In a resolution introduced by State Senator Jamal Bailey back in April, the state declared December 18th to be Earl “DMX” Simmons Day.

“In New York, we have our own hip-hop royalty. He’s the Earl of Westchester County. He is DMX, he is one of the greatest hip hop artists that we will ever know," Bailey said at the time. "May he rest in peace and may his memory be a blessing."

Theo Wargo / Getty Images

DMX passed away on April 9, 2021, after being hospitalized due to a heart attack. Following his death, a “Celebration of Life” was held at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center and was led by Kanye West's Sunday Service Choir. X's casket was taken to the arena in a monster truck that read, "Long Live DMX." Eve, Nas, Swizz Beatz, and more gave speeches at the event. 

In honor of his birthday on Saturday, Beatz, who frequently collaborated with DMX, posted a collection of his favorite moments of the legendary rapper on video.

Check out Senator Bailey’s remarks on DMX's passing from April below.

About The Author

Cole Blake is currently an Editor at HotNewHipHop based out of Brooklyn, New York. He began working at the site as an intern back in 2018 while studying journalism at St. John’s University. In the time since, he’s graduated with a bachelor's degree and written extensively about a wide range of topics including pop culture, film & television, politics, video games, sports, and much more. He’s also covered music festivals such as Gov. Ball and Rolling Loud. You can find him publishing work for HNHH from Monday to Wednesday or on weekends. On the sports front, Cole’s a passionate NBA and NFL fan with his favorite teams being the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Lakers. He also roots for the Yankees whenever he finds himself at Yankee Stadium or the Red Storm when in the company of other SJU alumni. His favorite hip-hop artists are billy woods, Earl Sweatshirt, Cam’ron, MIKE, and Mach-Hommy.

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