According to the late-rapper’s Instagram, a\u00a0memorial service to honor his life and legacy will\u00a0take place<\/strong>Saturday in New York City.\u00a0<\/strong>The service will begin at 4 p.m. EST\/1 p.m. PST, and though it\u00a0will only be open to close friends and family, it\u00a0will be streamed live on DMX’s official YouTube page for the public. Prior to the livestreamed memorial, Ruff Ryders will host a ride-out procession called The Ruff Ryders 2 The Rescue: Ryde 4 Life starting in Yonkers, New York.\u00a0<\/p>\n The next day BET will host a homegoing celebration, “BET Remembers DMX,” to commemorate the rapper’s life. According to a press release, the event will be broadcast and streamed by BET on Sunday, beginning at\u00a02:30 p.m. EST\/11:30 a.m. PST.\u00a0Following the program, the network will air movies and documentaries featuring DMX to\u00a0honor him.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg> View this post on Instagram<\/p>\n A post shared by DMX (@dmx)<\/p>\n \u201cDMX is a musical icon whose impact was truly groundbreaking and transcended generations. The authenticity and transparency in his music were profound, creating a lane of his own that changed hip-hop forever,” said Connie Orlando, BET’s executive vice president of specials, music programming and music strategy.<\/p>\n The rapper,\u00a0whose real name is\u00a0Earl Simmons, was\u00a0rushed to a hospital in White Plains, New York,\u00a0on April 2 and died almost a week later\u00a0according to a statement from his family\u00a0given to The Associated Press.<\/p>\n \u201cEarl 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,\u201d the family said, adding that his music \u201cinspired countless fans across the world, and his iconic legacy will live on forever.\u201d<\/p>\n Rapper DMX is currently hospitalized after suffering a drug overdose at his home in New York (Photo: Wochit)<\/span><\/p>\n He first made a splash in rap music in 1998 with his first studio album \u201cIt\u2019s Dark and Hell is Hot,\u201d which debuted No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The multiplatinum-selling album was anchored by several hits including \u201cRuff Ryders\u2019 Anthem,\u201d \u201cGet At Me Dog\u201d and \u201cStop Being Greedy.\u201d<\/p>\n The rapper had four other chart-topping albums including \u201c… And Then There Was X,\u201d \u201cFlesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood,\u201d \u201cThe Great Depression\u201d and \u201cGrand Champ.\u201d He released seven albums and earned three Grammy nominations including nods for\u00a0“Party Up (Up in Here).”<\/p>\n Most recently, DMX battled fellow rapper Snoop Dogg during Swizz Beatz and Timbaland’s\u00a0popular web series\u00a0“Verzuz” in July 2020.<\/p>\n The Ruff Ryders rapper battled with drug addiction in the past and was last in rehab in 2019 after\u00a0spending a year in prison for tax evasion, which the IRS had\u00a0been pursuing him for since 2005.<\/p>\n Besides his legal troubles, DMX worked to help\u00a0the less fortunate. He gave a group of Philadelphia men advice during a surprise\u00a0appearance at a homeless support group meeting\u00a0in 2017 and helped a Maine family with its\u00a0back-to-school purchases\u00a0a couple of years later.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2021\/04\/03\/USAT\/ab3e0fa5-300d-4847-9689-786fa0f92676-Rapper_DMX_is_currently_hospitalized_aft-60688c7c12102b4249b35291_1_Apr_03_2021_17_25_45_poster.jpeg\")
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