How 21 Rappers Responded To Near-Death Experiences

One week after TMZ reported he was on his deathbed following an alleged overdose of cough syrup, Lil Wayne shot a vlog where he promised he was “more than good,” thanked his fans for their love and support, and announced that he would be going on tour with T.I. in July.

It was a big relief to see Tunechi in good spirits after his recent health scare. Whatever actually caused his seizures—whether sizzurp, as TMZ reported, or hard work, as Birdman and Mack Maine maintained—Lil Wayne's faithful followers heaved a big sigh of relief. But Weezy's not the only rapper to have his fans worried sick in recent months. Rick Ross has also suffered multiple seizures (not to mention a drive-by shooting) in the past two years. But hey—shit happens. And it's not what happens to you that counts, it's how you repond to it.

As happy as we are to see Wayne feeling better, we certainly hope he’s going to be making some lifestyle changes, and staying the fuck away from lean. Rappers always seem to be having these brushes with death—whether from gun violence, car accidents, or overdoses—so we thought it would be a good idea to take a look back at how 21 Rappers Responded To Near-Death Experiences. Tunechi, take notes!

Date: November 1989

What Happened? After leaving a party, Tracy Lynn Curry, aka The D.O.C., was cruising down the Ventura Freeway in his sports car not wearing a seat belt when he fell asleep at the wheel and was involved in an automobile accident. The former Fila Fresh Crew member and N.W.A affiliate sustained numerous injuries which required 21 hours of plastic surgery. He spent two-and-a-half weeks in the hospital and couldn't speak for a month.

How He Responded: With his voice destroyed but his pen game still strong, D.O.C. became a go-to ghostwriter, particularly for Dr. Dre, contributing heavily to The Chronic. It's hard to pinpoint exactly how much he's written over the years, but he's certainly remained a factor when many believed he would never be one again. He released one post-crash album in 1996 titled Helter Skelter but has since disowned it.

Date: Early '90s

What Happened? Dennis Coles aka Ghostface Killah was reportedly shot in the neck and arm while he and other members of Wu-Tang were living in Ohio prior to the group's breakout in '93.

How He Responded: Ghost never went into full detail about the shooting, but he makes references to it on songs like "Striving For Perfection" and "Can It All Be So Simple (Remix)" on Cuban Linx. Needless to say, Ghost's entire career on wax postdates his brush with death. Fans of stream-of-conscious flows and brightly hued Clarks are thankful that Ghost didn't get it (at least not from the Grim Reaper) in Ohio.

Date: 1986 and 1991

What Happened? Tim Mosley has had two near death experiences. In 1986, when he was 15 years old, he was shot and partially paralyzed for nine months. In 1991, he survived a near-fatal accident when a new car he was driving hit a patch of black ice and smashed into a tree. He survived but his female passenger did not.

How He Responded: In the time it took Timbo to recover from his shooting, he learned how to DJ with his left hand. However, it seems the driving accident had more of an permanent effect on him. In the immediate aftermath, he suffered nightmares and constant crying. In the long run, Tim avoids driving to this day and seems to be suffering from survivor's guilt: "I haven't moved on from it [the accident], I still deal with it. I just thank God I'm here. I'm not supposed to be here."

Date: May 1991

What Happened? Richard Shaw aka Bushwick Bill was depressed and drunk when he went to his then-girlfriend's house and asked her to shoot him. When she refused, Bill reportedly threatened to hurt their child and they struggled over the gun. The gun went off, a bullet took out his right eye and got stuck inside his head.

How He Responded: The Geto Boys used a photo of Bill on a hospital stretcher for the cover of their album, We Can't Be Stopped. It might have been in poor taste to have a photo of man with a gunshot wound as an album cover, but it was certainly a powerful image. The stoic, stone-cold expression on Scarface's face said just about everything you needed to know about this group.

Date: November 1994

What Happened? When Dwayne Carter was 12 years old, he left school early (it was report card day) and went home to find a loaded blue-steel Taurus 9 mm handgun on his bed. He accidentally shot himself in the chest, missing every vital organ but sustaining serious injuries.

How He Responded: Lil Wayne’s life was saved by an off-duty police officer named Robert Hoobler, who arrived at the scene of the shooting and drove Wayne to the hospital. Hoobler did not realize he had saved the life of <em>the</em> Lil Wayne but years later, while eating at a restaurant, someone tapped him on the shoulder and told him, “Lil Wayne would like to see you.” When he went over, Wayne told his crew, “I almost died, and this man saved my life. I’ll never forget him.” Weezy even picked up the officer's tab.

Date: November 1994

What Happened? After entering the lobby of Quad Recording Studios in Manhattan, Tupac Amaru Shakur was shot five times and robbed of his chain. He was eventually rushed to the hospital and treated for gunshot wounds to the head, groin, arm and thigh. Three hours after surgery, he left the hospital against doctor's orders.

How He Responded: By surviving the shooting and then leaving the hospital mere hours later, 2Pac added to the mythology that surrounds him. He later appeared in Manhattan Supreme Court wearing his bandages, was sentenced to jail time, and then gave a jailhouse interview in which he publicly blamed Biggie and Puffy (who were recording in the same studio complex the night 'Pac was shot) for setting him up. Later Pac released the song "Hit 'em Up" on which he claimed, "Five shots couldn't drop me, I took it and smiled." However, 2Pac knew who had really set him up, Jimmy Henchmen. On the song "Against All Odds" 2Pac rhymed about what happened, and even "Promised a payback, Jimmy Henchman, in due time."

Date: 1995

What Happened? At age 16, D'Juan Hart aka Young Dro was shot in the stomach and back. It took him a year to recover, and he had to wear a colostomy bag for a short time.

How He Responded: Like many others on this list, Dro took the shooting as a sign he needed to get out of the ghetto and step up his rap game. He ended up signing a deal in the early 2000s and releasing <em>I Got That Dro</em>. After that he linked with his old friend T.I., signed to Grand Hustle, and dropped "Shoulder Lean," making a major impact.

Date: 1996

What Happened?: While recording for his second album, Christopher Wallace suffered serious injuries in a car accident when Lil Cease lost control of their rented vehicle on a rainy day. His left leg was shattered and he was confined to a wheelchair for weeks.

How He Responded: Biggie rhymed about the incident on "Lost Kiss Goodnight" when he said "I used to be as strong as Ripple be / Till Lil Cease crippled me." Due to his injuries, Biggie was forced to walk with a cane for the rest of his life. That certainly led to some lifestyle changes, but it also went well with his playboy persona when he started donning Versace suits and gator shoes.

Date: Summer 1997

What Happened?: Earl Simmons was nearly beaten to death after being accused of stealing from a group of guys. Although X was a career thief, this was one of the few times where he genuinely didn't commit the crime he was accused of. He was rushed to the hospital with his throat swelling, but he eventually recovered.

How He Responded: After the beatdown, X had his jaw wired shut. At the urging of Irv Gotti, Lyor Cohen travelled to Yonkers to hear the buzzing rapper rhyme. X spit with so much vigor that he broke the wires on his jaw. This impressed Lyor so much he signed X to Def Jam that night. Guess Yeezy ain't the only one to spit through the wire.

Date: May 2000

What Happened?: Curtis Jackson was shot nine times while sitting in a car out front of his grandmother's house in Queens and lived to tell the tale.

How He Responded: Columbia Records dropped 50 as he recovered in the hospital. He eventually recovered and released the mixtape Guess Who's Back, which kicked off an unprecedented mixtape run that made him the hottest rapper in the game. 50 Cent was signed to Shady / Aftermath and detailed the shooting incident on the song "Many Men" from his major-label debut. The lyrics of the song insinuated that 50 had the man who shot him murdered only a few weeks after. Meanwhile, In the end, the shooting not only became part of his folklore but getting shot in mouth permanently changed his voice and actually made it better.

while in the hospital,

Date: October 2001

What Happened?: Jayceon Taylor was shot five times at his Compton apartment after a drug-deal-gone-wrong. He went into a three-day coma afterwards.

How He Responded: As traumatic as it was, getting shot helped Game turn his life around. Realizing that if he stayed in the drug game he'd end up dead or in jail sooner or later, Game studied classic rap albums by N.W.A, Biggie, and Nas, while in the hospital. After his release he took rapping more seriously than ever and four years later Game had a No. 1 album with The Documentary.

Date: September 2001

What Happened?: While leaving a club in South Jamaica, Queens, Christopher Charles Lloyd aka Lloyd Banks was randomly shot twice, in his back and stomach. He ran to a nearby hospital.

How He Responded: Following this brush with death, Banks teamed up with 50 Cent and Tony Yayo to form G-Unit and helped 50 light the streets on fire with their must-have mixtapes.

Date: October 2002

What Happened?: After leaving the studio at 3 a.m., Kanye West was injured in a car accident in West Hollywood, Los Angeles. He was rushed to the hospital and treated for a broken jaw.

How He Responded: With his jaw still wired shut, Kanye courageously recorded a song about the entire ordeal and called it (what else?) "Through The Wire." The song became the first single from West's debut album, The College Dropout, and remains one of his signature tracks. Meanwhile, Ye also made the crash a part of his pre-album mixtape, Get Well Soon, the back cover of which featured a photo of the rapper right after the incident with a face so swollen he looked like he had gained 100 pounds.

Date: 2003

What Happened?: While exiting a recording studio in New York, Karim Kharbouch aka French Montana was shot in the back of the head.

How He Responded: Although French now has a popping rap career, he has not managed to distance himself from the gunplay. Earlier this month, a man was shot and killed near his tour bus in Philadelphia. French has denied any knowledge or involvement in the incident, but despite his best intentions he's still a Bad Boy.

Date: July 2003

What Happened?: Dylan Kwabena Mills aka Dizzee Rascal was stabbed six times in Ayia Napa, Cyprus by a group of four men.

How He Responded: Rascal is actually one of the few people who took some responsibility for his near death experience. He was quoted as saying, "It was partly my fault. I got off my bike doing the bravery thing when I should have just sped off." He attributed his bravado to his upbringing, but we're hoping he learned his lesson and that in the future he'll be less macho.

Date: July 2005

What Happened?: Alchemist was aboard an Anger Management tour bus when it overturned in Missouri. He suffered three fractured ribs and a bruised lung.

How He Responded: Alchemist wasn't the only one injured in the crash—so was his brother Neil and rapper Stat Quo (though not as severely). The accident took Al off the Anger Management Tour for a bit as fans and Eminem himself wished him a speedy recovery. While on the mend he told MTV, "I've been going online and seeing how many people are showing love. You realize, like, Damn, a lot of people care, a lot of people appreciate you."

Date: December 2005

What Happened?: Obie Trice was shot twice while riding on Detroit's Lodgeway Expressway. One of the bullets remains lodged in his skull.

How He Responded: Obie didn't let a few bullets slow him down. In fact, he went right on with his rap career as if nothing had happened, although the shooting gave him the most publicity he'd gotten since dropping his debut album. He touched on the incident on records like "Pistol Pistol (Remix)," on which he promised revenge ("The nigga that got him in the head will feel it before the year ends") and claimed his daughter now needed to hear his voice at certain times a day to make sure he was alright. He also rhymed about it on "Cry Now," saying, "X-rays show, I was this close to Heaven/So for future reference, I stay this close to a weapon." We honestly can't blame him.

Date: October 2006

What Happened?: While riding as a passenger in an SUV, Barry Adrian Reese aka Cassidy got into a car accident with a U-Haul truck. He suffered a fractured skull and several broken bones on the left side of his face. Cass was in a coma for about a week and suffered temporary brain damage.

How He Responded: The trauma from the accident was no joke. According to Cassidy, "When I first woke up out of my coma, I had amnesia, so I couldn't really remember everything. I didn't have full amnesia; I could remember certain things." He went on to say he had to take time for his brain to recover so he could relearn things, including the words to his hit songs. (We just wish we could forget his song "Condom Style.") All jokes aside, Cassidy was able to return to the charts with his hit song "My Drink n My 2 Step." Since then he has filled his free time by battling with Meek Mill.

Date: December 2007/January 2008

What Happened?: Marshall Mathers overdosed on pills around Christmas 2007 and relapsed only a month later.

How He Responded: It took some time, but Eminem eventually flushed the drugs out of his system and got back to writing rhymes. He detailed the affects of his addiction on his comeback album Relapse and his newfound perspective on life on the triumphant followup album Recovery. Since that time he's avoided doing full length tours because they're a trigger for his addiction. Although he put down the drugs he has picked up a new habit of jogging and claims to run as much as 17 miles a day.

Date: April 2008

What Happened?: Otis Williams, Jr. aka OJ Da Juiceman was shot eight times in April 2008. he was released from the hospital a few days later and performed a show that same week.

How He Responded: What is it with rappers getting shot and then getting out of the hospital right after? According to an interview Juiceman gave to Angela Yee, he got shot on Sunday, left the hospital on Wednesday, and did a show on Friday while still on crutches. He claimed the shooting forced him to slow down—probably a bit easier to do with his now permanent limp—and focused on taking care of his family. He also started calling himself Wolverine.

Date: October 2011

What Happened?: William Leonard Roberts aka Rick Ross suffered two seizures in one day while flying on his private jet from Ft. Lauderdale to Memphis.

How He Responded: Ross attributed his seizures to poor diet, lack of sleep, and dehydration. He responded by getting out of the hospital and going to Wingstop (no —seriously). Later, when Ross was profiled in Rolling Stone, he claimed that after the seizures he's been trying to sleep more and drink more water, but instead of changing his diet he would just eat a salad along with his regularly massive meals. Despite those changes, Ross suffered a third seizure last April. Let's hope he's making even more serious changes this time around.