Held at Brooklyn’s famous Barclays Center over the weekend, DMX’s private funeral service honored the New York rapper with emotional speeches from Nas, Swizz Beatz, Eve and more who paid their final respects.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, DMX’s family decided only to allow family and close friends to attend his memorial instead of hosting a public service. According to USA Today, around 200 people gathered at the venue to celebrate DMX’s life. Fans were able to stream it online via YouTube at home.
In an epic funeral procession, the “Ruff Ryders Anthem” star’s casket was carried in a monster truck through Yonkers and Brooklyn, shutting down New York traffic on the way to the Barclay’s Center.
Eve, also known as Ruff Ryders First Lady, and other Ruff Ryders members, spoke about her relationship with DMX on stage. “I am seriously the luckiest, luckiest woman in the world to have been adopted by the Ruff Ryders,” she said. “But to have known DMX the way that I knew him, as a man, a father, a friend. It’s…I know that he will rest in power, rest in love. But most of all, he will rest in peace.”
In a passionate speech on the late rapper needing support while he was still alive, Swizz Beatz stated, “He didn’t need everybody when he’s not here. He needed everybody when he was here. You understand? So we gotta learn how to celebrate each other while we’re here.”
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Belly castmate Nas also took the podium to mourn his friend. “That was my brother. We did a great movie together,” he recalled to the crowd. “We stood outside the Tunnel nightclub and about to shoot a scene, and he looked at me, and tears in his eyes because he knew about the journey he was about to embark on becoming a hip-hop icon.”
Kanye West and his Sunday Service Choir honored DMX during a performance with various songs, including an uplifting rendition of Soul II Soul’s “Keep On Movin’” and “Back to Life.” The “Through The Wire” rapper recently collaborated with Balenciaga to create a DMX tribute hoodie for his YEEZY fashion label. Retailing for $200, proceeds from sales will go to the rapper’s family.
DMX will be remembered as a Grammy-award-winning rapper, a talented actor, a loving father, and, as Nas said, best a hip-hop icon.
May he rest in peace.
