The rapper DMX is between life and death

Sylvie Claire / April 4, 2021

New York rapper DMX was hospitalized Friday night after a heart attack and was still in critical condition Saturday, his lawyer Murray Richman said

He was hospitalized at 11 p.m. yesterday at the hospital in White Plains, a suburban New York town where he lives, after suffering a heart attack, Richman, who has represented the rapper for 25 years, told AFP

As far as I know, he is still on life support, the lawyer added, saying he was very concerned.

The lawyer said he could not confirm information from the specialized site TMZ that the New York rapper, 50 years old and known to have had drug problems, overdosed.

DMX had notably gone through rehab in 2019, according to TMZ.

The rapper, whose real name is Earl Simmons, had his moment of glory in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with hits like X Gon' Give It To Ya or Party Up. 

The author of eight albums, most recently in 2015, DMX is among the darkest figures in hip-hop, exposing his inner demons in anthems that have earned him both commercial and critical success.

His first big single, Get At Me Dog, featuring Def Jam, was released in 1998 from his first studio album, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot

The album reached number one on the Billboard charts, with a second hit, Ruff Ryders' Anthem, marking the beginning of a commercial success that would last several years.

Throughout his career, he has had numerous run-ins with the law, including charges of drug possession, animal cruelty, reckless driving, failure to pay child support, and impersonating a federal agent.

In November 2017, he had pleaded guilty to tax evasion, admitting to avoiding paying $1.7 million in taxes. He had been sentenced to one year in prison and ordered to make restitution of some $2.3 million.