Earl Simmons, better known as DMX, is dead. He died at age 50 following an overdose this month.
On April 2nd, he was admitted to a hospital in White Plains, New York after suffering an overdose that led to a heart attack. Paramedics spent 30 minutes trying to resuscitate him, but the half-hour without oxygen caused severe brain damage, leaving him in a vegetative state until his passing.
The Yonkers, New York rapper was born in Mount Vernon, New York on December 18th, 1970. He rose to fame as a member of the hardcore hip-hop collective The Ruff Ryders.
In the late '90s into the early 2000s, he was a dominant force in the music industry as part of the Ruff Ryders collective. His first five albums all hit number-one, and his debut album, And Then There Was X went five-times platinum. His albums were certified platinum a total of 14 times and he was honored with a trio of Grammy nominations.
In addition to his musical output, X built up a solid resume in Hollywood. His filmography included roles in Belly, Exit Wounds, Cradle 2 the Grave, Romeo Must Die and Chronicle of a Serial Killer.
Throughout his career X had his fair share of run-ins with the law for drugs, weapons possession, animal cruelty, child support and various driving infractions. In March of 2018, he was sentenced to a year behind bars for tax evasion. He battled to get his demons in check, even appearing on Iyanla Fix My Life and Couples Therapy.
His last album was 2012's Undisputed. In the summer of 2020, he faced off against Snoop Dogg in a Verzuz battle. In early April, his lawyer Murray Richman says he was in the middle of making a movie and had just finished touring.
DMX leaves behind 15 children by various women, as well as fiancee Desiree Lindstrom.