UPDATE: Lawyer for DMX calls accusations 'utterly false'



NEWARK -- Police say they're in the "early stages" of investigating a report that rapper DMX robbed a city man early this morning.

Newark police spokesman Sgt. Ronald Glover said the 21-year-old victim reported that he encountered DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, along with his entourage at an Exxon station on the 600 block of Route 21 around 12:30 a.m.

The victim reports he recognized the Yonkers, N.Y.-bred singer, and approached him outside, Glover said.

"The two had a brief conversation about rap music and during the conversation a male in DMX's entourage, showed the victim a gun and demanded the victim's money," Glover said in a statement.

The victim said he pulled $3,200 in cash from his pocket, and DMX "snatched the money out of his hand" before jumping into one of four black Cadillac Escalades that left the scene, Glover said.

As they traveled south on McCarter Highway, the victim was able to follow them closely enough to make out one of the SUVs' license plate, which he provided to police, according to Glover.

An investigation into the incident remains ongoing. No arrests have been made and no criminal charges have been filed, according to Glover.

Glover didn't specify in an initial statement whether the license plate has been traced to DMX or any associates, or if police have yet tried to contact DMX.

The 44-year-old rapper was scheduled to headline an old-school hip-hop concert at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark Saturday night, according to the venue's website.

Newark Police are asking anyone with information on the incident to contact their 24-hour anonymous tip line at 877-695-8477 or 877-695-4867.

DMX, who burst onto the national hip-hop scene in the late 1990s, has had a series of run-ins with the law in recent years, and has served jail time for drug possession, animal cruelty and multiple parole violations.

In 2013 alone, he was arrested four times in South Carolina on charges related to various traffic offenses, including driving with a suspended license.

Dan Ivers may be reached at divers@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DanIversNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.