With the sad passing of rapper DMX at the age of 50 on Apr. 9, fans are hoping that he and his good pal, the later singer Aayliah, are now reunited in heaven. The pair teamed up on the 2000 song “Back in One Piece” and starred together in the 2000 action film Romeo Must Die. The then-22-year-old superstar in the making nicknamed “Baby Girl” tragically died in a plane crash in the Bahamas on August 25, 2001. DMX — real name Earl Simmons — was hospitalized on April 2 after suffering a heart attack at his White Plains, NY home. He had been in intensive care for the past week and never recovered.
Aayliah’s mom Diane Haughton shared her sentiments about DMX’s heartbreaking death, releasing a statement that read: “Earl, you had and still have a heart of gold. You and Baby Girl will meet again with all the beautiful people we have lost. Will never forget your kindness. NEVER! Blessings to your family! Eternally!” Other fans tweeted their hopes that the two massive talents are reunited in heaven.
Rest In Heaven DMX 🙏🏽🕊 You were the epitome of graciousness. This world will forever miss you, your voice, your smile, and your presence. You are now at peace ❤️ Say hey to Babygirl for us up there 🙏🏽#Aaliyah #DMX pic.twitter.com/yptqYn7sha
— Aaliyahx1979 ➐ (@aaliyahx1979) April 9, 2021
Damn it. Not the dog. 😔
RIP DMX!Tell Aayliah we miss her! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/vdDRJOegyO
— Byron Craig (@TheByronCraig) April 9, 2021
Sending out heartfelt condolences to DMX family and friends he and Aaliyah is now reunited in heaven #RIPDMX pic.twitter.com/peOsymhUkH
— Cinderella's Queen (@angelbarbiekely) April 9, 2021
Fan @simply_unathii posted a video from the intro to DMX’s 2001 song “I Miss You” about Aayliah after her passing. “DMX‘s message to Aaliyah in the I Miss You video always made me sad, it saddens me even more now to learn about his passing. Both so young. Both made an impact in the music industry. Hope they’re reunited in heaven #RIPDMX” she wrote.
In the music video, the then 31-year-old rapper/actor began by looking straight into the camera and saying, “Dearest sweet Aayliah. I have trouble accepting the fact that you’re gone. So I won’t. It will be like we worked for awhile without seeing each other. I could understand why God would have wanted you close to him. Because you were truly and angel on Earth. And in my own special way, I love you. I miss you.”
DMX ‘s message to Aaliyah in the I Miss You video always made me sad, it saddens me even more now to learn about his passing. Both so young. Both made an impact in the music industry. Hope they’re reunited in heaven #RIPDMX pic.twitter.com/3oNGAKt5Cl
— Unathi (@simply_unathii) April 9, 2021
After a week of false rumors about his passing, DMX’s family released a statement on Apr. 9 that fans had been dreading. “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,” it began.
“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. We appreciate all of the love and support during this incredibly difficult time. Please respect our privacy as we grieve the loss of our brother, father, uncle and the man the world knew as DMX,” it continued, as the family added, “We will share information about his memorial service once details are finalized.”
DMX still had so much talent and so much left to give. Fortunately for fans, he was able to show off his long career’s worth of amazing music during a Verzuz battle with Snoop Dogg on July 22, 2020. It will likely be remembered as one of his last great performances and fortunately DMX was able to showcase his decades of contribution as a rapper and songwriter.