Grammy-nominated rapper DMX whose real name was Earl Simmons, died last Friday after he reportedly suffered a heart attack that left him on life support in a White Plains, New York hospital for a week.

His family's statement said DMX, died with relatives by his side after several days on life support.

"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," the family said, adding that his music "inspired countless fans across the world."

Memorial plans have not been announced.

In his obituaries, many media outlets mentioned his troubled life, his drug addiction, and the resulting legal battles that put him repeatedly behind bars over the last decade. But The Daily Wire pointed out that DMX was in fact a Christian who always returned to God.

As CBN's Faithwire reported, in recent years, Simmons had become more outspoken about his faith. He even hosted a Bible study on Instagram Live in April of 2020, with some 14,000 of his fans tuning in to receive some hope at this uncertain time.

He used the time to recite a passage from the Bible's Old Testament book, Ecclesiastes 3:1- 8, highlighting a link between one of the verses and the mandate to engage in social distancing measures.

Ecclesiastes 3:5 reads that there is "a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing."

"There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven— A time to give birth and a time to die;

A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.

A time to kill and a time to heal; A time to tear down and a time to build up.

A time to weep and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance.

A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones; A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.

A time to search and a time to give up as lost; A time to keep and a time to throw away.

A time to tear apart and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak.

A time to love and a time to hate; A time for war and a time for peace." -- Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8

"What?!" DMX said, clearly startled by the apt words. "Come on."

Speaking about the then-current lockdown situation, the rapper added: "At the end of the day, at the beginning of the day, it's going to be God's will. If you try to understand why He does what He does, you're just going to end up with a headache. Just do the right thing."

DMX went on in that moment to ask his followers to receive Jesus "as Lord and Savior."

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