Entering the hip-hop realm through neighborhood DJ sets across Queens, Davy D. took on the alias Davy DMX after the Oberheim drum machine. In the early 1980s he linked up as guitarist with bassist Larry Smith and drummer Trevor Gale to launch Orange Krush, which cut a series of singles while also laying down backing tracks for Run-D.M.C., Sweet G, and Lovebug Starski. Once the band split, he served Kurtis Blow in dual capacities as DJ and guitarist, delivering notable work on “If I Ruled the World” and “The Breaks.” Standalone 1984 and 1985 singles “One for the Treble” and “The DMX Will Rock” raised his profile as a solo act, leading to the 1987 Def Jam full-length Davy's Ride. In addition to scattered production credits, he performed with the Afros, the lighthearted crew that grew out of Solo Sounds. Tuff City later issued the four-track recordings anthology FFFresh without his consent.
