DMX to be posthumously ordained as a minister at site of historic church once used for Underground Railroad

The late rapper passed away in 2021, but his faith has remained a long-lasting piece of his legacy.

The faith-driven legacy of DMX, the Yonkers rapper who died in 2021 at the age of 50, lives on.

According to AllHipHop, Foster Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church, which was once a stop on the Underground Railroad, is set to honor the man nicknamed Dark Man X by posthumously naming him an ordained minister on January 10th at 3 p.m. The late icon, born Earl Simmons, will be honored by the Gospel Cultural Center at the venue, which first opened in 1860.

One of the earliest African Methodist Episcopal churches in America, Foster Memorial, founded in Tarrytown, New York, has been designated a historical landmark due to its role in helping enslaved Black men and women to freedom.

“Earl Simmons wrestled with God in the public square, turning his pain into a ministry of raw truth,” Bishop Dr. Osiris Imhotep, founder of the Gospel Cultural Center, said in a statement. “This ordination recognizes the divine calling he fulfilled every time he spoke a prayer into a microphone.”

The rapper often wove his faith into his albums and stage performances, memorably stopping shows to pray onstage while thousands joined him and more. Throughout his career, whether in songs like “Prayer” or moments of spiritual vulnerability, DMX didn’t shy away from expressing his devout Christian beliefs.

In his later years, X found himself drawing people closer and closer to him as a minister. An Arizona church ordained him as a deacon in 2019 and he found himself hosting Bible study on Instagram during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re suffering,” he said, “but as long as you got God, it’s gon’ be all right.”

The ceremony to honor him will feature a reading of Acts 17:31 and other passages from scripture and is expected to be attended by hip-hop enthusiasts, community leaders, faith leaders, and more.