Three months after the untimely death of rap icon DMX, his official cause of death has been revealed.

According to Vulture, DMX officially died from a cocaine-induced heart attack that caused a lack of blood circulation to his brain.
“It was cardiac arrest for a period of time, so there was no circulation to the brain,” a source from the Westchester County medical examiner’s office told Vulture. The lethal series of events was caused by acute cocaine intoxication, the source added.
The publication reported that an analysis of Simmons’s urine showed the presence of cocaine.
The source explained to Vulture that although DMX’s heart was revived at one point and there was a pulse, his brain was already dead.
“His death literally happened immediately because the brain was dead,” the source added.
“So obviously, there were a number of days where he was on ventilatory support and so forth in the hospital,” the source said. “However, he was diagnosed brain-dead early on … He never woke up from [a] coma.”
Born Earl Simmons, the rapper reigned over the late 1990s and early 2000s and was among hip-hop’s most vulnerable and endearing stars.
He was the first artist to debut an album at No. 1 five times in a row on the Billboard 200 charts. Overall, DMX has sold over 74 million records worldwide.
DMX was also an actor, he featured in films such as Belly, Romeo Must Die, Exit Wounds, Cradle 2 the Grave, and Last Hour.
He died in April at age 50 after nearly a week on life support.
Following Simmons’s death, his family said in a statement, “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.”