The hip-hop community received some heartbreaking news over the weekend after it was revealed that rapper DMX suffered an overdose on April 2 that later triggered a heart attack. The 50-year-old, whose real name is Earl Simmons, reportedly remains on life support and is said to be in a vegetative state with minimal brain activity.
Fans and peers have sent their prayers and well-wishes to the star, who’s had a heavily documented history of battling drug addiction. However, one entertainment figure seemingly is not satisfied with how DMX’s struggle has been handled.
DJ Funkmaster Flex recently told Page Six that the “Who We Be” rapper’s friends in the music industry should have done more to aid the emcee before his latest calamity. The New York-based DJ aired out his frustrations with so-called friends who share social media posts when difficulty strikes but don’t actually lend their support when it is needed.
“People can find the picture … that they had with the person that’s going through a tragedy in 30 seconds, but you haven’t called that person in 10 years,” Flex expressed. “Let me see the picture of you when you went afterwards to his house because you was so concerned. I never see that picture where they go to the house.”
He added, “Nipsey Hussle passed away, and every washed-up rapper made a pilgrimage to L.A. to go to the Marathon store to take a picture or to get their cards swiped. Bro, Nipsey needed that support when he was alive.”
Flex described to the New York Post gossip page the nature of the music business as a “bottomless pit of happiness or depression.” He continued, “You don’t always get the best help when money is being made. It’s rough for someone like a DMX who may be in a mental and emotional state of childhood trauma that has happened to him and then being thrown into the money and fame.”
Flex went on to say that perhaps X’s journey should be more amplified so that it would set an example for the next generation to come.
Rising star NLE Choppa made a similar plea for record labels to provide more resources for artists struggling with mental health issues and drug abuse. In November 2020, the Memphis native voiced his worries about fellow rapper Famous Dex after clips surfaced showing him to be seemingly highly under the influence of unknown substances. NLE Choppa insisted that Dex’s label 300 Entertainment help the 27-year-old.
“I’ve never been the type to be in folks business but @300 y’all see @FamousDex obviously on drugs too heavy can y’all at least try surround that man around somebody with his best interest,” NLE Choppa wrote on Twitter at the time. “Help dude out, or somebody who already is in his ear uplift dude he NEEDING it.”
While social media felt it was a matter best handled in private, Dex said he harbored no ill feelings about the post. In a disturbing video where he was slurring his words, Dex said, “He cares, at least somebody cares.” He added, “He didn’t say nothing wrong. At least somebody cares. I just wanted to say I really appreciated the love and support, but the world on drugs, and I look mighty damn fine.”
