DMX & Pimp C NEWLY FOUND Interview GOES VIRAL | Warned Us About Jay Z

JAY-Z Says Touring with DMX Pushed Him to Perfect His Own Performances: ‘He Improved My Stage Show’

“He was so competitive with me. I never met a human being more competitive with me, like ever, not even my big brother,” JAY-Z said of the late rapper

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JAY-Z is speaking candidly about how touring with DMX inspired him to step up his game on stage.

While chatting with LeBron James and others for the season four premiere of HBO’s The Shop: Uninterrupted, the 51-year-old “Song Cry” crooner opened up about how the late rapper inspired him during the Hard Knock Life tour in 1999.

Speaking about DMX, JAY-Z said, “There was a competitive thing, but it was big love.”

“He was so competitive with me. I never met a human being more competitive with me, like ever, not even my big brother,” he continued. “My fondest memory of DMX is he improved my stage show.”

Recalling the first night of the show, which the rapper said was “sold out,” JAY-Z explained that he wanted to watch DMX’s performance before his own.

“X is about to go, and I’m like, ‘I wanna see,’ ” JAY-Z recalled. “And he goes [growls], and the f—— arena goes crazy.”

“First of all, it’s deafening, and I’m like, ‘Oh s—,'” the “Empire State of Mind” artist continued. “He has a thing, like an Alize and Hennessy mix, it looks like blood — like he’s drinking blood — and he’s running back and forth [on the stage].”

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“Halfway through the show, then he takes his shirt off and the whole crowd goes wild,” he added. “… First the guys are going crazy, now the girls are going crazy.”

From there, the star said DMX transitioned his set to prayer, eliciting a new wave of emotions from the crowd.

“And now they’re crying, the whole arena is crying. And they’re like, ‘OK, now you go,'” JAY-Z said. “I was like, ‘Okay, I have to figure out my space in this. I have to figure out where do I exist.’ “

DMX, born Earl Simmons, died at White Plains Hospital in New York in April, his family previously confirmed to PEOPLE.

The rapper was hospitalized in grave condition on April 2 after suffering a heart attack at home around 11 p.m., his attorney Murray Richman told NBC News the following day.

“We are deeply saddened to announce today that our loved one, DMX, birth name of Earl Simmons, passed away at 50 years old at White Plains Hospital with his family by his side after being placed on life support for the past few days,” his family wrote in a statement at the time.

“Earl was a warrior who fought till the very end. He loved his family with all of his heart and we cherish the times we spent with him. Earl’s music inspired countless fans across the world and his iconic legacy will live on forever,” the statement continued.

“We appreciate all of the love and support during this incredibly difficult time. Please respect our privacy as we grieve the loss of our brother, father, uncle and the man the world knew as DMX.”