Kanye West is honoring DMX.
The Yeezy founder and his Sunday Service Choir opened the late rapper’s Celebration of Life memorial service at Barclays Center in New York on Saturday. The group wore red hooded sweatshirts and huddled around a piano to sing a medley of songs including, “Back to Life,” “Keep on Movin'” and more in honor of DMX.
DMX’s shiny red casket with the Ruff Ryders logo was front and center as the choir performed an emotional rendition of “Amen.”
The service began with a home video of DMX and his daughter sitting together on a carnival ride as DMX comforts her by holding her hand and saying, “It’s okay, daddy’s here.”
The choir continued performances through the West-produced service, including singing along with Whitney Houston’s recording of “Jesus Loves Me” and an emotional mix of DMX’s “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem.”
Ahead of the memorial service on Saturday, which was live streamed on DMX’s YouTube channel, Kanye’s imprint Yeezy teamed up with Balenciaga to pay tribute to DMX with a shirt in honor of the late rapper. Yeezy unveiled the design of the long-sleeve shirt on its dedicated website, which bears a portrait of DMX on the front with his date of birth on one sleeve and the date of his passing on the other. The back says, “In Loving Memory” along the hemline.
DMX died on April 9, days after he was rushed to the hospital following a heart attack. He was 50. In a statement to ET after his death, DMX’s family honored him as a “warrior who fought till the very end.”
“We are deeply saddened to announce today that our loved one, DMX, birth name of Earl Simmons, passed away at 50-years-old at White Plains Hospital with his family by his side after being placed on life support for the past few days,” the statement read. “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. Earl’s music inspired countless fans across the world and his iconic legacy will live on forever. We appreciate all of the love and support during this incredibly difficult time. Please respect our privacy as we grieve the loss of our brother, father, uncle and the man the world knew as DMX.”
DMX’s funeral and homegoing celebration will be held on Sunday at 2:30 pm ET, and will broadcast live on BET and its
