Legendary hip-hop rapper DMX has died after being hospitalized due to an overdose, his family confirmed.
STARS of the music world and beyond have begun to pay tribute to DMX following the news that the rapper has died.
The hip-hop icon died yesterday (April 9) after being hospitalized on April 3 for a heart attack as a result of a reported overdose. He remained in intensive care and on life support.
He was 50 years old.
In a statement, DMX’s label home Def Jam said it was “deeply and profoundly saddened by the loss of our brother Earl “DMX” Simmons”. “DMX was a brilliant artist and an inspiration to millions around the world,” it read.
“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. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and all those who loved him and were touched by him. DMX was nothing less than a giant. His legend will live on forever.”
The agitated rapper who reigned over the late 1990s and early 2000s with hits including "X Gon' Give It To Ya" and "Party Up", was among hip-hop's darkest stars, laying his inner demons out for the masses in gritty, hard-driving anthems that gained him commercial and critical acclaim.
Raised in the New York suburb of Yonkers, DMX, or Earl Simmons in real life, endured a grim childhood, growing up in the projects with his mother and siblings where he suffered abuse.
At 14, he entered a cycle of incarceration that would persist throughout his life, committing robberies that regularly landed him in jail.
Gaining a reputation as a problem child prone to rage-fueled outbursts, Simmons was in and out of homes for troubled boys for much of his youth.
Even after he achieved celebrity for his artistry, DMX continued to have run-ins with the penal system, with charges including drug possession, animal cruelty, reckless driving, failure to pay child support and tax evasion.
In their statement, DMX's family said his music "inspired countless fans across the world and his iconic legacy will live on forever."
(NP)
Tags: #celebritydeaths, #DMX, #hiphop