It’s no secret that DMX is widely known for his contributions to rap music. The rapper was no stranger to the Billboard charts, No. 1 positions or sold-out concerts packed with his fans. At the peak of his career, however, he decided to venture into Hollywood — a move that resulted in him landing over 12 movie roles. His acting performances were iconic and worthy of praise so much that they’ve become a topic of conversation following his heartbreaking death.
On Friday (April 9), Belly — the 1998 movie in which DMX made his film debut — appeared among the many trending topics on Twitter.
As fans paid tribute to the late star, they mentioned his role as Tommy “Buns” Brown, a street criminal who gradually makes his mark in the drug trade.
“One of my favorite performances in one of my favorite films was given by DMX,” wrote Ava Duvernay. “If you haven’t seen BELLY in a while or at all, gift yourself with his talent in that film this weekend.”
One Twitter user said that X’s role in the movie made her a fan of his acting chops. “DMX in Belly was always unforgettable. This is when it felt like the sky was the limit for him in Hollywood,” she tweeted.
The majority of tweets, however, said that DMX helped in making the introduction one of the best in movie history.
DMX films Cradle 2 The Grave and Romeo Must Die also trended as fans considered them movies that displayed some of his best Hollywood performances.
When discussing his role as nightclub owner Silk on Romeo Must Die, Twitter users mentioned his chemistry with the late Aaliyah. A large number of tweets quoted the scene where X is heard saying, “Guns dont kill people. People kill people.”
A slew of tweets about Cradle 2 The Grave noted his appearance alongside Jet Li, but more mentioned that it was the start of his relationship with Paige Hurd, the actress who played his daughter in the film and later became his goddaughter in real life.
Belly, Romeo Must Die and Cradle 2 The Grave are only three of the films DMX acted in before he passed. “Exit Wounds, Never Die Alone, Beyond the Law and Death Toll are some of his other movies.