Rapper DMX remains on life support in the hospital, and his friends and family are organizing a prayer vigil to try to help see him through. DMX — whose real name is Earl Simmons — suffered a heart attack on Friday and is still in critical condition at a New York-area hospital. On Monday evening, the Ruff Ryders to the Rescue Foundation is holding a vigil outside of that hospital for his safe recovery.
Simmons’ family told The Associated Press that the vigil will begin at 5 p.m. ET outside of White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York on Monday. A public statement by the Ruff Ryders to the Rescue Foundation read: “On Friday night, April 2nd, 2021, our brother, son, father, and colleague DMX, birth name of Earl Simmons, was admitted to White Plains (NY) Hospital, facing serious health issues. 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.”
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Simmons was rushed to the hospital late on Friday night after suffering a heart attack at home. It was reportedly induced by a drug overdose, though the details are still unclear. The rapper needed to be resuscitated by doctors at the hospital and then put on life support, including a ventilator. He remains in the intensive care unit at the time of this writing.
Simmons’ manager, Nakia Walker, told Buzzfeed News on Sunday that Simmons is in a “vegetative state” with “lung and brain failure and no brain activity,” adding: “We’re just praying.” A previous report by TMZ said that doctors have already warned Simmons’ family to prepare for the worst.
Simmons has a long, well-documented history with substance abuse issues, as he himself has made clear. The rapper has been vulnerable and confessional about his struggles over the years and has often thanked fans publicly for supporting him through rehabilitations and backslides. In his memoir E.A.R.L.: The Autobiography of DMX, he wrote that he first smoked crack cocaine at the age of 14 while living in a boys’ home after fleeing his abusive mother and stepfather.
In spite of these trials, Simmons is one of the pre-eminent voices of rap music in his generation. He rose to prominence with singles like “Party Up (Up in Here)” and “X Gon Give It To Ya,” and has reportedly been working on a new album with Def Jam Records since 2019. Fans continue to share well-wishes and prayers for DMX on social media.
