Three years after the world lost Earl “DMX” Simmons, the meadow stepped with a different band at his gravesite. It was not only the day of sorrowful contemplation but the meeting future place. This was the visit of “Ruff Ryders” gang, the pack of DMX, brotherhood, and family who collected in the unwelcoming jungle of hip-hop. It was a holiday, the opportunity to remind the gloomy yowl, an energetic lyric man, the legacy myth.
The Ruff Ryders visited DMX’s gravesite for the 3rd anniversary of his passing 🙏 PIC.TWITTER.COM/OALS4ZNLIG
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) APRIL 8, 2024
We have to rewind to the early 90s, the Ruff Ryders – a group of artists and producers were a powerhouse by themselves, but when their lives collided with an aspiring, passionate Earl Simmons, it was like a match meeting gunpowder. They took a skinny kid from Yonkers and raised him to be a giant. The 1998 banger, “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem,” was the defining song of an age: unrefined, juiced, DMX’s voice blasting like the lyrical Molotov cocktail that it was. They called themselves “Ryde or Die,” and the world paid witness .
Fast forward to present. The Henny bottle, shorthand for DMX’s rugged demeanor and a recurring sight in his music videos, shines in the sunlight. It is poured over the tombstone in a flex of urban legacy, of eternal remembrance: we see you, we remember you. It is poured from one brother to another due to the entwined lives that ultimately were taken from them.
The following day, NYC Ryde Out comes back to life. Bikes cruise the avenues and boulevards, a nod to the man’s love for bikes. This isn’t just a ride, though; it’s a block party, a cookout, a day of music, laughter, and fraternity bordering on reverence.
DMX’s journey was not always smooth. Addiction was like a shadow that followed him everywhere. However, he never glorified it – instead, he condemned its seduction, relying on the strength of his rhymes. The message was heard and added depth – when he died, it was “Exodus,” the posthumous album that felt like the final volume, highlighting the man DMX never ceased to try and become.
The Ruff Ryders understand the void DMX left. But their loyalty isn’t confined to a single day at the cemetery. They’re keeping his memory alive, hosting events, and ensuring his music continues to inspire. DMX may be gone, but his growl, his message, his spirit – that rides on.
