An arrest warrant has been issued for DMX after the rapper failed to turn up at a New York court, where he was due to face several charges including driving without a licence.

City Court Judge Barbara Leak issued the warrant on Wednesday for the star, whose real and extremely uncool name is Earl Simmons. The proceedings had already been postponed twice.

DMX/Simmons' lawyer, Stacey Murray, promised he would show up in court on Thursday and said her client had been ill. He is also accused of speeding and not wearing a seatbelt.

"We have granted him a number of courtesies. It ends now," the judge said.

The 35-year old rapper was stopped by law enforcement officials in the New York district of White Plains on June 2 for speeding and making unsafe lane changes, police say. Officers then found he was not wearing a seatbelt and did not have a driver's licence.

Nine days later, he was given a ticket for driving on the shoulder of the Hutchinson River Parkway in Harrison, N.Y. Last month, he was arrested by police after abusing airline staff at Heathrow Airport in London.

For a guy who has sold more than 20 million albums worldwide, and who is about to release his sixth album -- Year of the Dog, Again -- these are some awfully weak charges. Driving without a seatbelt? Unsafe lane changes? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought DMX was supposed to be at least semi-hard. I personally can top these infractions many times over.

Come on, Earl. Couldn't you have at least assaulted someone in the process?