An image shared on Facebook claims musicians Jay-Z and Beyonce are buying the late rapper DMX’s masters for $10 million to give to his 17 children.

Verdict: False

There is no evidence Jay-Z and Beyonce are purchasing DMX’s masters. DMX’s family released a statement to the media refuting his masters had been sold.

Fact Check:

DMX, a Grammy-nominated artist also known as Earl Simmons, died on April 9 at the age of 50, according to the Associated Press. He had been rushed to the hospital on April 2 after suffering a heart attack, the outlet reported.

The claim that Beyonce and Jay-Z, who are married, are buying the masters to DMX’s music has circulated widely online since the rapper’s death. The term “master” means the original recording of a song or album that is typically held by an artist or record label through a copyright, according to Vice.

Check Your Fact found no record of the couple announcing such a move on their respective Twitter accounts. Jay-Z and Beyonce’s names do not appear as the copyright claimants for any of DMX’s studio albums or compilation albums, a review of online records from the U.S. Copyright Office shows.

For instance, the copyright claimant for DMX’s album “Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood” is Rush Associated Labels Recordings. The claimant for his “… And Then There Was X” album is Island Def Jam Music Group, according to the copyright record on the U.S. Copyright Office website. 

DMX’s family recently released a statement that said in part: “There have been a few rumors following our loved one, Earl Simmons’, passing that we’d like to clear up. No one has bought Earl’s masters,” according to NBC News.

Murray Richman, DMX’s lawyer, said the rapper had 15 children with nine women, The Mercury News reported. (RELATED: Does This Video Show Brooklyn Residents Singing ‘Juicy’ During The Coronavirus Pandemic?)

Schure Media Group, the group that represents Beyonce, did not respond to a comment request by the time of publication.