DMX has been hospitalized after drug overdose on Friday night triggered a heart attack. The 50-year-old rapper, whose real name is Earl Simmons, is now in a vegetative state and on life support. Through the years, DMX has landed in a number of troublesome situations with the law due to his substance abuse issues, though those issues pale before this latest tragedy.
DMX’s History With Drug Abuse
DMX was introduced to hard drugs at a young age. In an interview with Talib Kweli, the “Party Up (Up in Here)” rapper said that his drug abuse started when he was just 14-years-old after his mentor gave him a crack-laced blunt without telling him what was in it. “Why would you do that to a child?” DMX asked, his eyes misty. “He was like 30 and he knew I looked up to him. Why would you do that to someone who looks up to you?”
It was soon after that experience that DMX began running into legal trouble. He was first sentenced to prison in 1986 for stealing a dog from a junkyard. Even after he became a public figure, DMX struggled to stay on the right side of the law, with the struggle, unfortunately, playing out far too often in the public eye. His drug problems persisted through the years and he was charged multiple times for possession, most often of marijuana.
Another frequent charge against the rapper was for DUIs. Oftentimes, DMX would also be cited for driving without a license, or with a suspended one, and reckless driving. Between 2000 to 2015, he was arrested over 20 times for everything from animal cruelty to outstanding child support payments.
In 2017, while he was on trial for tax fraud, DMX relapsed on cocaine and Oxycodone after leaving a drug treatment program that had been ordered by the court. Though he was originally free pending his sentencing, the judge on the case ordered the rapper remanded to jail.
As of right now, DMX remains hospitalized and his family, including some of his children, have flocked to his side in his time of need. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has complicated the family’s ability to visit with the rapper, though some, including his fiancee Desiree Lindstrom, and his mom, Arnett Simmons have managed to see him. Fans have also set up outside the hospital in New York in a vigil for DMX’s recovery and to show the family their support. That’s exactly what the family needs in this unbelievably tragic moment.
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