DMX the Rapper With a Growl Dies at Age 50 [Video]

Sad news for music fans everywhere. The rapper known for his growls, DMX, died at the age of 50. His death was announced Friday, April 9, 2021, after a critical brain function test concluded there was no brain activity.

After receiving the results, the family decided to take him off the life support system that kept him alive for the past 6-days. Doctors suspect that he was already brain dead when he was brought into the Intensive Care Unit at the White Plains Hospital.

Thursday night, large numbers of Facebook and Instagram posts indicated DMX had passed, but his manager Steve Rifkind issued a request for those posts to stop — DMX is not dead. Walker expressed that the family will issue a statement Friday.

The rapper’s death was announced on April 9. His death follows his alleged drug overdose, which caused a heart attack and ended with him in a coma. Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) attempted to resuscitate DMX for a half-hour on April 3.

The next day, his manager told The New York Times that DMX was currently in a “vegetative state.” His family, friends, and fans were praying for him to wake up and come back to them. Fans of the musician stood outside of the White Plains Hospital — located in New York — playing DMX’s music.

Doctors stated that the rapper’s brain was deprived of oxygen for around 30 minutes. His prognosis was very “grave” when he entered the Intensive Care Unit in a coma. DMX suffered a heart attack before slipping into unconsciousness.

On Easter Sunday — April 4th — the Ruff Ryders biker group showed up at the hospital to join in showing support for the rapper and his family. Their arrival was videoed by the rapper’s family and posted onto a social media platform.

DMX was born Earl Simmons on Dec. 18, 1970, in Baltimore, Maryland. During his lifetime, he had a few nicknames:

• The Dog.
• D.
• X.
• Darkman X.

The DMX name stands for Dark Man Extreme. He was the rapper known for his silver dog collar and energetic rapping style.

According to All Music, Simmons took over as the undisputed reigning king of hardcore rap after Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur’s deaths. He was a commercial powerhouse who had artistic and street credibility to spare.

DMX could go from a spiritual expression one second to a profane street rant the next. All while keeping it part of the same complex character and story. Almost like a hip-hop version of Johnny Cash.

His gruff, barking style mixed with his muscular tattooed physique earned him many fans. This resulted in DMX being the first artist ever to have the first four albums he released to enter the charts at number one.

The rapper’s troubled and abusive childhood caused him to have violent tendencies growing up. He spent a great deal of his time robbing people on the streets or in group homes. His saving grace was hip-hop music.

He began his career as a DJ and human beatbox. Wanting a greater share of the spotlight, DMX evolved into a rap artist. After making a name for himself in freestyle, The Source magazine wrote an article about him in their Unsigned Hype column in 1991.

In 1999, he married Tashera Simmons. They had four children together before divorcing in 2014. His two sons are named Tocoma and Xavier. His children, ex-wife, and fiancee spent as much time with him as they could before he succumbed to his ailments.

He will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and many fans. Rest in peace to The Dog.

Written by Sheena Robertson and Omari Jahi
Edited by Cathy Milne-Ware

Sources:

People: DMX’s Family Speaks Out About His ‘Serious Health Issues’ as Manager Says Rapper Is in ‘Vegetative State’; by Glenn Garner
IMDb: DMX
All Music: DMX; by Steve Huey

Featured and Top Image and first Inset Image from video
Second Inset Image Courtesy of John Dyer’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License