HBO announced the release date of the documentary on late rapper DMX, DMX: Don’t Try To Understand, as part of the Music Box series. The documentary is directed by Christopher Frierson and co-directed by Clark Slater, and executive produced by Bill Simmons (HBO’s Andre The Giant, Showbiz Kids). DMX: Don’t Try To Understand debuts Thursday, November 25 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.
The third installment to the music centric docuseries, Don’t Try to Understand, focuses on a year in the life of rapper Earl “DMX” Simmons as he is released from prison in early 2019 and attempts to rebuild his career in the music industry and reconnect with family and fans. Unfolding in cinéma vérité style and with unfettered access, the film bears witness to a man searching for reinvention and redemption, striving to stay true to himself while reestablishing his roles as a father, an artist, and an icon.
Cameras followed the musician through his 2019 comeback tour “It’s Dark and Hell is Hot” after serving a year in prison for tax evasion. With archival materials showcasing some of the rapper’s highs and lows over the years, the film remains focused on DMX’s present, including his struggle to battle his own demons with addiction and the aftermath of an abusive upbringing, his deep faith and belief system, his dedication to his community of fans, his desire to mend bonds with his children, and his efforts to help troubled youth.
The film features intimate moments of DMX relating to young people and spending time with old friends in his hometown of Yonkers, New York, and we witness the powerful affirmative effect he has on the people who look up to him. The film also shows the disappointments he experiences as he grapples with an ongoing drug addiction and its impact on his loved ones.
Tragically, the life of DMX was cut too short and Don’t Try To Understand stands as a fitting tribute to the man who was fighting to regain all he had lost and to win back the love and trust of family, friends, and fans. With unflinching honesty and candor, DMX shows us the man behind the myth and the true artist behind the headlines.
Created by Bill Simmons, the Music Box documentary film series launched in July of this year with the film Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage. The collection of films in the series include; Jagged, DMX: Don’t Try To Understand, Listening to Kenny G, Mr. Saturday Night, Juice Wrld: Into the Abyss. The weekly series will air on subsequent Thursdays at the same time and will be available to stream on HBO Max.
Don’t Try To Understand is an HBO Documentary Films’ presents a Ringer Films Production in association with Mass Appeal, Def Jam Recordings, and Hardware Agency. The documentary is produced by Slater, Robert Alexander, Sean Gordon-Loebl, Christopher Frierson, Pat Gallo, Steve Rifkin, Barak Moffitt and Daniel Seliger. Earl “DMX” Simmons serves as co-producer. Bill Simmons, Jody Gerson, Marc Cimino, Peter Bittenbender, Peter J. Scalettar, Rich Isaacson, and Paul Rosenberg serve as executive producers. Geoff Chow, Sean Fennessey, and Noah Malale co-executive produce on the project. From HBO; Tina Nguyen serves as senior producer, with Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller as executive producers.
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