Entertainment
Swizz Beatz admits he’s ‘stressed and drained’ as DMX remains on life support after heart attack
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Swizz Beatz has spoken out for the first time since his longtime friend and collaborator DMX was rushed to hospital and placed on life support following a heart attack.
DMX, real name Earl Simmons, remains at a hospital in White Plains, New York following a reported overdose at his home on Friday.
The iconic rapper is said to be in a ‘grave condition’ and is fighting for his life.
Swizz, real name Kasseem Dean, went ahead with the latest episode of Verzuz on Sunday night featuring a friendly battle between The Isley Brothers and Earth, Wind & Fire, but admitted it was difficult to get through with DMX on his mind.
Speaking to his Verzuz co-founder Timbaland in an Instagram live on Monday, Swizz said: ‘What we did last night is what he listens to so I felt like last night was dedicated to him and I know he felt us.
‘The world felt us and I know he felt us and I felt good about that. That gave me some good energy because we not gonna be negative, we gonna stay positive, we gonna keep the energy vibrant.’
Sharing the emotional toll DMX’s health battle is taking on him personally, Swizz explained: ‘I’m stressed the f**k out. I’ma keep it 1,000 [%].
‘I ain’t even wanna do no live but you know? X would have wanted me to do the live. X would have wanted us to do the show last night. X don’t want none of that weak s**t going on. I gotta remember that.’
He predicted what DMX would tell him to do in this situation and said: ‘“Fix yourself. You ridin’ or what? We riders”. So I had to mentally programme myself that although it’s draining, we keeping each other strong. That’s how it gotta go.
‘X would have wanted us to be doing this right here. I’d tell him I ain’t doing the Verzus ‘cause I’m sad. He’d be cursing me out [like] “what?” ‘Cause I get on him too. Like what you mean you’re not doing it? Man, you betta go up there and go handle your business.’
Timbaland weighed in: ‘That’s what brother love is.’
Addressing the legions of fans supporting DMX, Swizz concluded: ‘I appreciate all the support and we need all the prayers. All the prayers we can get is not enough. It’s never enough. Please. We need him. We need him for real. Thank you for everybody that’s showing the love.’
Swizz and DMX have been friends for almost three decades and rose to prominence together as members of the iconic hip hop collective Ruff Ryders, which also featured rapper Eve, in the 1990s.
The pair were last seen in public together in July when DMX took part in a Verzuz battle with Snoop Dogg, which became one of the most popular streams in the series yet with around two million viewers tuning in.
DMX was taken to hospital on Friday night and admitted to intensive care where he was placed on life support.
Sources claimed the Party Up rapper had ‘some brain activity’ while another said he was in a ‘vegetative state’. DMX’s lawyer mistakenly revealed he had been removed from life support and was breathing on his own, however he later admitted this was wrong information.
A vigil for DMX was held outside the hospital on Monday evening and was attended by fans and the rapper’s family.
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