Diane Haughton, the mother of late singerAaliyah, is paying tribute to her daughter’sRomeo Must DiecostarDMXafter his death on Friday morning.
The 50-year-old rapper and actor, born Earl Simmons, starred alongside Aaliyah in the 2000 film and the pair teamed up on the track “Come Back in One Piece” for the movie’s soundtrack.
“Earl you had and still have a heart of gold,” Haughtonsaid in a statementreleased on Instagram in the wake of Simmons' death.
Simmons died at White Plains Hospital in New York on Friday, his family previously confirmed to PEOPLE.
The “X Gon' Give It to Ya” hitmaker had been hospitalized in the intensive care unit aftersuffering a heart attackat his home on April 2.
“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,” the statement continued. “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.”
DMX and Aaliyah inRomeo Must Die.Shutterstock
Before his death, Simmons famously paid tribute to Aaliyah — who died in 2001 at age 22 — in theposthumously released music videofor her beloved song “Miss You.”
“Dearest, sweet Aaliyah,” he said in the 2002 music video. “I have trouble accepting the fact that you’re gone. So I won’t. It’ll be like we went for a while without seeing each other. But I can understand why God would’ve wanted you close to him. Because you truly were an angel on Earth. And in my own special way, I love you. I miss you.”
In 2011, while honoring the 10th anniversary of Aaliyah’s death, Simmons revealed that he had named one of his children after the star as a “personal special tribute.”
source: people.com
