A ceremony meant to honor the late rapper’s legacy in Yonkers turned into a public confrontation between his children and the woman he planned to marry
Five years after his death, DMX remains one of the most celebrated figures in hip-hop history — and one of the most complicated. The Yonkers-born rapper, born Earl Simmons, sold an estimated 75 million records worldwide during his career, earned four Grammy nominations, and took home a Soul Train Award before dying of a cocaine-induced heart attack in April 2021 at age 50. But the legacy he left behind has been shadowed by a family dispute that shows no sign of settling.
That tension reached a boiling point on June 12, when the city of Yonkers honored the rapper by renaming a local street Earl “DMX” Simmons Way — a gesture meant to celebrate his roots. Instead, the ceremony became the backdrop for a raw and very public confrontation.
Xavier Takes the Stage
DMX’s eldest son, Xavier Simmons, seized the microphone during the event and made clear he was not going to let the moment pass without addressing what he called a pattern of exclusion. Standing in front of the crowd, Xavier insisted that his father’s original family deserved to be recognized and refused to allow the ceremony to close without them having their moment.
He then called his mother, Tashera Simmons — DMX’s ex-wife of 15 years — to join him on stage, along with siblings Shawn, Praise, and Tacoma Simmons. The four children were all born from DMX and Tashera’s relationship. The two began dating at 17, married in 1999, and remained together through the height of his career before Tashera filed for divorce in 2013.
Tashera was no passive figure in DMX’s story. She stood beside him as his career exploded, helped keep him grounded through years of personal turmoil, and served as a steady presence behind the scenes. Fans who followed DMX closely knew her role went far beyond the title of wife.
The Confrontation With Lindstrom
Xavier directed his remarks at Desiree Lindstrom, the woman DMX had been engaged to at the time of his death. He accused her of repeatedly sidelining his father’s original family from events held in his honor. Before the microphone was cut off, he made his grievance clear.
Tashera, speaking to the crowd shortly after, doubled down on her son’s stance. She told attendees that she and DMX had built his legacy together, and that the city of Yonkers knew exactly who they were. Lindstrom, accompanied by another woman, walked toward the stage — and for a brief moment, the atmosphere turned chaotic before settling without incident.
The exchange appeared to be a direct response to Lindstrom’s earlier speech at the ceremony, during which she spoke warmly about what Yonkers meant to her through DMX, thanked his children, family, and fans broadly — but made no specific mention of Tashera or the children she raised with the rapper.
Lindstrom, who began dating DMX around 2011 and accepted his proposal in 2021, also announced during the ceremony that she and DMX’s daughter Sasha Simmons now serve as co-administrators of his estate. Their predecessors — Xavier, Shawn, and Tacoma — were suspended from those roles by a New York court in 2024 for undisclosed reasons.
A History of Exclusion — And Inclusion
What made Xavier’s confrontation land harder for many observers was the contrast it drew with how Tashera had handled similar moments. At DMX’s funeral in April 2021, Tashera went out of her way to acknowledge Lindstrom by name, praising her as a woman of God and saying that because Lindstrom had loved DMX, she loved her too.
Online, fans took note of that contrast. Many sided with Xavier, arguing that Tashera had shown grace that was never returned. Others pointed to Lindstrom’s estate announcement mid-ceremony as a telling moment about priorities.
The legal battles over DMX’s estate have been ongoing. In 2025, Tashera filed a claim seeking 50 percent of DMX’s intellectual property and music catalog. A New York judge ruled against full ownership, granting her only a share of royalties. The estate retains sole control of all trademarks, copyrights, and intellectual property.
DMX’s Legacy Hangs in the Balance
DMX signed with Ruff Ryders Entertainment in 1991 and rose to become one of the defining voices of his era. But what he left behind — in music, in name, and in family — continues to be contested ground. The street renamed in his honor was meant to be a unifying gesture. Instead, it exposed just how fractured the people closest to him remain.
Source: Atlanta Black Star