US rapper DMX plays his own song to a judge

US rapper DMX appeared in front of a judge in Manhattan for tax evasion charges and managed to avoid the maximum penalty of five years by playing one of his own songs. The US rapper was in court for dodging $1.7m (£1.2m) in taxes and could have been given up to five years in prison. After listening to his song, the judge said DMX was a "good man" and gave him one year in prison. On top of the prison sentence, Simmons must pay $2.3m (£1.6m) back to the US government. It will not be his first time in jail. In 2015, he spent six months in prison for failing to pay child support, besides various other shorter jail spells for offences ranging from drug possession to dangerous driving, NDTV reports.