Yonkers to honor DMX as fans remember his life

NEW YORK - The rapper DMX, who died at the age of 50 on Friday, could soon have a statue or a street named after him in his hometown of Yonkers, as the city says it will welcome the late rapper's family to hold his memorial service there if they so choose.

TMZ reports that there will be both a private and public memorial for the rapper and that Mayor Mike Spano is willing to allow DMX's family to have the memorial service at Yonkers Raceway in order to ease the burden on his family.

Spano also reportedly said the city is considering a statue, street mural or street naming to honor DMX's legacy.

The beloved rapper's death has been met with an outpouring of stories and memories about DMX's kindness and charitability.

"My brother was a different type of brother, different type of artist, different type of creative, different type of spirit, different type of zone, different type of soul," said producer and friend Swizz Beatz. "Since the day that I met him, he lived his life for everyone else."

According to AJ Woodson, editor-in-chief of Black Westchester Magazine, everyone in Westchester seems to hold a special DMX story near and dear to their heart.

"You could find him around the holidays on the corner of Fourth Avenue and First Street giving wads of money to all the children as they passed by," he recalls.

For New Rochelle native Rafael Maciel, that story was when the rapper showed up at his Union Avene barbershop four years ago with an entire entourage.

"I actually saw him roll up. He came with two Cadillacs, big trucks. His family came. He said a prayer for us, he paid for a couple of the customers’ haircuts. He was here for about four to five hours, took out his remote control cars and went up and down the street with them," Maciel explains.

Lorraine Lopez, who lived in the same apartment complex as DMX’s grandparents and great-grandparents says her most vivid memory of the late hip-hop icon was when they briefly crossed paths in an elevator.

"He was by himself. He got in the elevator and he was very sad. He looked down at my son, he rubbed his head and he said, ’Hello shawty! How ya doin shawty?’"

Woodson told FOX 5 NY he’s busy working on a special tribute to the Mount Vernon-born superstar.

The newspaper issue, dedicated entirely to the life and legacy of DMX, comes out next week.

"All that he sewed into people, they’re gonna go forth and do what they’re gonna do because of him," he mentions.