Oakland

DMX tragically passed away on Apr 6, 2021. But DMX’s 10-year-old daughter, Sonovah Jr, is determined to maintain his legacy.

Fentanyl Fear

Two years ago, DMX, real name Earl Simmons, suddenly died of a heart attack brought upon by drug usage. For a large part of his career, DMX struggled with addiction and spoke on those experiences through his music. When authorities conducted an autopsy, multiple substances appeared in the New York rapper’s body, including crack cocaine, fentanyl, alcohol, and prescription pills.

The death of DMX added to a haunting trend of musicians falling victim to fentanyl-related overdose. In Sep 2018, 26-year-old Mac Miller passed away after unknowingly taking the fatal drug. Last year, country singer Luke Bell also met a similar fate with fentanyl.

Truly, fentanyl is a hazardous substance that’s beginning to terrorize the entertainment industry.

DMX is survived by 8 children, including a 10-year-old daughter, Sonovah Hillman Jr. Sonovah is now staying with her mother of the same name in Oakland, CA. The young talent has been making music since her father’s untimely passing, and now she’s ready to venture into film-making.

Last month, Sonovah released a teaser clip of a docuseries on fentanyl awareness. She subsequently confirmed she hopes to release a four-part series on the topic.

Being Extraordinary

“My daughter is one of the most extraordinary people I’ve ever come across, and I’m not just saying that because she’s my daughter,” Hillman’s mother told FOX.

Her interest in substance abuse awareness began after the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program visited her school.

“She just told me, ‘hey, we’re learning about drugs and drug awareness at school,’ and said, ‘It’s pretty tense,'” Sonovah Jr’s mother explained.

Simultaneously, DMX’s daughter had come across a TikTok of Master P. He was speaking to his daughter about the dangers of drug abuse. Late last year, Master P’s 29-year-old daughter Tytyana Miller died from a fentanyl overdose.

“I told her how his daughter died of a fentanyl overdose, which then made her look into her father’s addictions,” Hillman expounded.

Sonovah Jr continued to look into the topic and eventually fixated on past interviews of her father speaking on his rehab experience. She then asked her mom to take her to a rehab center so she could see the process firsthand.

“She immediately started to talk to the people there and ask them questions about their experiences. The way they reacted to her was really, really beautiful.”

Following their trip to the rehab facility, Sonovah Hillman and her daughter spoke to family friends about how excited everyone was to talk to the young girl. Almost immediately, the pair got advised to record those conversations to cherish the forming bonds.

“I asked her, would that be something she’s interested in, and she said,’ Yeah,’ and we just went from there,” Hillman confirmed.

Sonovah Speaks Out

According to Sonovah Jr, a combination of her father’s death, her rehab center visit, and the DARE program inspired her ambitions of making a docuseries.

“I want to talk to other kids whose parents have died of an overdose or are still currently using. My goal is to educate, spread awareness and save lives,” Sonovah Jr told FOX. I’m ready to have the conversation that some adults aren’t ready to have.”

Of course, the girl’s mother is entirely supportive of the project. For the still-grieving family, this discussion surrounding drug addiction is a form of healing and a pathway to understanding addiction.

The mother and daughter duo has created a GoFundMe to fund the upcoming project. With the help of her community, Sonovah Jr has the power to make a real difference and spur some change.

Written By: Dreema Carrington

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Shady Records’ former signee Obie Trice is behind bars at Oakland County Jail. Following his arrest, Trice was indicted at Bloomfield Hills’ 48th District Court. As a result, he’s facing a $10,000 bail. Moreover, he’s at risk of either staying in jail for 6 months or paying a $1,000 fine.

Obie Trice got in this predicament because he used a phone to threaten or harass another person.

Eminem’s past artist faced the consequences of his actions back in 2019 as well.

Everything unfolded after a neighbor heard Trice and his former partner arguing in their house. After the authorities were notified, they fled to the scene and questioned both of them. According to his girlfriend at the time, her 18-year-old son tried to calm everyone down. But, shortly after, her son was accidentally shot. Somewhere in the mix, a gun signaled off. In turn, Obie Trice was incarcerated for 90 days at Oakland County Jail.

Photo Courtesy of Booska P

This year, Trice was confined because he violated a personal protection order. The pending case is now in the hands of another judge.

Obie Trice became affiliated with Shady Records in 2002. After inking a deal with them, he released projects like Cheers and Second Rounds On Me. After splitting from Shady Records, the rapper created his own record label called Black Market Entertainment. He feels that Shady Records didn’t put enough time into marketing. And so, he decided to leave on his own terms.

Cheers featured artists like Busta Rhymes, Eminem, 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Dr. Dre, Nate Dogg, D12, Tony Yayo, and Timbaland.

Trice can be heard on D12‘s album, Devil’s Night. Additionally, the Michigan spitter created songs for 8 Mile, Tupac’s Loyal to The Game, and is in a snippet from Eminem’s “Without Me.”

Another life-altering event happened in 2005. While driving on the Lodge Expressway, Trice was shot 6 times, with one of the bullets landing in his head. Although he was able to flee the scene, the rapper was sent to the Providence Hospital. Surprisingly, he was released the same day. ‘Till this day, the bullet is still in Trice’s head.

Photo Courtesy of Rap Music Guide

By: Natalee Gilbert