DMX's 10-Year-Old Daughter Plans to Create a Docuseries on Drug Addiction

After losing her aunts and uncle to drug overdoses, 10-year-old Sonovah Hillman Jr. is determined to create a docuseries about the devastating effects of drug addiction and fentanyl use on society.

She launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for her project, with the hope of reaching $250,00 within 120 days. As of Friday afternoon, she had raised $10,516 towards that goal.

Sonovah Hillman Jr.’s GoFundMe Campaign

In April 2021, DMX, the rapper whose battle with drug addiction brought awareness to this issue, tragically passed away from a cocaine-induced heart attack. His family is now fighting over control of his estate; several children have filed petitions to become court-appointed administrators while other members of his extended family are also competing for his assets.

Two months after DMX's passing, many children have shared their own stories of addiction and recovery. While many have focused on their families' struggles, one 10-year-old girl is using her father's legacy to raise awareness about this epidemic.

Sonovah Hillman Jr., 10, is inspired to create a docuseries on drug addiction after witnessing her parents struggle with their own struggles. After watching old interviews of her dad, she realized other kids didn't have an outlet and needed to share their stories as well.

She then returned to school and began participating in the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program, where she gained insight into the harmful effects of drugs. It was when she saw a clip of Master P talking to his daughter on TikTok that inspired her to start producing this docuseries.

After watching that video, Sonovah realized how drug abuse had affected her own life and the aftermath of a parent's addiction. She wanted to share her experience with other children who had lost their parents through overdose or were still using drugs themselves.

As Sonovah began to understand her own experience, she decided to visit a rehabilitation facility and speak with other children whose parents struggled with drug addiction. She asked her mother if she could film these conversations, and now they are crowdsourcing to create four-part docuseries about their journeys.

Sonovah's campaign has been met with overwhelming support, particularly from those who can relate to her own struggles. Adults who have lost loved ones to drug addiction have donated to her fund, while others expressed kind words of encouragement. As of Friday morning, Sonovah has raised $10,516 towards her $250,000 goal in just 120 days; she hopes to reach it sooner than that!

The Story Behind the Docuseries

After rapper DMX's passing, 10-year-old Lila wants to use her voice for creating a docuseries on drug addiction. On her GoFundMe campaign website, Lila shared that she hopes to produce an episode about fentanyl.

She hopes the documentary will offer hope to other kids struggling with drugs by showing them what life can be like after abusing these substances. Furthermore, she wishes for it to inspire people to speak out against fentanyl and other drug abuse issues.

After DMX passed away in April 2021, Hillman says she began thinking about ways to raise awareness about drug addiction. To get her project off the ground, she reached out to an artist friend and was inspired by a TikTok video featuring Master P providing his daughter with addiction treatment.

Hillman explained in interviews that she wanted to create a docuseries on drugs because she wants to "change the world" and make kids aware of the potential hazards associated with using substances. Furthermore, she plans on sharing this series with her parents and siblings so they can draw from her experiences.

One of the things that caught her attention was how many drug addicts died due to fentanyl overdoses. She told her friends she wanted to create a docuseries in order to give people insight into just how hazardous drugs can be.

Though she is not the first to create a docuseries about drug addiction, she is the youngest. As an 11th grader, she has been struggling with substance abuse issues since age 4.

She is therefore inspired to create a docuseries about drug abuse, with an emphasis on fentanyl and other illicit substances, in order to shift people's perspectives about these substances.

Netflix is known for its true-crime series, but there are plenty of other documentaries that are just as good or better. This kind of story should be a hit there!

DMX’s Daughter’s Fentanyl Story

Hip hop icon DMX, who tragically passed away from a drug overdose in April 2021, had an extensive history with substance abuse. In an interview with UPROXX, he revealed that he started taking drugs at 14 years old after his mentor Ready Don gave him a blunt filled with crack. Recounting that momentous occasion now brings tears to his eyes as he recalls it with fondness.

The rapper and his former wife Tashera Simmons welcomed four children: Sasha, Xaviers, Praise Mary Ella and Tacoma. All three have Instagram accounts where they showcase photos of themselves alongside their parents for the world to see.

Hillman, who tragically lost both her aunts and uncle to fentanyl addiction as well as her dad to an overdose from drug overdose, is using her voice to raise awareness for this issue with a four-part docuseries. This ambitious endeavor was inspired by attending a 10-week Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E) program at her school.

After completing the program, Hillman began watching interviews her father had done about his addiction. This spurred her to do further research and visit a rehab facility for herself; it was during this experience that she got inspired to start documenting her journey.

She has therefore launched a GoFundMe campaign to fund the project and share her story with others. She plans on filming her encounters with people fighting drug addiction and fentanyl addiction, in hopes that these films will motivate others to take action against this terrible disease.

She's also creating an educational video for her friends and family to watch that will highlight the risks of fentanyl and other opioids. To cover the cost of filming and editing this groundbreaking documentary, which she hopes will save lives.

After DMX passed away in 2021, his daughter Sonovah Hillman Jr. became determined to understand and share his struggle with the world. She hopes her docuseries will help others recognize the risks associated with fentanyl--one of America's deadliest drugs--which affects people of all genders, races, classes and ages alike.

The Docuseries’ Goal

The Docuseries' mission is to raise awareness about drug addiction. The rapper's daughter hopes to use her platform for education about fentanyl and other substances, which she believes are major problems in our culture today.

She's supported her project with a GoFundMe campaign that has raised $10,516 in 120 days and has an ambitious $250,000 goal to reach. Additionally, she plans on creating a four-part docuseries to further spread her message and raise money.

One of the greatest obstacles when creating an investigative documentary is finding real people for interviews. There are various options here, but oftentimes you must do extensive research in order to locate those who can provide an honest account of what transpired.

A great way to conduct secondary research is through secondary sources, which can be found at academic libraries or by asking a reliable source (like a government official) for quotes. Another option is seeking out primary sources - those involved in the events you are studying. These individuals--often times children--give you a more personal and human perspective on the topic at hand and make it more pertinent for your audience.

Finding primary sources can be a time-consuming endeavor, but the rewards are worth all the effort when done correctly. Many of my favorite documentaries have been created using archive footage as their basis - something which proves to be far more challenging than anticipated!

What I adore about documentary films is that they can serve as great conversation starters and offer an insightful view into an otherwise obscure or overlooked part of history. This is especially true for documentaries dealing with contentious subjects such as Hugo Sanchez's goal and glory.

Although this approach may be on the decline, online video continues to be an integral part of how we consume content. A recent Hot Docs industry panel discussed how internet delivery will shape documentary film's future; if this conversation persists, it could result in changes to both how we watch documentaries and eventually receive them as well.