Update on DMX: Popular Rapper Has Died After Being on Life Support

In a coma and on life support four days after being sent to the hospital, the rapper DMX was scheduled to have brain function tests on Wednesday, according to his manager. Meanwhile, supporters, family members, and musicians from other fields hoped for his recovery.

Earl Simmons is a rapper and actor. He had a heart attack on Friday and was taken to the hospital. Over the weekend, his former manager claimed he was in a “vegetative state.” His current manager, Steve Rifkind, said on Wednesday:

“Everything is the same. “Just waiting on the results.”

Musicians including Missy Elliott, Ja Rule, and LL Cool J have shared messages of solidarity on social media after Mr. Simmons, 50, suffered a heart attack at home in White Plains, New York. LeBron James, who listed Mr. Simmons as one of his favorite artists, and Gabrielle Union, an actress who co-starred with Mr. Simmons in the 2003 film “Cradle 2 the Grave,” both expressed their concern for him and said they were praying for him.

People have shared their experiences with Mr. Simmons, who rapped sincere lyrics about his pain in his unadorned, gravelly voice. On Monday, thousands of admirers gathered with the rapper’s family to play his songs and pray in front of White Plains Hospital. In some spots, the crowds were so big that they slowed traffic.

The masses screamed “DMX” and cheered, and cars driving by, including one from the city’s fire department, honked vociferously in support. With reviews, interviews, podcasts, and more from The New York Times music critics, stay up to date on the newest jazz and pop releases.

“Everybody put up your X,” said Stephanie Reed, a friend of Mr. Simmons, as she led a prayer for him.

As a clip of Mr. Simmons praying blared from the speakers, the crowd obeyed by crossing their arms over their chests or above their heads.

Update on DMX
Update on DMX

While other people sobbed and bowed their heads, several of his supporters wrote Mr. Simmons’ stage name in balloons. The event’s 52-year-old organizer, Ms. Reed, said she was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the gathering in an interview on Wednesday.

She claimed that she once observed hospital employees holding up their arms in an X position at the windows. When Mr. Simmons visited Atlanta, where Ms. Reed resides, and prepared her spaghetti and King Crab legs, she claimed to have run into him two weeks ago.

She claimed that Mr. Simmons was a devout Christian who always prayed before eating or performing. Ms. Reed said:

“We’ve just got a lot of great, great memories. “He was like my brother. He called me sister.”

Mr. Simmons was raised in Yonkers, a city north of the Bronx, after being born in Mount Vernon, New York, on December 18, 1970. In the late 1990s, Mr. Simmons became a hip-hop powerhouse, rapping about violence and redemption in what Rolling Stone termed “the roughest and grimiest voice in hip-hop, the sound of gravel hitting the grave.”

The first musician, Mr. Simmons, had five albums that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart. He gained notoriety for thrilling crowds at live performances with songs like “Party Up (Up in Here),” released in 1999, and “X Gon’ Give It to Ya,” released in 2003.

Additionally, he had guest appearances in films like “Never Die Alone” and television episodes like “Third Watch.” Mr. Simmons was repeatedly arrested throughout the years. He entered a guilty plea to charges of animal cruelty, drug possession, and theft in 2008, and in 2018 he received a year in prison sentence for tax evasion.

His attorney performed his song for Judge Jed S. Rakoff during the sentencing hearing in Federal District Court in Manhattan. Judge Rakoff said: 

“In the court’s view Mr. Simmons is a good man, a very far from perfect man,”

Rapper DMX Has Died After Being on Life Support

Rapper DMX, who was known as much for his problems as his music, has passed away, according to a statement from his family. He was 50. The Family’s opinion read in part:

“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,”

According to his longtime lawyer Murray Richman, the artist had been hospitalized since last week when he had a heart attack at his home in New York.

If you’re curious about the manner of death of other famous people, you may read our previous coverage:

Early in the 1990s, DMX (Dark Man X) started rapping; his debut album, “It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot,” was published in 1998. DMX rose to prominence as a leading figure in hardcore hip hop after the passing of fellow rappers The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur before he made a name for himself.

He was also the top musician signed to the Ruffhouse Records label. His hit song, “Ruff Ryders Anthem,” contributed to his financial and critical success. Over the years, the rapper put out many albums, with “…And Then There Was X,” published in 1999 and nominated for a Grammy in the best rap album category, being one of his most commercially successful. The rapper received three Grammy nominations in total.

With the help of singles like “Get At Me Dog” in 1998, “Party Up” in 1999, and “X Gon’ Give It to Ya” in 2003, he sold millions of CDs. He used his rising celebrity to launch a successful acting career, making appearances in numerous movies like “Romeo Must Die” and “Cradle 2 the Grave.”

His problems with substance misuse and legal concerns frequently eclipsed his professional accomplishments. In 2017, after entering a guilty plea to tax fraud, he received a one-year prison term. DMX postponed a concert tour in 2019 to get help for his addiction, claiming he was “putting family and recovery first.”

He revealed his troubles to GQ in the same year. He said:

“I just need to have a purpose. “And I don’t even know that purpose, because God has given me that purpose since before I was in the womb, so I’m going to fulfill that purpose … whether I want to or not, whether I know it or not, because the story has already been written. If you appreciate the good, then you have to accept the bad.”