EXCLUSIVE: DMX Estate Rejects Church Ceremony Tied To Ministry

January 08, 2026

DMX’s family has taken a stance in a church’s plan to honor the rapper in Westchester County, New York.

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DMX‘s estate has rejected a recent tribute denied official authorization on an event that hopes to ordain the late rapper as a minister.

The Estate of Earl “DMX” Simmons has issued a formal statement making clear that a planned ceremony announcing the late Hip-Hop icon’s posthumous ordination as a minister is not sanctioned or approved by the Estate. The clarification follows growing attention around a service scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, at Foster Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church.

In a statement shared exclusively with AllHipHop, the Estate addressed the matter directly.

“The upcoming ordination of Earl ‘DMX’ Simmons is not an Estate-sanctioned event. While we appreciate third-party efforts to honor Earl in this way, neither the Foster Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church nor Bishop Imhotep are among the representatives of the church with whom he had close ties.”
— The Estate of Earl “DMX” Simmons

The ceremony is being organized by the Gospel Cultural Center and was framed as a symbolic ordination highlighting DMX’s public expressions of faith. Promotional materials have pointed to the church’s historic significance and to scripture references as part of the planned service.

Osiris Imhotep, identified as Bishop Dr. Osiris Imhotep, has described the ordination as a spiritual gesture and not a formal ecclesiastical appointment, citing DMX’s long history of prayer and religious reflection in both his music and his public life.

X routinely opened concerts with prayer, closed albums with spoken invocations and wrestled openly with God, redemption and personal demons in songs such as “Lord Give Me a Sign” and “Prayer.”

Still, the Estate’s statement emphasizes a clear distinction between honoring that spiritual influence and authorizing an official religious designation in DMX’s name.

At the time of this writing, organizers have not announced changes to the scheduled service.

The Estate’s position, however, establishes that the event should not be presented as an official or family-approved ordination.

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