DMX, the New York rapper behind such iconic songs as “Party Up (Up in Here)” and “X Gon’ Give It to Ya” and the star of action movies including Exit Wounds, Cradle 2 the Grave and Romeo Must Die, died Friday. He was 50.
DMX, whose real name was Earl Simmons, died at White Plains Hospital in New York after being admitted April 2 following a drug overdose and subsequent heart attack. He had been on life support and, according to his former manager, in a “vegetative state.”
“Earl was a warrior who fought till the very end,” read a family statement. “He loved his family with all of his heart, and we cherish the times we spent with him. Earl’s music inspired countless fans across the world, and his iconic legacy will live on forever. We appreciate all of the love and support during this incredibly difficult time. Please respect our privacy as we grieve the loss of our brother, father, uncle and the man the world knew as DMX. We will share information about his memorial service once details are finalized.”
He openly struggled with an addiction to crack cocaine, and his drug problems forced him to cancel a series of scheduled live performances in 2019 and check himself into rehab.
An artist who defined hip-hop in the late 1990s and early 2000s, DMX eschewed the “bling” of some of his contemporaries, winning over fans and critics with his gritty hardcore lyrics and aggressive style that featured his unmistakable gravelly voice. The first five of his eight career studio albums debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts, and he sold well over 20 million records.
Born on Dec. 18, 1970, in Mount Vernon, New York, and raised in Yonkers, DMX endured a troubled childhood, experiencing horrific physical abuse from his mother at very young age. He was in and out of boys’ homes for much of his youth, and it was in one of these facilities that he developed his interest in music and adopting his stage name, short for Dark Man X.
In 1984, DMX began beatboxing for local rappers like Ready Ron, but amid a litany of legal problems, his career failed to gather traction. Still, he was gaining buzz for his demos, and his first single, “Born Loser” was released on Ruffhouse, a subsidiary of Columbia Records, in 1992.
He was dropped by the label, but DMX’s underground reputation continued to grow as he became one of the most hyped unsigned artists at the time, a status enhanced by guest spots for LL Cool J and on the now-iconic Mic Geronimo single “Time to Build” in 1995. That song also featured guest spots from two other then-unknown rappers — Jay-Z and Ja Rule — and all would go on to dominate the charts and the culture in the late ’90s and early 2000s.
(Excerpt) Read more in: The Hollywood Reporter