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Christopher Frierson's latest documentary DMX: Don't Try to Understand premiered on 25 November 2021 as part of HBO's Music Box docuseries. The documentary that follows Earl "DMX" Simmons' life becomes all the more momentous in light of his tragic demise earlier this year.
The legendary American rapper and hip hop artist left behind a remarkable legacy for his fans and family. In that regard, this documentary commemorates him.
From January 2019 to March 2020, cameras followed DMX everywhere and provided the fans a glimpse into the man behind the headlines. DMX: Don't Try to Understand makes no effort to unblemish the late artist's life while following him on his path of atonement.
'DMX: Don’t Try to Understand' synopsis
DMX: Don't Try to Understand opens with DMX's exit from federal prison, where he had completed a 12-month sentence for felony tax evasion. X's life had no shortage of run-ins with the law and jail times in his lifetime and the documentary unveils the extent of his drug problems and family issues. Behind the revered artist was a troubled human being and the DMX documentary sheds light on both.
After a year in jail, DMX returned with a commitment to right his past wrongs and resuscitate his career. With plans for a new tour, he went back to Def Jam and signed a new recording contract.
It was clear that DMX had not lost his touch. The fans still worshipped him and he still had the capability to inspire them.
On his path to making amends, DMX reunites with his children and ex-wife while struggling with sobriety. While he is shown as a doting father to his three-year-old son Exodus, his strenuous relationship with his oldest son Xavier is also a subject of the film.
DMX: Don't Try to Understand also captured his relapse during the filming which shed light on the creators of the documentary as well.
All in all, DMX: Don't Try to Understand invoked within the viewers a bitter-sweet feeling as they remember the legendary rapper.
The bitter-sweet ending of 'DMX: Don't Try to Understand'
Christopher Frierson's DMX: Don't Try to Understand uncovered the mercurial phases of the late rapper's life a year before his death. While fans watched Earl "DMX" Simmons' struggle with drug addiction, legal troubles, and familial conflicts, the heartwarming ending did fill them with a sense of hope.
Following a relapse, the rapper reconnects with his children and ex-wife Tashera Simmons. After a family dinner, the viewers catch a glimpse of a moving father-son reunion between DMX and Xavier, offering a beautiful closure to the documentary. The final scene is that of DMX, along with his army of children, fiancée, and ex-wife, celebrating Halloween at his house.
While DMX sings along Gladys Knight & the Pips' cover of The Way We Were/ Try to Remember, his family is blended into the background as all of them come together. The scene is bound to stay with viewers long after they have watched the documentary as they hold the former hip hop icon in their hearts.
The ending is bitter-sweet as despite its depiction of hope, there will be a persistent grief that comes with losing DMX too soon.
