All results
As a teen, Hitmaka had a dream of pursuing music. Little did he know that it would become a reality well before he even hit his adult years. Born Christian J. Ward, the heavy-hitting producer grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, IL. However, despite the fact that his parents didn’t always believe in his dreams of becoming a musician, one legendary rapper did — ultimately changing the course of his life forever.
Jan 5, 2023
Hitmaka’s story just might be the epitome of divine timing. In fact, the heavy hitter producer, whose real name is Christian J. Ward, first hit the scene at age 14 when he signed to Bloodline Records — the music label headed by the late legendary DMX. At the time, the aspiring artist — who now holds the title of Vice President of A&R at EMPIRE — was operating under the stage name Iceberg.
Nov 10, 2022
IRS issues are actually a lot more common than you think. According to Jackson Hewitt, statistics show that people are more likely than not to run afoul of the taxman. Each year, nearly 30 million taxpayers will receive some sort of penalty from the IRS for failing to file their taxes correctly. As of 2019, more than 20 million people owe taxes to the IRS but cannot pay them. And millions of people, each year, either under-report their taxes or make a math error on their taxes — which, of course, results in more penalties and fees. If there’s one thing the IRS is going to do, it’s get the money that you owe them! In this regard, too, celebrities are just like us when it comes to IRS issues. We’ve all heard at least one story of one celebrity who has been slapped with a gobsmackingly large tax bill. And while many of these issues can be resolved with a good attorney and a reasonable proposal to the omnipresent government agency, it can still be distressing when a tax lien comes to...
Apr 1, 2022
DMX is one of Hip-Hop’s greatest heroes. But unlike in comic books, real-life heroes are complicated. There’s no shortage of stories about Earl Simmons’ legal issues, drama, and struggles. However, this is not the true nature of his legacy. Instead, to truly consider his legacy, we have to look at all the ways DMX was ahead of his time, such as when he was one of the first rappers to loan his voice to a video game. We have to consider how his style of “street preaching” in rap can still be heard today in the likes of Pastor Troy and Jeezy. We even have to consider how DMX integrated biker culture — long associated almost exclusively with Rock’n’Roll — into Hip-Hop and made it a seminal part of the culture that still exists today. And we also have to consider how it only took being himself for him to go viral on social media — and DMX, who was only 50-years-old when he passed, was part of a generation that is more resistant to “going viral” on social media than their younger, more...
Dec 17, 2021
Celebrities are doing their best to provide comfort to those isolated in quarantine by way of social media. Last Friday, rapper DMX used his platform to hold a virtual Bible study on Instagram Live, and over 14,000 users tuned in to listen, according to TheGrio . The biblical session was a different approach from the multi-platinum artist, as many would predict he’d resort to rapping, but DMX read scriptures with the same fiery passion, intensity, and adlibs he delivers in his musical performances. Who knew that DMX reading the Bible was exactly what I needed right now https://t.co/PrNa3CWznV — philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) April 25, 2020 “A time for embracing, and a time to avoid embracing,” DMX said as he read from Ecclesiastes. “A time for embraces and time for avoiding embraces. What! Come on.” He continued on leading sermons telling viewers to keep the faith and believe in the will of God during this difficult time. Additionally, DMX concluded the Instagram Live session by...
Apr 27, 2020