NEW YORK -- DMX, the raspy hip-hop artist behind the songs "Ruff Ryders' Anthem" and "Party Up (Up in Here)" who had one of rap's most distinctive voices -- literally and metaphorically -- has died, according to a statement Friday from his family. He was 50.
The Grammy-nominated performer died after suffering "catastrophic cardiac arrest," according to a statement from the hospital in White Plains, N.Y., where he was rushed from his home 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 -- who rapped with a trademark delivery that was often paired with growls, barks and "What!" as an ad-lib -- built a multiplatinum career as one of rap's biggest stars of the late 1990s and early 2000s, but he also struggled with drug addiction and legal problems that repeatedly put him behind bars.
[Video not showing up above? Click here to watch » https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzyeBbqr2DQ]
"His message of triumph over struggle, his search for the light out of darkness, his pursuit of truth and grace brought us closer to our own humanity," his record label, Def Jam Recordings, said in a statement describing him as "nothing less than a giant."
Fellow hip hop artists remembered him likewise, with Eve praising him as "one of the most special people I have ever met" and Nas calling him "Gods poet" in an Instagram post. Chingy recalled touring with DMX and being inspired by his style and struck by how "he always showed me love."
DMX made a splash in 1998 with his first studio album, "It's Dark and Hell is Hot," which debuted at No. 1 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 favorite 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.
Along with his musical career, DMX made 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 also starred in 2001's "Exit Wounds" with Steven Seagal and 2003's "Cradle 2 the Grave" with Li.
But the rapper was stymied by his addiction and legal battles, and was repeatedly arrested and jailed. His addiction first took hold at age 14 when he smoked a marijuana cigarette that was laced with cocaine.
"You can't be a fan and not feel empathy for him in his journey," hip-hop and electronic music producer Flying Lotus said in an interview while DMX was hospitalized this week. "You think of 'Belly' and all the great stuff that he was part of. But he was dealt such a weird hand, I think, with the drug stuff. And I just have empathy."
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 in Phoenix. In 2010, he was sentenced to a year in prison for violating terms of his probation.
After undergoing rehab numerous times over the next year, he said he had finally beat his drug addiction. First responders helped bring DMX back to life after he was found in a hotel parking lot in New York in 2016.
And, in 2018, DMX was sentenced to a year in prison for tax fraud. Prosecutors said he concocted a multiyear scheme to hide millions of dollars in income to avoid nearly $2 million in taxes.
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 canceled a series of shows to check himself into a rehab facility in 2019.
Last year, DMX faced off against Snoop Dogg in a Verzuz battle, which drew more than 500,000 viewers.
Survivors include his 15 children and his mother.
