Rapper-actor DMX dies aged 50

DMX, the raspy-voiced hip-hop artist who rapped with a trademark delivery that was often paired with growls, barks and “What!” as an ad lib, has died aged 50.

The Grammy-nominated performer died after suffering “catastrophic cardiac arrest”, according to the hospital in White Plains, New York, where he died.

He was rushed there from his home on April 2.

His family’s statement said DMX, whose birth name was Earl Simmons, died with relatives by his side after several days on life support.

“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”.

DMX built a multiplatinum career as one of rap’s stars in the 1990s and early 2000s, but he also struggled with drug addiction and legal problems that repeatedly put him behind bars.

He made a splash in rap music in 1998 with his first studio album, It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

The multiplatinum-selling album was anchored by several hits, including Ruff Ryders’ Anthem, Get At Me Dog, Stop Being Greedy and How It’s Goin’ Down.

DMX followed up with four straight chart-topping albums including … And Then There Was X, Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood, The Great Depression and Grand Champ.

He released seven albums, earned three Grammy nominations and was named favourite rap/hip-hop artist at the 2000 American Music Awards.

DMX arrived on the rap scene around the same time as Jay-Z, Ja Rule and others who dominated the charts and emerged as platinum-selling acts.

They were all part of rap crews, too: DMX fronted the Ruff Ryders collective, which helped launch the careers of Grammy winners Eve and Swizz Beatz, and relaunch The Lox, formerly signed to Bad Boy Records.

Ruff Ryders had success in the charts and on radio with their Ryde Or Die compilation albums.

Along with his musical career, DMX paved his way as an actor.

He starred in the 1998 film Belly and appeared in 2000′s Romeo Must Die with Jet Li and Aaliyah.

DMX and Aaliyah teamed up for Come Back In One Piece on the film’s soundtrack.

The rapper would later open Aaliyah’s tribute music video, Miss You, alongside her other friends and collaborators, including Missy Elliott, Lil’ Kim and Queen Latifah, after Aaliyah’s 2001 death in a plane crash at the age of 22.

The rapper also starred in 2001′s Exit Wounds with Steven Seagal and 2003′s Cradle 2 The Grave with Li.

But while DMX made his mark as one of hip-hop’s most recognisable names for his rap artistry and as an actor, the rapper was personally stifled by his legal battles – he was repeatedly arrested and jailed within a decade – and drug addiction.

His addiction first took hold at age 14 when he smoked a marijuana cigarette that was laced with cocaine.

DMX pleaded guilty in 2004 after he posed as an undercover federal agent and crashed his SUV through a security gate at New York’s Kennedy Airport.

He was arrested in 2008 on drug and animal cruelty charges following an overnight raid on his house in Phoenix.

He tried to barricade himself in his bedroom but emerged when a SWAT team entered his home.

In 2010, he was sentenced to a year in prison for violating terms of his probation.

After he was admitted to rehab numerous times over the next year, he said he had finally beaten his drug addiction.

First responders helped bring DMX back to life after he was found in a hotel car park in New York in 2016.

The rapper said he suffered from asthma.

A couple of years later, DMX was sentenced to a year in prison for tax fraud.

Prosecutors said he concocted a multi-year scheme to hide millions of dollars in income from the IRS and to get around nearly two million dollars in tax liabilities.

After his release, DMX planned a 32-date tour to mark the 20th anniversary of It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot.

But the rapper cancelled a series of shows to check himself into a rehab facility in 2019.

In an Instagram post, his team said he apologised for the cancelled shows and thanked his fans for the continued support.

Besides his legal troubles, DMX took the initiative to help the less fortunate.

He gave a group of Philadelphia men advice during a surprise appearance at a homeless support group meeting in 2017, and helped a Maine family with its back-to-school purchases a couple of years later.

Last year, DMX faced off against Snoop Dogg in a Verzuz battle, which drew more than 500,000 viewers.

He is survived by his 15 children and mother.