DMX’s Son Exodus, 6, Performs Piano Cover of ‘Ruff Ryders’ Anthem’

DMX’s six-year-old son Exodus recently performed a piano cover of his dad’s hit song, “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem.” On Instagram, the late rapper’s fiancée, Desiree Lindstrom, shared a clip of Exodus performing the tune in honor of his father. At the end of the clip — which can be seen below — the young boy sweetly adds, “I love you, Daddy.”

DMX — real name Earl Simmons — died on April 9, 2021, after suffering a heart attack amid a week-long hospitalization. Days prior, he’d been rushed to the hospital after it was reported he had experienced a cardiac event. The following day, it was confirmed by DMX’s attorney, Murray Richman, that the rapper was placed on life support. Later in the day, Richman released a statement saying that DMX had been taken off life-support and was breathing on his own, but that information turned out to be inaccurate.

On April 4, DMX’s manager Nakia Walker issued a statement telling The NY Times that DMX was in a “vegetative state” and had suffered “lung and brain failure.” DMX’s family also issued a statement at the time, as published by Entertainment Tonight and BET, saying, “We ask that you please keep Earl/DMX and us in your thoughts, wishes, and prayers as well as respect our privacy as we face these challenges.”

In the wake of DMX’s death, PopCulture.com had a chance to speak with filmmaker James Cullen Bressack, who directed the rapper/actor in one of his final movies, Beyond the Law. Reflecting on his late friend, Bressack shared, “He had such a good sense of humor. I remember, my voice was getting blown out because of being on set so long, and he has so much louder of a voice than me so he was like, ‘I’ll call action for you.’ So I kept going and he would yell, ‘Action.’”

Recalling one very memorable take, Bressack replied, “I remember the very last shot of his thing, he literally turns to the camera and goes, ‘Action,’ into the camera and then drops into character for this emotional scene about how Johnny Messner’s character is hospitalized. I was like, ‘Wow. That’s awesome!’”

“It sucks, he’s gone too soon,” Bressack later said solemnly. “He was just a genuine, beautiful human being.” The filmmaker added, “[DMX] was always trying to help people out. He was just genuinely a really nice person, who cared about others and found beautiful moments in everything, and the comedy in everything that went on in life. I’m going to miss him very much.”