[UPDATE 7/9/21]: Three months after rapper DMX died at the age of 50, the cause of his death has been confirmed.
Per Vulture, the Westchester County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed that DMX (real name Earl Simmons) died of a heart attack, and that the cardiac event was brought on by “acute cocaine intoxication.”
When DMX was initially hospitalized on April 2nd, it was widely reported that he had suffered a drug overdose. Representatives from his camp were quick to play down that narrative, referring to the episode simply as a heart attack. The rapper remained on life support for a week and was later pronounced dead on April 9th.
As the medical examiner’s office source explained to Vulture, Simmons was already brain-dead by the time he reached the hospital on April 2nd due to the lack of oxygen to his brain during the roughly one-hour period between the cardiac event and his arrival at the hospital, where they were able to maintain a pulse with mechanical assistance. An analysis of Simmons’s urine showed the presence of cocaine.
As Vulture reports, “The medical examiner’s office did not perform an autopsy, as they had determined the cause of death based upon documentation furnished by medical professionals and police, the source said.”
“His death literally happened immediately because the brain was dead,” the source added. “So obviously, there were a number of days where he was on ventilatory support and so forth in the hospital. However, he was diagnosed brain-dead early on … He never woke up from [a] coma.”
[4/9/21] Earl Simmons, known primarily by his stage name DMX, has died at age 50, a week after going into cardiac arrest and being put on life support at a New York hospital on April 2nd.
TMZ confirmed Simmons’ passing on Friday morning, reporting that the rapper/actor “had virtually no brain function after he was deprived of oxygen for nearly 30 minutes” following a reported drug overdose and ensuing heart attack. No specifics were given as to what caused the overdose or heart attack.
“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. Earl was a warrior who fought till the very end,” Simmons’ representatives said in a statement on Friday. “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.”
Conflicting news reports shared over the past few days on the state of the well-known rap artist were further thrown into question on Thursday, as the rapper’s label, Cleopatra Records, released a new DMX single entitled “X Moves”. The rap-rock track features contributions from a slew of music legends including bassist Bootsy Collins (Parliament-Funkadelic), drummer Ian Paice (Deep Purple), and guitarist Steve Howe (Yes).
As Cleopatra Records founder and “X Moves” co-producer Brian Perera explained in a press release on Thursday, “Obviously, we are all holding our breath and praying that DMX pulls through and makes a full recovery. As ‘X Moves’ shows, he is still one of the most innovative and original hip hop artists around. Our hearts go out to all of DMX’s family, friends and supporters.”
Listen to the final DMX single released during his lifetime below. You can also order “X Moves” on limited-edition 7″ vinyl here.
DMX ft. Bootsy Collins, Steve Howe, Ian Paice – “X Moves”
[Video: MAJOR NIMA]
R.I.P. DMX.
[H/T TMZ]
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