Rapper DMX Arrested in SC for Driving Without a License
Rapper and former Ruff Ryders group member, DMX, has been arrested in South Carolina after police found he was driving without a license.
On Wednesday, DMX, also known by his legal name, Earl Simmons, was put in the Spartanburg County jail around 2 a.m. local time as he waited to make an appearance before a judge, according to AP.
According to the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office, Simmons was spotted at a local gas station and was recognized by one of the officers.
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After checking available DMV records, the deputy noticed that Simmons only had an active state identification card, but no current license was listed.
After following the vehicle for a short while the officer decided to conduct a traffic stop and found out that the driver did not have a driver's license. He also had his five-month-old daughter in the back seat. The deputy turned the car over to the passenger who had a valid driver's license.
Shortly after seeing the judge, Simmons paid a fine and was released around 6.a.m. but spent a few minutes to talk with local reporters who had got wind of his arrest.
"When I could have just paid the money right there on the spot," Simmons told KPHO. "Basically it was just five hours wasted for nothing. I don't have a court date or a court appearance."
This is not the first time Simmons has had a run in with law enforcement. Simmons was arrested outside of Phoenix in 2011 after a police officer recorded him driving at 102 mph.
Simmons was also recently released from prison for a probation violation after refusing to submit to drug testing in addition to driving without a license.
Simmons told local media that he has been looking to relocate to the area, and has been seen at several different business establishments in the area.
