It has several days since DMXdied and everyone is understandably still reeling from the whirlwind turn of events. X was rushed to the hospital earlier this month following a heart attack and placed on life support before passing away with his family by his side.
In a recent appearance on the PEOPLE Every Day podcast, Rick Ross spoke about getting to see the light-hearted side of DMX while spending time with him and Swizz Beatz on set last year filming the music video for “Just in Case,” the lead single off the soundtrack of the Epix series Godfather of Harlem.
“I got to see the funny side of him, we got to laugh at a few jokes,” Ross said. “I saw him really focused and turned up. And hearing about his addiction many years ago, being in the industry, it’s something that’s been in my heart the most.”
Ross also candidly spoke about addiction, something that DMX dealt with during his life. The Port of Miami 2 rapper also brought up that he’s witnessed addiction up close.
“Me having family members that suffer with addiction, I understood the struggle that he was up against,” Ross said. “So it’s something that was really painful. Of course, I didn’t expect this. And it just hurt. So if anything else, it should motivate us. Let’s do what Dark Man X would have wanted us to do. Let’s turn up. Let’s go to the next level.”
In his memoir Hurricanes, Ross revealed that he suffered a seizure in March 2018, which was due in large part to his codeine use. The rapper attributes the seizures to mixing codeine with his drinks, incorporating it into his drug use, and getting an inadequate amount of rest. Rozay turned his life around after realizing how unhealthy this lifestyle had become, shedding 75 pounds.