DMX, the celebrated rapper and actor, had been on life support after suffering a massive heart attack one week ago. He died Friday, his family announced.
Acclaimed rapper DMX has died at age 50, one week after a massive heart attack left the Grammy-nominated artist on life support.
He died Friday in New York surrounded by his family.
"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," his relatives said in a statement.
"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. Earl's music inspired countless fans across the world and his iconic legacy will live on forever," they said.
The family asked for privacy. The rap legend had suffered "catastrophic cardiac arrest" hospital officials said. The heart attack reportedly followed a drug overdose at his home, TMZ reported.
"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," relatives said.
The medical center where he died also released a statement.
"White Plains Hospital extends its deepest condolences to the family of Mr. Simmons, as well as his friends and legions of fans who expressed their unwavering support during this difficult time. Earl Simmons passed away peacefully with family present after suffering a catastrophic cardiac arrest."
The "Party Up (Up in Here)" rapper was hospitalized last Friday in grave condition, according to his attorney, Murray Richman.
The lawyer told The Associated Press he did not know what caused the veteran artist's heart attack or whether DMX had overdosed.
“I’m very sad about it, extremely sad. He’s like my son,” Richman said last week. “He’s just a tremendous person, tremendous entertainer, tremendous human being. And so much to offer, so much to say. Not the run-of-the-mill rapper. A person of great depth.”
DMX had been honest about battling substance abuse after being introduced to drugs by an adult he idolized. He also was open about suffering physical abuse as a child and battling severe asthma that repeatedly sent him to the emergency room.
He rose to fame in the 1990s, after debuting in 1991. He took the industry by storm 1998 with his lead single, “Get At Me Dog” from his major label release, “It’s Dark and Hell is Hot.” The acclaim he got from that album and subsequent features turned him into the face of Ruff Ryders Entertainment, along with Swizz Beatz.
After that, he released seven studio albums.
Related Stories
