DMX’s funeral procession brings Brooklyn to a standstill as monster truck carries his casket
DMX’s funeral procession brings Brooklyn to a standstill as hundreds of bikers escort monster truck carrying his red casket to memorial service at Barclays Center, two weeks after the 50-year-old died of a heart attack
- A huge black monster truck emblazoned with ‘Long Live DMX’ brought the body of the late rapper from his home town of Yonkers to the arena in Brooklyn, New York City, Saturday afternoon
- The vehicle was flanked by hundreds of motorbikes, as DMX’s shiny bright red coffin sat on the truck’s trailer
- The American rapper and actor – real name Earl Simmons – died on April 9 at the age of 50
- He suffered a heart attack a week earlier at his home in White Plains, New York
- The memorial at the Barclays Center is closed to the public due to COVID-19 but will be streamed live on DMX’s YouTube account at 4 pm ET
DMX’s funeral procession brought Brooklyn to a standstill Saturday as bikers escorted the monster truck carrying his casket to a memorial service at the Barclays Center, two weeks after he died of a heart attack.
A huge black monster truck emblazoned with ‘Long Live DMX’ brought the body of the late rapper and New York native from his home town of Yonkers to the arena in Brooklyn, New York City, Saturday afternoon.
The vehicle was flanked by hundreds of motorbikes, as DMX’s shiny bright red coffin was visible in the open air of the truck’s trailer.
The American rapper and actor Earl Simmons, known by his stage name DMX or Dark Man X, died on April 9 at the age of 50.
He suffered a heart attack a week earlier at his home in White Plains, New York, after an apparent drug overdose.
DMX’s funeral procession brought Brooklyn to a standstill Saturday as bikers escorted the monster truck carrying his casket to a memorial service at the Barclays Center two weeks after he died of a heart attack
The monster truck made its way through New York Saturday carrying the late rapper’s bright red casket to the service
The vehicle was flanked by hundreds of motorbikes, as it made the journey from Yonkers to Brooklyn Saturday afternoon
An ‘X’ tribute and the lyrics of his hit song Fame are displayed outside the Barclays Center as a tribute Saturday
An X floral arrangement is seen outside the Barclays Center where a private memorial for US rapper DMX is being held
The procession began at around midday in the Yonkers area of New York where DMX grew up from the age of five in the School Street Projects, before he rose to global stardom.
The NYPD and Yonkers Police told motorists to expect traffic delays and temporary closures along the route as the mourners made their way
‘Temporary closures south on the Major Deegan to the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge to the westbound Grand Central Parkway,’ the NYPD tweeted.
Footage on social media showed the roaring truck pulling up to the arena just after 2pm where the life of the hip-hop legend will be honored in a memorial service this afternoon.
A large white ‘X’ floral arrangement was on display outside the Barclays Center while a tribute to DMX was on display on the front of the building.
It featured an image of the rapper with wings along with the lyrics of his hit song Fame: ‘We each have a star, all we have to do is find it. Once you do, everyone who sees it will be blinded.’
‘Earl “DMX” Simmons 1970-2021,’ it read.
Members of the Nation of Islam were also seen gathering outside the center ahead of the start of the service.
The rap icon passed away on April 9 at the age of 50 after suffering an apparent drug overdose and heart attack at his home in White Plains, New York
Members of the Nation of Islam are seen next to an X floral arrangement outside the Barclays Center
A woman watches the procession of DMX’s casket from the McLean Avenue bridge as it makes its way south on the New York State Thruway in Yonkers
Hundreds are gathered outside the Brooklyn Center to see the casket of US rapper arrive on a monster truck along Flatbush Avenue
While the Barclays Center seats up to 19,000 seats for concerts and as the home of the Brooklyn Nets basketball team, it is currently only allowed to function at 10 percent capacity due to the pandemic.
As a result, the memorial service will be closed to the public, with only the rapper’s family and friends able to attend but it will be streamed live on DMX’s YouTube account at 4pm ET.
A second event will be broadcast live on BET Sunday at 2:30 pm ET from an undisclosed church in the New York City area.
His chart-topping songs included ‘Party Up (Up in Here)’ and ‘X Gon’ Give It To Ya.’ The Yonkers, New York native’s career had been marked by legal troubles and prison time, and a well-publicized struggle with drug addiction.
The rap icon died April 9 in White Plains Hospital with his family by his side, after he had spent a week fighting for his life in hospital following a heart attack.
His family confirmed the news in a statement saying: ‘We are deeply saddened to announce today that our loved one, DMX, birth name of Earl Simmons, passed away at 50 years old at White Plains Hospital with his family by his side after being placed on life support for the past few days.’
‘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,’ the statement, shared via People, continued.
‘Earl’s music inspired countless fans across the world and his iconic legacy will live on forever.’
The news came after it was reported that his vital organs had failed, that he had ‘not regained any brain function’ and that his condition had not improved since he was admitted to hospital.
Fans had gathered for days before his death, holding prayer vigils outside the suburban New York hospital, where he had been reported on life support and in a coma.
His rap career had an impressive start, with his debut album in 1998 ‘It’s Dark and Hell is Hot,’ listed as number one on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States. It sold more than 5 million copies.
Along with being mourned by fans around the world, his death spurred an outpouring of condolences from stars such as Chance the Rapper who said on social media, ‘Rest in Heaven DMX.’
