DMX Discusses Career, Being a Father in Interview Recorded Weeks Before Death

Part two of the interview special will air on TV One on Monday at 10 p.m. ET

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Part of the final interview with DMX aired over the weekend. In it, the late rapper talked about his career and his relationship with his family.

The interview with TV One was recorded just three weeks before the 50-year-old artist from Yonkers, New York, died following a heart attack. DMX left behind a large family, including 15 children, and countless fans. In part one "An Uncensored Special: DMX The Icon" which aired on Sunday, the rapper spoke about how much he loved being a father.

"From not having a father, I dove into it. Going to amusement parks with them, and ride a bike, roller skate, drive, shoot a gun, anything...the fundamentals," he said.

DMX, whose birth name was Earl Simmons, died April 9 after suffering what officials called a catastrophic cardiac arrest. He spent several days on life support after being rushed to a New York hospital from his home April 2.

In the interview, the rapper spoke about his career, saying that he was grateful for every moment and that he has no regrets.

"I always feel like I'm gonna look back on my life just before I go and thank God for every moment, for every single moment," he said. "It's the moments, like drops in the ocean. They come together. You see the beauty of who you are and why you are."

He also discussed healing his relationship with his mother, whom he previously said had physically abused him when he was a child. DMX said she surprised him during a therapy session.

"She walked in the door and I think that point right there, I just let everything go. She's crying I'm crying. It was like...I don't know. It wasn't a hurt cry. It was like, yes, this is what I need," he recalled.

DMX has always been honest in his music and he arrived on the rap scene around the same time as Jay-Z, Ja Rule and others who dominated the charts and emerged as platinum-selling acts. They were all part of rap crews, too: DMX fronted the Ruff Ryders collective, which had success on the charts and on radio with its “Ryde or Die” compilation albums.

The Grammy-nominated rapper delivered iconic hip-hop songs such as “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” and “Party Up (Up in Here).”

In the interview, he spoke a bit about his writing process.

Thousands came out Saturday to say farewell to hip hop legend DMX in a massive motorcycle procession leading to Barclays Center ahead of a public memorial. Adam Harding reports from outside the arena.

"Everyone good idea, or hot line or dope line, is a gift from God. And how you say thank you is using it," the rapper said, breaking down his writing process. He explained how he would write down great lyrics that randomly came to him while at a diner. Even if the idea was just two bars, that can turn into a whole song.

Part two of the interview special will air on TV One on Monday at 10 p.m. ET. However, this won't be the last time fans will get to hear from the beloved rapper.

A new album from DMX will be released later this month. DMX's longtime producer and collaborator, Grammy winner Swizz Beatz, announced earlier this month that “EXODUS" will feature new material and drop on May 28.

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