Hip- hop star who struggled with law, drugs

NEW YORK — DMX, the iconic hip- hop artist behind the songs “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” and “Party Up ( Up in Here)” whose distinctively gruff voice and thoughtful messages in his rhymes made him one of rap’s biggest stars, has died, according to a family statement Friday. 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 died. He was rushed there 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.”

Memorial plans were not yet set.

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.

“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.”

“He was a true legend to the hip- hop community,” Chingy said in a statement.

DMX made a splash in 1998 with his first studio album, “It’s Dark and Hell is Hot,” which debuted No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The multiplatinumselling 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 platinumselling 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 on the charts and on radio with its “Ryde or Die” compilation albums.

Along with his musical career, DMX branched out into acting. He starred in the 1998 film “Belly” and appeared in 2000′ s “Romeo Must Die” with Jet Li and Aaliyah.

But while DMX made his mark as one of hip- hop’s most recognizable 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.

“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.”