As tributes continue to pour in for DMX after the legendary rapper passed away, Lauryn Hill is bemoaning the state of the industry as to how artists are treated.
DMX was hospitalized on Saturday, April 3, in White Plains, NY, after an apparent overdose caused him to go into cardiac arrest. The rapper was then put on life support and underwent testing throughout the following week as fans anxiously awaited updates on his condition.
The rapper was hospitalized in a vegetative state on April 3 in White Plains, New York, after suffering an overdose that caused him to have a cardiac arrest. He remained on life support as doctors and medical personnel fought to save him while his family and fans anxiously.
At the time of his death, DMX was known to have a drug addiction problem which he has spoken about in the past as to his struggles and efforts to overcome addiction. In spite of those efforts, the rapper was dogged by the habit that has seen him suffering a drug overdose in the past where he came close to death’s door.
The rapper’s struggles have drawn the empathy of many as they mourn a brilliant and talented artist who rose to the top of his craft while secretly battling the demon of cocaine and crack addiction.
On Saturday, Lauryn Hill added her words in an emotional tribute to the Hip Hop legend, saying that she was frustrated at the industry which put commercial gain over the health and wellbeing of the artist.
“I have a lot of frustration when it comes to how artists are treated,” Ms. Hill wrote in an Instagram post on her official account. “The willful neglect, the energy made to sabotage and block, the attempt to addict for the sole, selfish purpose of containing and controlling the essential expression of artists, the agendas that put commercial gain over everything without serious regard for the wellbeing and care of the people whose gifts, abilities, experiences and traumas are used to generate so much for so many,” Ms. Lauryn Hill added.
The Grammy winner, who made history winning 5 Grammys in one night, noted that she hoped his death brought a reckoning for those who contributed to his pain while also sending love to his grieving family.
“May God heal and transform you into all the beauty He intended for you. May He reconcile and cancel your debts and provoke dramatic change in those who contributed to your pain,” she began. “May your family, children and those who truly loved you be held up, healed and supported through this devastating loss and may the world realize how expensive these premature departures are to the families, to the arts and to the world in general,” the hip hop legend said.
On Friday, the rapper’s family released a statement announcing his death. “Earl 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. Earl’s music inspired countless fans across the world and his iconic legacy will live on forever.”
Among those who have also sent public tributes are DJ Khaled, who posted a video of him listening to an old dubplate cut for him by DMX and Damian Marley of his song “It was Written”. A speaker playing the dubplate perched on the edge of a river in Jamaica was solemn as the lyrics- “your body is just a vehicle transporting your soul… as Khaled noted the caption “We love you DMX.”
