‘One of the most iconic performances ever’: DMX’s Woodstock 99 performance goes viral on social media

The Grammy-nominated rapper died one week after suffering a heart attack

Prior to DMX's death on Friday (9 April), fans of the rapper started revisiting videos from his Woodstock 1999 performance on social media

Two clips in particular went viral, garnering more than 5m views.

“One of the most iconic performances ever,” Twitter user Topid captioned one of the clips featuring DMX performing his 1998 hit “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem”.

Fringe actor Kirk Acevedo also shared a clip, describing DMX as “one of the greatest to ever do it”.

Acevedo followed up after news of the rapper’s death broke: “Rest In Power DMX. U kept it 100 all the time! They don't make people like you anymore. This is truly heartbreaking!”

DMX was taken to a hospital in White Plains, New York, after suffering a heart attack on 2 April. A vigil was held there on Monday (5 April). News of his death was confirmed on 9 April. His family shared the news with the Associated Press on Friday.

Performing to a crowd of 200,000, DMX's (real name Earl Simmons) Woodstock set is thought to be one of the most famous hip-hop shows in the genre's history. TheGuardian wrote in August 2020, "This performance immortalises a moment when he was the hottest rapper on the planet, a liberator who had come to free mainstream rap from its excesses with songs fully immersed in the struggle of being young, poor and Black."