DMX’s estate is in a legal dispute with DJ Superior, a longtime friend who says he holds unreleased early recordings, videos and handwritten lyrics by the late rapper. The estate says Superior cannot auction or commercially release the material without permission, warning that any unauthorised distribution could lead to copyright litigation; the case matters because it concerns control of DMX’s legacy and potentially valuable unreleased work.

Superior says he recorded “street tapes” with DMX in Yonkers before the rapper’s fame, helped write and produce some material, and wants fans to hear the music rather than simply profit from it. DMX, who died in April 2021, had 16 Hot 100 entries and became the first artist whose first five albums all debuted at number one on the Billboard 200; his estate is run by ex-fiancée Desiree Lindstrom and daughter Sasha Simmons, with Artist Legacy Group managing licensing.