RIP! Rapper DMX dead at 50
Written by Vibe Houston Staff on April 9, 2021
DMX, the rapper who is known as much for his raw and gritty lyrics as much as his controversial life, has died. He was 50 years old.
The family released a statement that read, in part:
“We are deeply saddened to announce today that our loved one, DMX, birth name of Earl Simmons, passed away at 50-years-old at White Plains Hospital with his family by his side after being placed on life support for the past few days.”
The statement went on to say,”Earl was a warrior who fought till the very end. He loved his family with all of his heart and we cherish the times we spent with him.”
DMX was rushed to the hospital last week after suffering a heart attack at his home in New York, his longtime attorney, Murray Richman, said.
Artists, athletes and other celebrities paid tribute to him on social media Friday.
DMX (Dark Man X) began rapping in the early 1990s and released his debut album, “It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot,” in 1998.
When DMX burst onto the scene, for many, he filled the void in hip hop left after the deaths of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G. He was known for his growling, snarling voice mixed with hardcore lyrics, which is a relection of his troubled upbringing.
His single, “Ruff Ryders Anthem,” helped to put him on the map and “What’s My Name,” was another smash success. In fact, nearly every DMX track was a hit.
In 2019, DMX canceled a planned concert tour to seek treatment for addiction, saying at the time that he was “putting family and sobriety first.”
That same year he talked to GQ about his struggles.
“I just need to have a purpose,” he said. “And I don’t even know that purpose, because God has given me that purpose since before I was in the womb, so I’m going to fulfill that purpose … whether I want to or not, whether I know it or not, because the story has already been written. If you appreciate the good, then you have to accept the bad.”
We were all waiting for a comeback after DMX appeared in a Verzuz battle with fellow artist Snoop Dogg last year.
Now, sadly, it’s time to say goodbye.
RIP King. May you rest in eternal peace.
