D.M.C.

1964 -

Hip hop artist

Darryl "D.M.C." Matthews McDaniels (birth name Darryl Lovelace), bornMay 31, 1964 is one of the pioneers of hip hop culture and founding members of the legendary hip hop group Run-D.M.C.

In 1997, hip hop legend Darryl McDaniels should have been riding high. Run-DMC was touring Europe after a remix put them back atop the charts, and money was rolling in. Instead, DMC found himself alone in a hotel room, contemplating suicide. Coping with vocal troubles and creative differences with his group, he found no joy in the spoils of the rap game. Poison, a bullet, a giant leap were all options he considered.

for California

As he now recalls it, it was a song by Sarah McLachlan, "Angel," that brought him back from the edge. "Fly away from here, from this cold hotel room," she sang. "There's vultures and thieves at your back and the storm keeps on twisting."

The sadness in her voice captured an emptiness D felt but could not explain - until a few years later. In gathering information for his autobiography in 2000, 35-year-old D got a bombshell from the only mother he's ever known - she told him he was adopted. The revelation left him stunned and confused. Amid that emotional turmoil one thing became clear: Darryl wanted answers about his true history.

Beginning in October 2005, VH1 documented D's search for his biological roots, as well as his spiritual journey of self-discovery. At the start of taping, all D knew was that, according to the parents who raised him, a 16-year-old named Bernada Lovelace, who hailed from the Dominican Republic, gave him up for adoption in 1964. Video tape rolled as D consulted with experts, researched old archives, and followed the winding trail wherever it led.

Credits: AdoptionBlogs.com