Rapper DMX Dies After Battle on Life Support at 50

DMX performed for a crowd of 220,000 at Woodstock ‘99. Photograph: Joe Traver/Reuter

DMX, a New York rap legend, responsible for iconic hip-hop songs such as “X Gon’ Give It To Ya” and “Party Up (Up In Here),” died on April 9, at a hospital in White Plains, N.Y., according to a statement released 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,” the statement said. 

The rapper had been hospitalized since April 2 after suffering an apparent drug overdose and subsequent heart attack, according to his attorney Murray Richman. 

DMX was born in Mount Vernon, N.Y., but spent most of his childhood in Yonkers, N.Y. after relocating with his family. Due to a troubled and abusive childhood, DMX spent many years living in group homes and surviving on the streets. In order to provide for himself, DMX committed robberies, which led to several run-ins with the law. DMX used hip-hop as his escape from street life, starting out as a disc jockey but finding his true gift as a rapper. 

Emerging on the music scene after the deaths of hip-hop moguls, Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G., DMX was embraced by the hip-hop world due to his aggressive sound and lyrics that told the pain of growing up in the streets of New York. His debut studio album, “It’s Dark and Hell is Hot,” was released in 1998 and peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. 

His next four consecutive albums would also chart at number one, with his 1999 project, “...And Then There Was X,” earning him a Grammy nomination in the best rap album category. DMX later went on to tour with fellow rappers Jay-Z, Method Man and Redman and performed for a crowd of about 220,000 at Woodstock ‘99, according to Rolling Stone magazine. DMX sold millions of albums and produced hit songs such as “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” and “Where The Hood At,” cementing himself as a hip-hop legend. 

During his years of fame and success, DMX also struggled with substance abuse and addiction. In 2020, DMX recounted his introduction to crack at the age of 14 on the podcast “People’s Party,” hosted by rapper Talib Kweli. DMX told the story of how his rap mentor, who was 30 years old at the time, gave him what he thought was a weed blunt, but later found out it was laced with crack. 

“I hit the blunt and I’m like, I was no longer focused on the money. I never felt like this, it just fu*ked me up. I later found out he laced the blunt with crack,” DMX said. “Why would you do that to somebody who looks up to you, know what I mean? — A monster was born.”

In 2019, DMX canceled a planned concert tour in order to check himself into rehab. 

“In his ongoing commitment to putting family and sobriety first, DMX has checked himself into a rehab facility,” read a statement on DMX’s Instagram.

DMX was open about his struggles with addiction and spoke about it in his music often. Along with his party hits, DMX will be remembered for his authentic and vulnerable lyrics that told his life story. 

“So often talking about your problems is viewed as a sign of weakness. When it’s actually one of the bravest things you can do,” DMX said on People’s Party. 

DMX is survived by his mother, his fiancée Desiree Lindstrom and 15 children.