Crowds gather in Brooklyn to remember DMX By April Siese April 25, 2021 / 12:05 PM / CBS News Thousands gathered outside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn ahead of a closed funeral service for rapper DMX on Sunday. The memorial service for DMX will be limited to close family and friends due to COVID restrictions, CBS New York reports. Organizers issued a statement to CBS New York saying they will follow the state's protocols. Indoor arena attendance is capped at 10% capacity. The rapper, whose real name is Earl Simmons, died April 9 at age 50 after spending roughly a week on life support. DMX suffered a heart attack on April 2 and was hospitalized in White Plains, New York, where he battled "serious health issues," according to his family.