American rapper, Earl Simmons, popularly known as DMX, has died on Friday after spending days on life support due to drug overdose.
The 50-year-old Grammy-nominated rapper suffered a heart attack last week, reportedly related to a drug overdose, and has been in critical condition since then.
On Friday afternoon, DMX’s family announced in a statement that the rapper died today at White Plains Hospital in New York.
“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,” a statement by the family read.
“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,” the statement reads.
The statement comes barely 24 hours after DMX’s manager released a video to deny rumours that the rapper had passed away after ‘RIP DMX’ began to trend on social media.