Rapper DMX, 50, is reportedly in critical condition following a drug overdose.

According to TMZ , DMX, real name Earl Simmons, was rushed to a New York hospital on Friday night,  suffered a heart attack following the drug overdose and has “some brain activity”, but the source described him as being in a “vegetative state”.

DMX is one of the most iconic rap stars to have emerged from the 1990s. In the US, his first five albums, including the 1998 debut It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot , reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. He has also appeared on multiple films, including action thrillers Romeo Must Die (2000), Exit Wounds (2001) and Cradle 2 the Grave (2003).

DMX has previously spoken about his addiction to crack cocaine, which he said began when he was 14. He has been in and out of rehab over the years, the most recent time occurring in 2019 when he checked himself in.

We will continue to update the story as it develops…