#Rick Ross Reflects On Seeing The ‘Funny Side’ Of DMX & Why His Death ‘Should Motivate' Hip Hop

Weeks later, the Hip Hop community is still reeling from the tragic loss of DMX. Speaking on the People Every Day podcast on Monday (April 26), Rick Ross reflected on his time working on set with Dark Man X and believes his death could be a learning experience for rappers everywhere.

Rozay remembered being at the 1960s Harlem-inspired video shoot for his Swizz Beatz and DMX collaboration “Just in Case,” which landed on the Godfather of Harlem soundtrack in 2019.

“I got to see the funny side of him, we got to laugh at a few jokes,” Ross recalled. “I saw him really focused and turned up. And hearing about his addiction many years ago, being in the industry, it’s something that’s been in my heart the most.”

The MMG boss has dealt with addiction in his family for many years, so he understands the struggle X had battling his demons throughout his life.

“Me having family members that suffer with addiction, I understood the struggle that he was up against,” Rick Ross said. “So it’s something that was really painful. Of course, I didn’t expect this. And it just hurt. So if anything else, it should motivate us. Let’s do what Dark Man X would have wanted us to do. Let’s turn up. Let’s go to the next level.”

Rapper Rick Ross reflects on the legacy of DMX on the latest podcast episode of PEOPLE Every Day. Listen and subscribe: https://t.co/3Va6Tw2mfy pic.twitter.com/4Ecyl9S4va

— People (@people) April 26, 2021

In 2018, Rick Ross actually had to be rushed to a Florida hospital after suffering a seizure in his home. He chalked it up to poor lifestyle habits, dehydration and the abuse of codeine, which prompted him to make several changes to his body to improve his health.

DMX was laid to rest over the weekend with a celebration of life memorial at the Barclays Center on Saturday (April 24), with the Simmons family then hosting a more private funeral at a local NYC church on Sunday (April 25).