Posted on 06.26.2006

DMX walks away from Def Jam

Rapper DMX has severed ties with his former record company, Def Jam, because he refuses to work with pal Jay-Z as his boss. Instead, the rap icon will release his upcoming comeback album, ’Here we go again’, through Sony, where he launched his career 15 years ago.

And DMX, real name Earl Simmons, admits Jay-Z’s promotion to Def Jam president helped him make his decision.

He says : "I knew it wouldn’t work. We’re peers and it always creates problems when your friend suddenly becomes your boss. "He’s in a position, ’cause he has to do his job, and you’re in a position like, ’Yo, this is my friend.’"

DMX insists there’s no love lost between him and his former record company, claiming Def Jam bosses refused to reward him when he delivered an album of the year for them. He adds, "I made $144 million in the first year - their best ever. How much do you think they gave me ? Nothing. Not even a card... and Def Jam was going down. I enabled them to sell the company."

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