DMX Will Hire ‘Substance Monitors’ To Keep Him Drug-Free While Traveling

Rapper DMX can hire "substance monitors" to keep him on the wagon while he's traveling for work, his lawyer said in a new filing.

DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, has been going back and forth with Manhattan Federal Judge Jed Rakoff for permission to travel for gigs.

Rakoff on Friday ordered Simmons, 46, to home detention because he tested positive for cocaine and pot several times since he's been out on bail — violating his bond conditions.

The judge also imposed more stringent travel restrictions on Simmons, such as making out-of-town travel requests to the court at least one week in advance.

Rakoff denied Simmons' request to go to Atlanta on Thursday for a "personal appearance" on BET — saying he had waited too long to make the request.

Simmons had only asked the court for permission on Monday — far less than a week before the planned trip.

Simmons also asked the judge if he could go to Las Vegas from Aug. 25-27 for a show; Philadelphia on Sept. 3 for a music festival, and Los Angeles from Sept. 4-6 for a Hollywood Squares filming.

Rakoff said in his decision that pretrial services — which keeps an eye on Simmons while he's out on bail — objected to all these jaunts, "all on the ground that they will interfere with the (proposed) drug and mental health treatment programs."

Simmons' lawyer, Murray Richman, said in a letter Wednesday that he and pretrial services were trying to find a "decent outpatient program" for the recording artist.

While asking Rakoff to reconsider his position on this week's Atlanta trip, Richman wrote, "I have learned that there are persons available who are acknowledged, 'Substance Monitors,' who can and will travel with Mr. Simmons, and reporting directly to Pretrial Services.'"

Pretrial Services, the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Office and Rakoff all would have to agree to Simmons' sober coach approval. If greenlighted, however, Simmons would foot the bill.

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