Rapper DMX has died one week after suffering a
"catastrophic cardiac arrest", his family has said.
The Grammy-nominated performer died after suffering
“catastrophic cardiac arrest,” according to a statement from the hospital in
White Plains, New York, where he died. He was rushed there from his home April
2.
His family's statement said DMX, whose birth name was Earl
Simmons, died with relatives by his side after several days on life support.
“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,”
the family said, adding that his music “inspired countless fans across the
world."
Memorial plans were not yet set.
DMX — who rapped with a trademark raspy delivery that was
often paired with growls, barks and “What!” as an ad-lib — built a
multiplatinum career in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but he also struggled
with drug addiction and legal problems that repeatedly put him behind bars.
“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,” his record label, Def Jam Recordings, said in a statement
describing him as “nothing less than a giant.”
Fellow hip hop artists remembered him likewise, with Eve
praising him as “one of the most special people I have ever met” and Nas
calling him “Gods poet” in an Instagram post.
DMX made a splash in 1998 with his first studio album, “It’s
Dark and Hell is Hot,” which debuted No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
The multiplatinum-selling album was anchored by several hits including “Ruff Ryders’
Anthem,” “Get At Me Dog,” “Stop Being Greedy” and “How It’s Goin’ Down.”
DMX followed up with four straight chart-topping albums
including “... And Then There Was X,” “Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood,”
“The Great Depression” and “Grand Champ.” He released seven albums, earned
three Grammy nominations and was named favorite rap/hip-hop artist at the 2000
American Music Awards.
DMX arrived on the rap scene around the same time as Jay-Z,
Ja Rule and others who dominated the charts and emerged as platinum-selling
acts. They were all part of rap crews, too: DMX fronted the Ruff Ryders
collective, which helped launch the careers of Grammy winners Eve and Swizz
Beatz, and relaunch The Lox, formerly signed to Bad Boy Records. Ruff Ryders
had success on the charts and on radio with its “Ryde or Die” compilation
albums.
Along with his musical career, DMX paved his way as an
actor. He starred in the 1998 film “Belly” and appeared in 2000's “Romeo Must
Die” with Jet Li and Aaliyah. DMX and Aaliyah teamed up for “Come Back in One
Piece” on the film’s soundtrack.
The rapper would later open Aaliyah’s tribute music video,
“Miss You,” alongside her other friends and collaborators, including Missy
Elliott, Lil’ Kim and Queen Latifah, after Aaliyah’s 2001 death in a plane
crash at age 22.
The rapper also starred in 2001′s “Exit Wounds” with Steven
Seagal and 2003′s “Cradle 2 the Grave” with Li.
But while DMX made his mark as one of hip-hop’s most
recognizable names for his rap artistry and as an actor, the rapper was
personally stifled by his legal battles — he was repeatedly arrested and jailed
within a decade — and drug addiction. His addiction first took hold at age 14
when smoked a marijuana cigarette that was laced with cocaine.
“Earl Simmons was a wonderful, caring father, and a
sensitive, thoughtful man," said Lyor Cohen, a former executive at Def
Jam, in a statement. “Unfortunately, Dark Man X took over and ran amok,
tormented and struggling to find the light. ... DMX gave me the inspiration to
keep going at Def Jam when rap became soft and silly."
DMX pleaded guilty in 2004 after he posed as an undercover
federal agent and crashed his SUV through a security gate at New York’s Kennedy
Airport. He was arrested in 2008 on drug and animal cruelty charges following
an overnight raid on his house in Phoenix. He tried to barricade himself in his
bedroom but emerged when a SWAT team entered his home.
In 2010, he was sentenced to a year in prison for violating
terms of his probation. After he was admitted to rehab numerous times over the
next year, he said he had finally beat his drug addiction.
First responders helped bring DMX back to life after he was
found in a hotel parking lot in New York in 2016. The rapper said he suffered
from asthma.
A couple years later, DMX was sentenced to a year in prison
for tax fraud. Prosecutors said he concocted a multiyear scheme to hide
millions of dollars in income from the IRS and get around nearly $2 million in
tax liabilities.
After his release, DMX planned a 32-date tour to mark the
20th anniversary of “It’s Dark and Hell is Hot.” But the rapper canceled a
series of shows to check himself into a rehab facility in 2019. In an Instagram
post, his team said he apologized for the canceled shows and thanked his fans
for the continued support.
Besides his legal troubles, DMX took the initiative to help
the less fortunate. He gave a group of Philadelphia men advice during a
surprise appearance at a homeless support group meeting in 2017, and helped a
Maine family with its back-to-school purchases a couple years later.
Last year, DMX faced off against Snoop Dogg in a Verzuz
battle, which drew more than 500,000 viewers.
“You can’t be a fan and not feel empathy for him in his
journey,” hip-hop and electronic music producer Flying Lotus said in an
interview while DMX was hospitalized this week. “You think of ‘Belly’ and all
the great stuff that he was part of. But he was dealt such a weird hand, I
think, with the drug stuff. And I just have empathy.”
Survivors include his 15 children and his mother. – Bloomberg
0 comments:
Post a Comment