagonist defeats him, they get their first girlfriend, Deja. Other girls come up to the Protagonist every couple of street fights, and eventually
5715-609: The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board that professional wrestling is not a real sport because its matches have predetermined outcomes. Shortly thereafter, New Jersey deregulated professional wrestling. The WWF then rebranded itself as a " sports entertainment " company. In the early years of the 20th century, the style of wrestling used in professional wrestling matches was catch wrestling . Promoters wanted their matches to look realistic and so preferred to recruit wrestlers with real grappling skills. In
5842-685: The diss track "We Don't Give Fuck" that was directed towards Ja Rule and produced by Irv Gotti . Ja Rule would then respond in the song "We Different" from the compilation album Irv Gotti Presents: The Murderers . DMX would also go on to throw shots at Ja Rule in his song "Do You" from Funkmaster Flex 's mixtape The Mix Tape, Vol. IV . In 2002, DMX released his diss track "They Want War" on DJ Kay Slay 's mixtape Streetsweepers Presents The Regulator Pt. 5 The Final Chapter. Ja Rule never responded directly but he went on to diss DMX in his songs "Fuck With Us" and "Connected" from his album The Last Temptation . The next year DMX would take shots at Ja Rule in
5969-570: The horrorcore genre. DMX began rapping in the early 1990s. After an unsuccessful tenure on Columbia Records , he signed with Ruff Ryders Entertainment in a joint venture with Def Jam Recordings to release his debut studio album, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot (1998), which was met with critical and commercial success—selling 251,000 copies in its first week and spawning the Billboard Hot 100 -top 40 single, " Ruff Ryders Anthem ". His second album, Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood (1999),
6096-543: The independent circuit , to internationally broadcast events at major arenas. The largest and most influential promotions are in the United States , Mexico , Japan , and northwest Europe (the United Kingdom , Germany/Austria and France ), which have each developed distinct styles, traditions, and subgenres within professional wrestling. Professional wrestling has developed its own culture and community , including
6223-431: The spectacle . By at least the early 20th century, professional wrestling had diverged from the competitive sport to become an artform and genre of sports entertainment . Professional wrestling is performed around the world through various " promotions ", which are roughly analogous to production companies or sports leagues . Promotions vary considerably in size, scope, and creative approach, ranging from local shows on
6350-577: The 1920s, a group of wrestlers and promoters known as the Gold Dust Trio introduced moves which have since become staples of the mock combat of professional wrestling, such as body slams, suplexes , punches, finishing moves, and out-of-ring count-outs. By the early 1930s, most wrestlers had adopted personas to generate public interest. These personas could broadly be characterized as either faces (likeable) or heels (villainous). Native Americans, cowboys, and English aristocrats were staple characters in
6477-400: The 1930s and 1940s. Before the age of television, some wrestlers played different personas depending on the region they were performing in. This eventually came to an end in the age of national television wrestling shows, which forced wrestlers to stick to one persona. Wrestlers also often used some sort of gimmick, such as a finishing move, eccentric mannerisms, or out-of-control behavior (in
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#17329200168216604-506: The 1990s, WCW became a credible rival to the WWF, but by end it suffered from a series of creative missteps that led to its failure and purchase by the WWF. One of its mistakes was that it diminished the glamor of its World Heavyweight Championship . Between January 2000 and March 2001, the title changed hands eighteen times, which sapped fan enthusiasm, particularly for the climactic pay-per-view matches. In professional wrestling, two factors decide
6731-641: The Atlantic Athletic Corporation (AAC). The AAC shut down in 1960. In 1958, Omaha promoter and NWA member Joe Dusek recognized Verne Gagne as the world champion without the approval of the NWA. Gagne asked for a match against the recognized NWA champion Pat O'Connor. The NWA refused to honor the request, so Gagne and Minneapolis promoter Wally Karbo established the American Wrestling Association in 1960. This AWA should not be confused with Paul Bowser's AWA, which ceased operations just two months prior. Gagne's AWA operated out of Minnesota . Unlike
6858-511: The Hood At? " and " X Gon' Give It To Ya ". On October 11, 2011, DMX performed at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards . He stated that he has been working "nonstop, every day" on his seventh album, which was titled Undisputed . A video for a new track titled "Last Hope" was released via the Internet on September 24, 2011, and was later included on The Weigh In EP released digitally on May 5, 2012. In late February 2012, Seven Arts Pictures acquired
6985-574: The Litter . In 2009, DMX claimed he would pursue preaching in Jersey City, New Jersey as well as continue to produce music. He completed a Gospel music album prior to his incarceration. According to MTV, he had semi-retired to study the Bible in an effort to give messages behind the pulpit. Def Jam released another compilation album in 2010 titled The Best of DMX , which features hit singles including " Where
7112-639: The McCormick Juvenile Detention Centre in Brooktondale, New York. Simmons was sent to prison again in 1988 for carjacking , and was later moved to a higher security prison after attempting to extort a fellow inmate for drugs. He was released in the summer of 1988. In July 2017, DMX was charged with 14 federal counts of tax fraud. Federal prosecutors charged him with failing to file income tax returns from 2010 to 2015 (a period when he earned at least $ 2.3 million). DMX pleaded guilty to
7239-408: The NWA, at which point his territory became fair game for everyone. The NWA would blacklist wrestlers who worked for independent promoters or who publicly criticized an NWA promoter or who did not throw a match on command. If an independent promoter tried to establish himself in a certain area, the NWA would send their star performers to perform for the local NWA promoter to draw the customers away from
7366-477: The NWA, which only allowed faces to be champions, Gagne occasionally allowed heels to win the AWA championship so that they could serve as foils for him. In August 1983, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), a promotion in the north-east , withdrew from the NWA. Vince K. McMahon then took over as its boss. No longer bound by the territorial pact of the NWA, McMahon began expanding his promotion into
7493-456: The New York governor's and Senate's office, including a proclamation from the New York state Senate declaring December 18—DMX's birthday—"Earl 'DMX' Simmons Day." Additional citations came from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Mike Spano of Yonkers (the hometown of DMX). Cuomo had the flag flying over the state capitol on the day of DMX's death presented to his family. On June 28, 2021, his music
7620-466: The Protagonist chooses one to be their new girlfriend, resulting in them fighting each other. N.O.R.E. challenges the Protagonist to a fight at Grimeyville in LeFrak City , Queens , New York City. The Protagonist arrives and nearly gets into a fight with D-Mob ( Chris Judge ). Not long after the fight, Manny signs himself and the Protagonist up for a tag team tournament. After a while, the Protagonist
7747-502: The Protagonist enters the tournament and defeats their best fighters. D-Mob attempts to shoot the Protagonist but Manny takes the bullet and survives. The Protagonist triumphs over D-Mob and gets Angel back. As the Protagonist walks out and makes amends with Manny, D-Mob is arrested, leading directly into Def Jam: Fight for NY . By July 2006, the PlayStation 2 version of Def Jam Vendetta had sold 750,000 copies and earned $ 30 million in
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#17329200168217874-526: The United States. Next Generation ranked it as the 82nd highest-selling game launched for the PlayStation 2 , Xbox or GameCube between January 2000 and July 2006 in that country. Combined sales of the Def Jam series reached 1.8 million units in the United States by July 2006. The Cincinnati Enquirer gave it a score of all four stars and stated: "Electronic Arts deserves kudos for breathing new life into
8001-426: The aging fighting genre with this title's fresh approach". However, The Village Voice gave it a score of six out of ten and said: "If only DMX could sic his pit bulls on you, Funkmaster Flex burst your eardrums ID'ing himself, or Redman burn you with a blunt". Entertainment Weekly gave it a C+ and called it "an uninspired wrestling title that lacks Def Jam's trademark sheen". GameSpot named Def Jam Vendetta
8128-401: The arena's loudspeakers, his being Pomp and Circumstance . He also wore a costume: a robe and hairnet, which he removed after getting in the ring. He also had a pre-match ritual where his "butler" would spray the ring with perfume. In the 1980s, Vince McMahon made entrance songs, costumes, and rituals standard for his star wrestlers. For instance, McMahon's top star Hulk Hogan would delight
8255-418: The art of staging rigged matches and fostered a mentality that spectators were marks to be duped. The term kayfabe comes from carny slang. By the turn of the 20th century, most professional wrestling matches were "worked" and some journalists exposed the practice: American wrestlers are notorious for the amount of faking they do. It is because of this fact that suspicion attaches to so many bouts that
8382-550: The audience by tearing his shirt off before each match. The first major promoter cartel emerged on the East Coast, although up to that point, wrestling's heartland had been in the Midwest. Notable members of this cartel included Jack Curley , Lou Daro, Paul Bowser and Tom and Tony Packs. The promoters colluded to solve a number of problems that hurt their profits. Firstly, they could force their wrestlers to perform for less money. As
8509-799: The best PlayStation 2 game of April 2003. During the 7th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards , the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Def Jam Vendetta for " Console Fighting Game of the Year ", " Outstanding Achievement in Character Performance - Female " for Christina Milian 's vocal role as Angel, and " Outstanding Achievement in Character Performance - Male " for Method Man 's vocal portrayal of himself. Professional wrestling 1970s and 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s and 2020s Professional wrestling (often referred to as pro wrestling , or simply, wrestling )
8636-424: The cartel grew, there were fewer independent promoters where independent wrestlers could find work, and many were forced to sign a contract with the cartel to receive steady work. The contracts forbade them from performing at independent venues. A wrestler who refused to play by the cartel's rules was barred from performing at its venues. A second goal of the wrestling cartels was to establish an authority to decide who
8763-418: The case of heels). The matches could also be gimmicky sometimes, with wrestlers fighting in mud and piles of tomatoes and so forth. The most successful and enduring gimmick to emerge from the 1930s were tag-team matches. Promoters noticed that matches slowed down as the wrestlers in the ring tired, so they gave them partners to relieve them. It also gave heels another way to misbehave by double-teaming. Towards
8890-612: The catalog of DMX's music and signed DMX to a two-album deal. During a performance at New York's Santos Party House on December 25, 2011, DMX stated that the new album would be titled Undisputed and would be released on March 26, 2012. After numerous delays, the album was eventually released on September 11, 2012, and featured production from Swizz Beatz and J.R. Rotem with a guest appearance by MGK . In 2013, DMX announced he had begun working on his eighth studio album. He collaborated with producers Swizz Beatz and Dame Grease . In December, after regaining his passport, he embarked on
9017-423: The character in shows must be considered fictional, wholly separate from the life of the performer. This is similar to other entertainers who perform with a persona that shares their own name. Some wrestlers also incorporate elements of their real-life personalities into their characters, even if they and their in-ring persona have different names. Kayfabe is the practice of pretending that professional wrestling
9144-508: The commission. The Commission did on very rare occasions hand out such authorizations, such as for a championship match between Jim Londos and Jim Browning in June 1934. This decree did not apply to amateur wrestling, which the commission had no authority over. Wrestling fans widely suspected that professional wrestling was fake, but they did not care as long as it entertained. In 1933, a wrestling promoter named Jack Pfefer started talking about
9271-540: The current fashion of wrestling is the universal discussion as to the honesty of the matches. And certainly the most interesting phrase of this discussion is the unanimous agreement: "Who cares if they're fixed or not—the show is good." Newspapers tended to shun professional wrestling, as journalists saw its theatrical pretense to being a legitimate sport as untruthful. Eventually promoters resorted to publishing their own magazines in order to get press coverage and communicate with fans. The first professional wrestling magazine
9398-405: The end of the 1930s, faced with declining revenues, promoters chose to focus on grooming charismatic wrestlers with no regard for their skill because it was charisma that drew the crowds, and wrestlers who were both skilled at grappling and charismatic were hard to come by. Since most of the public by this time knew and accepted that professional wrestling was fake, realism was no longer paramount and
9525-597: The facade of kayfabe as best as they could. In 1989, Vince McMahon testified before the New Jersey government that professional wrestling was not a true sport and therefore should be exempted from sports-related taxes. Many wrestlers and fans resented McMahon for this, but Lou Thesz accepted it as the smart move as it gave the industry more freedom to do as it pleased, and because by that point professional wrestling no longer attempted to appear real. The demise of WCW in 2001 provided some evidence that kayfabe still mattered to
9652-476: The feud faded into obscurity, DMX said that he wanted to officially bring it to an end when he was released from prison in 2005: " Gotti came to me in jail and said I want to make peace with you and him. I was like, 'Alright Gotti, let's do it." Despite this, DMX and Ja Rule did not officially end their feud until 2009, at VH1's Hip Hop Honors . When DMX partnered with Jay-Z and Ja Rule in Murder Inc. , there
9779-509: The first artist to have their first five albums consecutively debut atop the Billboard 200 , and by 2021, he had sold over 75 million records worldwide. DMX acted in commercially successful films such as Belly (1998), alongside rapper Nas , Romeo Must Die (2000) and Cradle 2 the Grave (2003), alongside Jet Li , and Exit Wounds (2001), alongside Steven Seagal . In 2006, he starred in
9906-470: The first place. "Double-crosses", where a wrestler agreed to lose a match but nevertheless fought to win, remained a problem in the early cartel days. At times a promoter would even award a victorious double-crosser the title of champion to preserve the facade of sport. But promoters punished such wrestlers by blacklisting them, making it quite challenging to find work. Double-crossers could also be sued for breach of contract, such as Dick Shikat in 1936. In
10033-610: The game is not popular here. Nine out of ten bouts, it has been said, are pre-arranged affairs, and it would be no surprise if the ratio of fixed matches to honest ones was really so high. The wrestler Lou Thesz recalled that between 1915 and 1920, a series of exposés in the newspapers about the integrity of professional wrestling alienated a lot of fans, sending the industry "into a tailspin". But rather than perform more shoot matches, professional wrestlers instead committed themselves wholesale to fakery. Several reasons explain why professional wrestling became fake whereas boxing endured as
10160-459: The government. He was released from prison on January 25, 2019. Simmons claimed he became addicted to crack cocaine when he was 14 years old, after Ready Ron tricked him into smoking a marijuana cigarette laced with the drug. Ready Ron denied this claim in a social media post after Simmons' death. Simmons entered drug rehabilitation several times including in 2002, 2017, and 2019, when he cancelled concerts. On February 10, 2016, Simmons
10287-455: The government. They pledged to stop allocating exclusive territories to its promoters, to stop blacklisting wrestlers who worked for outsider promoters, and to admit any promoter into the Alliance. The NWA would flout many of these promises, but its power was nonetheless weakened by the lawsuit. Paul Bowser's AWA joined the NWA in 1949. The AWA withdrew from the Alliance in 1957 and renamed itself
10414-564: The hit single, " Ruff Ryders' Anthem "), Eve and Missy Elliott . Other tributors included Kelly Rowland , Chris Brown , Lil Durk , Big Sean , Polo G , Metro Boomin , The Weeknd , T.I. , Jim Jones , Busta Rhymes , Viola Davis , Mary J. Blige , Al Sharpton , Angie Martinez , Ciara , Jennifer Love Hewitt , and various others. A "Celebration of Life" took place on April 24, 2021, led by Kanye West 's Sunday Service Choir . They performed several songs in honor of DMX. The memorial took place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn with
10541-513: The independent. By 1956, the NWA controlled 38 promotions within the United States, with more in Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand. The NWA's monopolistic practices became so stifling that the independents appealed to the government for help. In October 1956 the US Attorney General's office filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NWA in an Iowa federal district court. The NWA settled with
10668-471: The industry was anything but a competitive sport. The first wrestling promoter to publicly admit to routinely fixing matches was Jack Pfefer . In 1933, he started talking about the industry's inner workings to the New York Daily Mirror , resulting in a huge exposé. The exposé neither surprised nor alienated most wrestling fans, although some promoters like Jack Curley were furious and tried to restore
10795-487: The industry's inner workings to the New York Daily Mirror , maintaining no pretense that wrestling was real and passing on planned results just before the matches took place. While fans were neither surprised nor alienated, traditionalists like Jack Curley were furious, and most promoters tried to maintain the facade of kayfabe as best they could. Not the least interesting of all the minor phenomena produced by
10922-498: The members of wrestling cartels as the champion drew big crowds wherever he performed, and this would occasionally lead to schisms. By 1925, this cartel had divided the country up into territories which were the exclusive domains of specific promoters. This system of territories endured until Vince McMahon drove the fragmented cartels out of the market in the 1980s. This cartel fractured in 1929 after one of its members, Paul Bowser , bribed Ed "Strangler" Lewis to lose his championship in
11049-458: The next. His was a decidedly anti-commercial approach, but it worked, and it made him the genre's first new superstar in the wake of the killings of Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. To this day, few have been able to reach the heights he did—he's the only rapper to have his first five studio albums debut at no. 1, and he was the first living hip-hop artist to have two projects go platinum in
11176-477: The pastor of the church, Reverend A.R. Bernard. Louis Farrakhan , a leader of the Nation of Islam , joined the service via Zoom. With the exception of Alicia Keys, Nas and Lil Kim, they all gave speeches. DMX's former wife, Tashera Simmons and Ruff Ryders founders Waah & Dee also gave a speech. There was some controversial testimonies like former Def Jam chief Lyor Cohen , when his video featured an overhead view of
11303-437: The platform used in boxing , serves as the main stage ; additional scenes may be recorded for television in backstage areas of the venue, in a format similar to reality television . Performers generally integrate authentic wrestling techniques and fighting styles with choreography , stunts , improvisation , and dramatic conventions designed to maximize entertainment value and audience engagement. Professional wrestling as
11430-714: The promotion's closing in 1991. In the spring of 1984, the WWF purchased Georgia Championship Wrestling (GCW), which had been ailing for some time due to financial mismanagement and internal squabbles. In the deal, the WWF acquired the GCW's timeslot on TBS . McMahon agreed to keep showing Georgia wrestling matches in that timeslot, but he was unable to get his staff to Atlanta every Saturday to fulfill this obligation, so he sold GCW and its TBS timeslot to Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP). JCP started informally calling itself World Championship Wrestling (WCW). In 1988, Ted Turner bought JCP and formally renamed it World Championship Wrestling. During
11557-533: The reality television series DMX: Soul of a Man , which was primarily aired on the BET cable television network. In 2003, he published a book of his memoirs titled E.A.R.L.: The Autobiography of DMX . Earl Simmons was born on December 18, 1970, in Mount Vernon, New York . He was the son of 19-year-old Arnett Simmons and 18-year-old Joe Barker. Simmons was the middle child of the family; his mother had given birth to
11684-465: The reunion with the label. DMX's eighth and posthumous studio album, Exodus , was released through Def Jam on May 28, 2021. DMX's public persona was the blueprint for a game-changing era of hip hop fashion and style. He popularised baggy sweatsuits, fitted hats and gold chains. DMX was a born-again Christian, and stated that he read the Bible every day. While in jail, DMX stated that he had
11811-481: The ropes. If one of those gauges reaches empty, the bones get broken and that player submits & automatically loses. Players can attack their opponent to build up a power gauge, letting them activate 'Blazin' mode. If the player successfully grabs an opponent in this state, he can perform a special move. If the opponent's health is low enough, they will be KO'd. Def Jam Vendetta features 46 playable characters, including real-life hip hop artists signed to Def Jam at
11938-498: The same year." Various celebrities paid tribute through outlets like social media including former NFL player Torrey Smith , LeBron James , Shaquille O'Neal , Eminem , Gabrielle Union (who co-starred with DMX in the 2003 film Cradle 2 the Grave , along with Jet Li (who also paid tribute)), William Moseley, Captain Chronic , Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean , Wyclef Jean , Swizz Beatz (who DMX collaborated with including on
12065-436: The single " Ruff Ryders' Anthem ", was then released in May 1998. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart in the U.S. and sold over six million copies. In December 1998, he released his album Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood . It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and went multi-platinum. DMX became the only rapper alive to have his first two consecutive number-one Billboard 200 albums within
12192-504: The song "Go To Sleep" with Eminem and Obie Trice from the Cradle 2 The Grave soundtrack. DMX would also release another diss track titled "Ruled Out" and he would also diss Ja Rule again in his song " Where the Hood At? ". Ja Rule then dissed DMX in Caddillac Tah's song "Duck" and his own songs " Clap Back " and "Blood In My Eye" from his album of the same name. However, as time passed and
12319-440: The stamina for an hours-long fight. Audiences also preferred short matches. Worked matches also carried less risk of injury, which meant shorter recovery. Altogether, worked matches proved more profitable than shoots. By the end of the 19th century, nearly all professional wrestling matches were worked. A major influence on professional wrestling was carnival culture. Wrestlers in the late 19th century worked in carnival shows. For
12446-464: The studio to complete his fourth album, The Great Depression . With its release on October 23, 2001, it was his fourth album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200, featuring the singles "Who We Be", "We Right Here", and "I Miss You". Despite the album's triple platinum certification, its commercial and critical success was lower than his previous album. His fifth album, Grand Champ , released in September 2003, once again debuted at number one on
12573-428: The tag team tournament finale. Afterwards, the Protagonist fights DMX, and upon winning, receives an email from his girlfriend Angel who was taken by D-Mob, saying they need to talk. When they arrive at The Face Club, it is revealed that D-Mob sent House, Pockets and Snowman to stop them from coming to the Def Jam tournament. The Protagonist defeats them, but Manny knocks him out and joins D-Mob against his will. Waking up,
12700-426: The territories of his former NWA peers, now his rivals. By the end of the 1980s, the WWF would become the sole national wrestling promotion in the U.S. This was in part made possible by the rapid spread of cable television in the 1980s. The national broadcast networks generally regarded professional wrestling as too niche an interest, and had not broadcast any national wrestling shows since the 1950s. Before cable TV,
12827-454: The time, as well as original characters. Christina Milian appears as Angel Rodriguez, a non-playable character. Japanese rappers Dabo and S-Word appear exclusively in the game's Japanese release. The player (or the Protagonist) can choose to play as one of four street fighters: Briggs, a dishonorably discharged soldier; Proof, an ex- superbike racer; Tank, a massive Japanese fighter, and
12954-505: The trial, witnesses testified that most of the "big matches" and all of the championship bouts were fixed. By the 1930s, with the exception of the occasional double-cross or business dispute, shoot matches were essentially nonexistent. In April 1930, the New York State Athletic Commission decreed that all professional wrestling matches held in the state had to be advertised as exhibitions unless certified as contests by
13081-471: The truth, their audiences would desert them. Today's performers don't "protect" the industry like we did, but that's primarily because they've already exposed it by relying on silly or downright ludicrous characters and gimmicks to gain popularity with the fans. It was different in my day, when our product was presented as an authentic, competitive sport. We protected it because we believed it would collapse if we ever so much as implied publicly that it
13208-526: The unknown, reflecting DMX's deep personal and spiritual contemplations. After DMX's passing in April 2021, the project was posthumously completed and renamed to better capture its broader, more universal themes. Divine Master of the Unknown is set to be included in the Astrovault, a lunar time capsule developed by Quantum Aerospace and Space Ark Media , ensuring DMX's legacy is preserved beyond Earth. DMX had
13335-535: The way of proceedings: the "in-show" happenings, presented through the shows; and real-life happenings outside the work that have implications, such as performer contracts, legitimate injuries, etc. Because actual life events are often co-opted by writers for incorporation into storylines of performers, the lines between real life and fictional life are often blurred and become confused. Special discern must be taken with people who perform under their own name (such as Kurt Angle and his fictional persona ). The actions of
13462-420: The wrestlers quietly began faking their matches so that they could give their audiences a satisfying spectacle. Fixing matches was also convenient for scheduling. A real ("shoot") match could sometimes last hours, whereas a fixed ("worked") match can be made short, which was convenient for wrestlers on tour who needed to keep appointments or share venues. It also suited wrestlers who were aging and therefore lacked
13589-425: Was Wrestling As You Like It , which printed its first issue in 1946. These magazines were faithful to kayfabe . Before the advent of television, professional wrestling's fanbase largely consisted of children, the elderly, blue-collar workers and minorities. When television arose in the 1940s, professional wrestling got national exposure on prime-time television and gained widespread popularity. Professional wrestling
13716-410: Was a feud between the two, which also contributed to the failure of the group and working together. According to reports, the feud started in the early 1990s after a rap battle between the two, which led to DMX's disdain for Jay-Z. Prior to DMX's death, the feud, although it fizzled out over the years, continued on when DMX said in an Instagram video that he wanted to rap battle Jay-Z on Verzuz . DMX
13843-421: Was an American rapper and actor. The recipient of various accolades, he won an American Music Award , a Billboard Music Award , and was nominated for six Grammy Awards . Regarded as an influential figure in late 1990s and early 2000s hip hop , his music is characterized by his "aggressive" rapping style, with lyrical content varying from hardcore themes to prayers . His violent lyricism helped popularize
13970-479: Was becoming more prominent on the scene, so he decided to start rapping himself under the name "DMX"—an initialism for "Divine Master Of the Unknown" and later "Darkman X". After serving a two-year prison sentence, he began writing his own lyrics and performing at the local recreation center for younger children. In 1988, while in prison for carjacking, he began dedicating more of his free time to writing lyrics and battling other inmates. During this time, he had created
14097-594: Was certified six-times Platinum, and was also nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2001 Grammy Awards. In 2000, DMX also made a cameo appearance in the Sum 41 music video for " Makes No Difference ". In late 2000, he joined other Hip Hop and Nu Metal artists on the Anger Management Tour . Appearing alongside Limp Bizkit , Godsmack and Sinnistar for the second half of the tour from November 24 to December 19, 2000. After improving his legal situation, DMX returned to
14224-488: Was challenges from independent wrestlers. But a cartelized wrestler, if challenged, could credibly use his contractual obligations to his promoter as an excuse to refuse the challenge. Promotions would sometimes respond to challenges with "policemen": powerful wrestlers who lacked the charisma to become stars, but could defeat and often seriously injure any challenger in a shoot match. As the industry trend continued, there were fewer independent wrestlers to make such challenges in
14351-501: Was featured in the 2016 film Deadpool and in its trailers. On June 28, 2016, DMX released a new song titled "Blood Red" and produced by Divine Bars. On January 11, 2017, DMX released a new song produced by Swizz Beats titled "Bain Iz Back". On September 20, 2019, DMX signed a new record deal with Def Jam Recordings , reuniting with the label for the first time since his 2003 album Grand Champ . He joined fellow labelmate, LL Cool J, in
14478-420: Was featured in the game as "Angel". Def Jam Vendetta was followed up by a direct sequel in 2004, titled Def Jam: Fight for NY . Def Jam Vendetta features a largely unmodified AKI engine, used in the company's Virtual Pro Wrestling games and its spinoffs with some minor "button mashing" elements added and more of an arcade than a simulation. The game plays very similarly to WWF No Mercy , and features
14605-407: Was followed by third, ... And Then There Was X (1999), which became his best-selling release and was supported by his second top 40 single, " Party Up (Up in Here) ". His fourth album, The Great Depression (2001), was followed by his fifth, Grand Champ (2003), which was led by the single " Where the Hood At? " and included the international bonus track " X Gon' Give It to Ya ". DMX became
14732-483: Was found unresponsive in a parking lot at a Ramada Inn in Yonkers, New York. He was resuscitated by first responders and intravenously given Narcan , an opioid-reversal drug; he responded quickly to Narcan and became semi-conscious. Simmons was subsequently rushed to the hospital. A witness said he ingested a powdered substance before collapsing, but police found no illegal substances on the property. Simmons stated that it
14859-415: Was from an asthma attack. On April 2, 2021, at approximately 11:00 pm, Simmons was rushed to White Plains Hospital , where he was reported to be in critical condition following a heart attack at his home possibly resulting from a drug overdose. Simmons suffered cerebral hypoxia as paramedics attempted to resuscitate him for 30 minutes. The next day, his attorney Murray Richman confirmed Simmons
14986-406: Was in jail more than 30 times throughout his lifetime for various offenses, including criminal possession of a weapon, robbery, assault, carjacking, animal cruelty, reckless driving, driving under the influence, unlicensed driving, drug possession, probation violation, failure to pay child support, pretending to be a federal agent, and tax evasion. DMX was first sent to prison in 1986 after stealing
15113-528: Was on life support. Simmons's former manager, Nakia Walker, said he was in a "vegetative state" with "lung and brain failure and no current brain activity". His manager, SRC and Loud Records founder Steve Rifkind , stated Simmons was comatose and that he was set to undergo tests to determine his brain's functionality and his family will "determine what's best from there". On the morning of April 9, 2021, Simmons lost functionality in multiple essential organs, reportedly his liver, kidneys, and lungs, and
15240-636: Was previously considered a niche interest, but the TV networks at the time were short on content and thus were willing to try some wrestling shows. In the 1960s, however, the networks moved on to more mainstream interests such as baseball, and professional wrestling was dropped. The core audience then shrunk back to a profile similar to that of the 1930s. In 1989, Vince McMahon was looking to exempt his promotion (the World Wrestling Federation ) from sports licensing fees. To achieve this, he testified before
15367-560: Was pronounced dead shortly after, at age 50. It was revealed on July 8 by the Westchester County Medical Examiner's Office that Simmons' official cause of death was a heart attack. "Throughout his nearly three-decade career, DMX came to embody passion, rawness, and pure emotional honesty like few hip-hop artists ever have, barking his way through hits like " Ruff Ryders' Anthem " and " Get at Me Dog " one moment, and repenting and philosophizing on tracks like " Slippin '"
15494-596: Was represented by former Def Jam labelmate Method Man , close friend Swizz Beatz, Busta Rhymes and actor Michael K. Williams (who himself would pass away five months later) at the BET Awards 2021 . Divine Master of the Unknown is the final artistic project by rapper DMX, originally titled Heavy Lies the Crown . The project was developed in collaboration with William Moseley, a longtime friend and entertainment industry professional. The project explores themes of life, death, and
15621-612: Was signed to Def Jam Recordings in May 1997. DMX recorded tracks from April 1997 to January 1998 for his debut album. During this time, his guest appearances on Mase 's singles " 24 Hrs. to Live " and "Take What's Yours", The Lox 's single " Money, Power & Respect ", and Def Jam labelmate LL Cool J 's single " 4, 3, 2, 1 " created a strong buzz for his upcoming album. In February 1998, he released his debut major-label single " Get at Me Dog " on Def Jam Recordings . The single received an RIAA certification of gold. His first major-label album It's Dark and Hell Is Hot , which included
15748-415: Was something other than what it appeared to be. I'm not sure now the fear was ever justified given the fact that the industry is still in existence today, but the point is no one questioned the need then. "Protecting the business" in the face of criticism and skepticism was the first and most important rule a pro wrestler learned. No matter how aggressive or informed the questioner, you never admitted
15875-417: Was the "world champion". Before the cartels, there were multiple wrestlers in the U.S. simultaneously calling themselves the "world champion", and this sapped public enthusiasm for professional wrestling. Likewise, the cartel could agree on a common set of match rules that the fans could keep track of. The issue over who got to be the champion and who controlled said champion was a major point of contention among
16002-426: Was then terminated from his contract with Ruffhouse and became an independent artist. In January 1994, Death Row Records attempted to sign the rapper in a joint venture with Ruff Ryders, although this never materialized. After two years of struggling in the industry, his friend and associate, Irv Gotti , became the president of A&R at Def Jam Recordings . After showcasing for then-president Lyor Cohen , DMX
16129-442: Was unable to finish his track and field team schedule. Broke, he robbed several students to find food and clothing for himself, as well as a leather collar and harness for his pet dog. He began carjacking . His career began in 1985, when he beatboxed for a local rapper named Ready Ron. They would do small shows together where Ron would perform as a rapper, and DMX would beatbox and provide adlibs. After some time, he realized Ron
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