Earl Simmons, better known by his stage name DMX or Dark Man X, died on Friday, according to his record label, after suffering a heart attack during a drug overdose, according to media reports. He was 50 years old at the time.
Earl Simmons, better known by his stage name DMX or Dark Man X, died on Friday, according to his record label, after suffering a heart attack during a drug overdose, according to media reports. He was 50 years old at the time.
'Party Up (Up in Here)' and 'X Gon' Give It To You' were two of the chart-topping artist's tracks. His career has been marred by legal issues and time spent in jail.
In a tweet, Def Jam Recordings expressed its sadness over "the loss of our brother Earl "DMX" Simmons."
According to the statement, "DMX was a genius artist and an inspiration to millions around the world." “His message of triumph over struggle, his search for the light out of darkness, his pursuit of truth and grace brought us closer to our own humanity.'
Late on April 2, DMX passed away at his house. According to TMZ and Billboard, he overdosed on drugs and suffered a heart attack as a result.
Since suffering a "catastrophic cardiac arrest," DMX died peacefully with family by his side at White Plains Hospital in New York on Friday.
In a statement, family members said that Earl was a “warrior who fought to the very end,” and that his music “inspired countless fans around the world, and his legendary legacy will live on forever.”
DMX got his nickname from the name of a drum machine used in rap songs while growing up in Yonkers, New York. When he was 14, he was manipulated into smoking crack by an older rapper who had been his mentor. DMX said in a documentary series broadcast on BET.
"He created a beast," he said. “Cocaine came painfully close to taking my life on a few occasions.”
His debut album, 'It's Dark and Hell is Hot,' was released in 1998 and was the first of five albums to reach the Billboard 200 chart in the United States. He was the only rap artist with such a streak, according to a 2019 profile in GQ magazine. in this piece
He told GQ that before and after each broadcast, he read the Bible and prayed.
“Performing in front of an audience is a rush. “There is no material that can compare to it,” he said.
According to a biography on allmusic.com, DMX's intense songs told tales of a complicated character's "sins of the streets," describing him as a "hip-hop Johnny Cash."
His best-selling record, '...And Then There Was X,' was certified five times multiplatinum. DMX released eight albums and earned three Grammy nominations.
DMX has appeared in over 40 films and television shows, including 'Belly,' 'Romeo Must Die,' and the action films 'Cradle 2 the Grave' and 'Exit Wounds,' for which he has composed music for the soundtracks.'
According to media reports, he had 15 children.
Tashera Simmons, his ex-wife with whom he had four children, attended a vigil outside his hospital where hundreds of fans danced to DMX songs before he died. She wrote on Instagram, "The love is true."
DMX pleaded guilty in federal court in 2017 to moving money between accounts belonging to administrators and associates to avoid paying $1.7 million in taxes between 2000 and 2005. He was given a one-year prison term.
Animal abuse, reckless driving, drug possession, gun offences, and probation violations were among the rapper's previous arrests. He spent time in jail in Arizona and New York.
“To live is to suffer, but to survive, well, that's to find purpose in the suffering,” DMX rapped in the 1998 hit "Slippin'."