Earl Simmons, who is popularly known by the stage name, DMX, was arrested for being in possession of the drug Oxycontin and refusing to undergo a drug test. He was taken into custody at the Phoenix County jail without a provision for bail.

The acclaimed rapper has been previously convicted for charges in animal cruelty, reckless driving as well as possession of weapons without a license. In March, he used illegal drugs, which constituted a violation of his probation and caused him to be sentenced for 20 months in jail. Court papers state that other charges against the rapper include using cocaine and driving on a suspended licence.

The documents go on to cite several opportunities’ for him to excel in probation yet he continues to violate these. Among the opportunities he has been given are the option to choose his own drug treatment program.

Glen Allen, DMX’s lawyer said that his client had been working very hard and it was unfortunate that the probation department had chosen to hold him just a few weeks before the end of the probation period and before the holiday season. He however stated that the rapper was determined to put this setback behind him.

Simmons is no stranger to arrests related to criminal charges. In 2008, he was charged in Miami with attempted possession of cocaine and marijuana, while four years earlier he had been arrested for posing as an undercover federal agent at the JFK International Airport in New York. Image Credit: