US rapper DMX dies at 50

NEW YORK: DMX, the hardcore hip-hop star whose ominous, snarling raps chronicled the violence and struggles of the American street, has died. He was 50 years old.

The rapper’s longtime lawyer confirmed DMX’s death to AFP, after a statement from his family widely shared on social media said the artist, born Earl Simmons, died after nearly a week on life support following a heart attack.

"Earl was a warrior who fought till the very end," the statement read, saying the rapper died at White Plains Hospital north of New York City, with his loved ones by his side. "He loved his family with all of his heart and we cherish the times we spent with him," the statement read.