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DMX Sighting At Elleven45

Source: Prince Williams / Getty

Friday, April 9, 2021; 12:11 p.m. EST — 

After numerous conflicting reports surfacing around his health, DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, died on Friday at the age of 50.

“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,” reads a statement released by his family. “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. Earl’s music inspired countless fans across the world and his iconic legacy will live on forever. We appreciate all of the love and support during this incredibly difficult time. Please respect our privacy as we grieve the loss of our brother, father, uncle and the man the world knew as DMX. We will share information about his memorial service once details are finalized.”

UPDATE: Saturday, April 3, 2021; 8:45 p.m. EST — 

DMX is reportedly still on life support Saturday night after his attorney Murray Richman, who earlier in the evening said that the rapper was breathing on his own, claims he was given wrong information, Rolling Stone reports.

UPDATE: Saturday, April 3, 2021; 6:45 p.m. EST — 

DMX is reportedly off of life support and breathing on his own, after earlier reports claimed that the iconic rapper was “in a vegetative state” following a suspected drug overdose and heart attack at his home.

Still, Murray Richman, an attorney for DMX, whose government name is Earl Simmons, shared that his client remains in “grave condition,” PIX11 News reported Saturday.

”It would be disingenuous of me to suggest that I’m not a worried man at this particular point,” Richman admitted.

The attorney, who has reportedly worked with DMX for over 20 years, went on to speak about the importance of the Hip-Hop legend’s art.

“Earl Simmons, DMX, in my opinion, is one of the great poets of our time,” Richman said with conviction. “And what he had to say, if people bothered to listen, and they could overcome their hostility to rap, [they] would learn a great deal.”

EARLIER: 

Multi-platinum rapper DMX has been hospitalized following a drug overdose and heart attack, according to a new report from TMZ Saturday morning. The incident happened late Friday night at his home in suburban New York City.

TMZ reported:

DMX, 50, was rushed to a hospital in White Plains, New York and is in the critical care unit. We’re told he has ‘some brain activity.’ Another source says he’s in a ‘vegetative state’ and doctors have cautioned he may not make it.”

The celebrity news site added: “the prognosis is not good.”

Unverified claims on social media claimed the rapper has died. There was no confirmation of those reports.

X’s social channels were silent Saturday morning, with his most recent activity on Instagram coming late last month with a post advertising merchandise. It directed users to a website that was not responding Saturday morning.

People across social media were offering their prayers and well-wishes for DMX in response to the reports of an overdose and heart attack. Timelines were replete with DMX mentions about his outsized contribution to hip-hop.

DMX rose to fame in the late 1990s by leading the Ruff Ryders collective of artists to chart-topping success with both songs and albums, including the rarified feat of having two number 1 LPs in the same calendar year back in 1998.

The multi-Grammy-nominated rapper’s debut album, “It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot,” in 1998, went four times platinum, leading to six more albums, with the most recent one being released in 2012.

The rapper’s career has been marked by his struggles with addiction dating back more than a decade. He has been publicly open about his drug problems throughout most of his life, including a near-fatal overdose in 2016. As a result, he has also found himself in and out of legal troubles over his battle with addiction.

DMX was also convicted for tax evasion in 2017, but he ultimately violated the terms of his release by failing a drug test during a court-ordered drug treatment program. That landed him back in jail in 2018.

“I never went to the level of tax evasion where I’d sit down and plot … like a criminal in a comic book,” an emotional DMX said when he addressed the court during an appearance following his failed drug test.

One of the more recent highlights in DMX’s career came last summer when he and Snoop Dogg squared off for an installment of Verzuz, the Instagram Live series of musical artists or groups “battling” each other that gives fans a chance to see their favorites perform live.

Bossip recalled how “happy (and healthy)” DMX looked during the Verzuz during the “fun-filled celebration of living legends bursting with drunk uncle shenanigans, memeable moments and timeless classics that attracted over 2 million viewers to the steadily growing virtual experience.”

This is a developing story that will be updated as additional information becomes available.

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