Earl Simmons, known publicly as the rapper DMX, has died at age 50.
Simmons’s family confirmed his death Friday in a statement, the Associated Press reported Friday.
“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, and his iconic legacy will live on forever.”
The Grammy-nominated rapper had been on life support in a White Plains, New York, hospital since April 2, following a severe heart attack.
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“Last night Earl ‘DMX’ Simmons was rushed to the hospital after collapsing at home,” a representative for Simmons told TMZ in a statement on Saturday, the day after the heart attack occurred.
A family member said his children were flying to New York to see their father.
“I’m very sad about it, extremely sad,” Simmons’s lawyer, Murray Richman, said following Simmons’s hospitalization. “He’s like my son. He’s just a tremendous person, tremendous entertainer, tremendous human being. And so much to offer, so much to say. Not the run-of-the-mill rapper. A person of great depth.”
Known for hits including “Lord Give Me a Sign,” “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem,” and “Party Up (Up in Here),” Simmons released five albums that achieved the Recording Industry Association of America’s certified Platinum standing and two singles that received Gold status.
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Simmons was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and grew up in Yonkers, New York. He spent much of his childhood in an abusive household and later spent time in boys’ homes.
He is survived by 15 children and his mother, Arnett Simmons.
