What was meant to be a joyous occasion for DMX fans Friday night left many questioning why his collaborators had allowed him to perform. After performances by the Ruff Ryders roster, who were celebrating their 20th anniversary at Brooklyn's Barclay center, X took the stage and delivered an erratic set which included confusing rants and incomplete vocal performances. According to attendees of the show, he was visibly under the influence of drugs to the point of concern. "DMX is standing on a speaker and he definitely has some substances in his body," one audience member speculated. "This crowd is stressed for his safety."
"Shit is sad I woulda rather not have come to this. Shit was hype til he came out and crumbled," another fan in attendance wrote on Twitter. "Why is his crew letting him rock like this?"
During one of the strange music-less breaks in his set, X sang Phil Collins' "In The Air Tonight." He also told the audience, "don't expect me to be a fucking role model!"
"Can we start paying attention to DMX's addiction to substances and overall mental health, please??" wrote a third fan on Twitter.
DMX has struggled with addiction throughout his career. Last February, he was hospitalized in what TMZ suggested may have been an overdose. DMX and his team maintain that the incident was the result of an asthma attack. Over the last few years, X has been working with his longtime collaborator Swizz Beatz on a follow-up to his 2012 LP Undisputed.
Watch footage from the show and read fan reactions to DMX's performance below.