Rap Legend DMX Dies at 50, Priyanka Chopra Calls It 'Big Loss' for Music Industry

American rapper and actor Earl Simmons, known by the stage name DMX or Dark Man X, died on Friday, his record label said after he suffered a heart attack during what media reports said was a drug overdose. He was 50 years old. The chart-topping artist’s songs included “Party Up (Up in Here)” and “X Gon’ Give It To Ya.” His career had been marked by legal troubles and prison time. Music label Def Jam Recordings said in a statement it was saddened by “the loss of our brother Earl ‘DMX’ Simmons.”

“DMX was a brilliant artist and an inspiration to millions around the world,” the statement said. “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.”

DMX collapsed at home late on April 2. Celebrity publications TMZ and Billboard said he had overdosed on drugs triggering a heart attack.

On Friday, White Plains Hospital in New York said DMX had died peacefully with family by his side after suffering a “catastrophic cardiac arrest.”

“Earl was a warrior who fought till the very end,” family members said in a statement, adding that his music “inspired countless fans across the world and his iconic legacy will live on forever.”Growing up in Yonkers, New York, DMX took his moniker from the name of a drum machine used in rap songs. When he was 14, an older rapper who had been a mentor tricked him into smoking crack, DMX said in a documentary series broadcast on BET.

“He created a monster,” he said. “Cocaine almost took my life on a few occasions.”

His debut album in 1998, “It’s Dark and Hell is Hot,” was the first of five in a row to top the Billboard 200 chart in the United States. He was the only rap artist with such a streak, according to a 2019 profile in GQ magazine. here

He studied the Bible and prayed before and after every show, he told GQ.

“Performing in front of people is beyond a high. It’s beyond a high that any drug could duplicate,” he said.

The rapper’s intense songs told stories of a complex character’s “sins of the streets,” according to a biography on allmusic.com, which described DMX as a “hip-hop Johnny Cash.”

His album “…And Then There Was X” was his biggest seller, certified five-time multiplatinum. DMX released eight albums and was nominated for three Grammys.

DMX earned more than 40 film and television credits, including “Belly,” “Romeo Must Die,” and action films “Cradle 2 the Grave” and “Exit Wounds,” also contributing music to their soundtracks.

Fans, celebrities, and the music world are mourning the death of rap legend DMX. Actress Priyanka Chopra took to her Twitter account to remember DMX. “He was one of my favourite artistes growing up, and then to have had the opportunity to work with him was such a dream come true. Such a big loss for the music industry. #RIP DMX. Sending my thoughts and love to his family,” she tweeted.

Rapper Meek Mill posted, “RIP DMX ONE OF MY INSPIRATIONS ESPECIALLY WIT THE BIKES! BRING THEM BIKES OUT!”

Actress Viola Davis wrote, “RIP DMX. I pray for the comfort of your children and loved ones.”

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