DMX wants the judge in his tax fraud case to hear a few bars before potentially tossing the rapper behind bars.
Page Six, citing new court documents, said the rapper wants to play a few of his songs at his March 29 sentencing because he "may be too emotional to speak."
"We will ask to play a few of his compositions so that the court may understand him genuinely and his voice," X's lawyer, Murray Richman, said.
DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, wants the judge to hear him sing "Slippin'" and "Convo."
On July 13, 2017, the "Ruff Ryders Anthem" rapper was arrested and charged with 14 counts of tax evasion. He initially pled not guilty to the charges and posted a $500,000 bail.
In the documents, the U.S. Attorney's Office said DMX, 47, had concealed his income for several years and owed the federal government about $2 million. The feds allege that X avoided bank accounts and used surrogates to hide his money. He also lived mostly on cash.
In late November 2017, DMX struck a plea deal in his ongoing case, pleading guilty to one count of tax evasion in New York, avoiding a potential 40-year sentence. However, since that time, he has violated terms of the bail by failing drug tests, and he's been back behind bars since January.
Prosecutors want the judge to give the rapper the maximum sentence of five years. They allege he's been "on a one-man crime spree for the past 30 years," according to documents.
DMX's lawyer will argue that he should be given leniency because that will allow DMX to return to rapping, which is the only way he makes money. Further, it's the only way the government can recoup the money it's owed.
"For any plan to be successful we must get Mr. Simmons back to work and in a healthy manner," Richman said. "He is one of the few people who indeed can achieve the restitution and make the government whole."
DMX also emailed a letter to the judge asking for leniency.
"I can promise that if given another opportunity, [a violation] won't happen again," he wrote.