Inside DMX's Relationship With Snoop Dogg
As DMX remains in intensive care following his heart attack on April 2, 2021, per The Independent, the music world has reacted by calling for prayers and sending their love. (Though there have been rumors of a drug overdose, DMX's lawyer told CNN that he "did not know what may have caused the heart attack.")
Snoop Dogg, in particular, gave a heartfelt shout-out to his fellow rapper on Instagram. The West Coast legend wrote "prayers for my dogg. @dmx." alongside a touching picture of himself and DMX hugging. The pair were contemporaries in the '90s, when both of them had genre-defining hits that achieved critical and commercial acclaim.
They both debuted at the top of the charts with their massively successful first albums: Snoop introduced America to Doggystyle in 1993 and DMX released It's Dark and Hell Is Hot in 1998 before having his next few albums also debut at number one, per Billboard. And those iconic early hits were finally united in July 2020 when the two rappers teamed up in a fan-favorite Verzuz battle.
Although the atmosphere on Verzuz is usually competitive, as musicians battle to see whose back catalog is stronger, these two legends clearly had a lot of respect for each other. As Pitchfork reported, DMX revealed that he had been inspired by Snoop while writing "Get at Me Dog," and showed his appreciation for the song "Ain't No Fun" by singing along to the hook. In fact, the pair was even planning this...
DMX had announced a collaboration with Snoop Dogg before his heart attack
According to Hot New Hip Hop, the incredible Verzuz battle led to Snoop Dogg and DMX's friendship becoming closer.
And in February 2021, DMX even announced that Snoop would be a part of his upcoming album. On Revolt TV's Drink Champs podcast, the rapper opened up about his long-anticipated ninth studio album, confirming a wide range of features.
"I got Lil Wayne, I got Snoop," he revealed at the time. "I got The LOX. I got Bono — the U2 n***a." He reportedly worked with Alicia Keys, Pop Smoke, Griselda, and Usher as well, per Hot New Hip Hop. DMX then shared that only two more songs needed to be completed before the new album could be released. He was also returning to his former label Def Jam.
Now fans have been left wondering whether the hip-hop star will survive, let alone drop a new song with Snoop. His lawyer Murray Richman told CNN on April 4, 2021, that DMX was on life support in hospital, though he later revealed DMX was taken off life support and was now "breathing on his own," per The Independent.
A statement released by his family asked "that you please keep Earl/DMX and us in your thoughts, wishes, and prayers as well as respect our privacy as we face these challenges."