Between the deadbeat father accusations, alleged baby mama drama, and bizarre blackface cover art, there was a lot to take in on Pusha-T’s scathing Drake diss track “The Story of Adidon.” One of the most controversial lines, however, wasn’t directly aimed at Drizzy; it was aimed at his good friend and OVO producer Noah “40” Shebib.
“OVO 40, hunched over like he 80, tick, tick, tick/How much time he got? That man is sick, sick, sick.”
For those who aren’t aware, Shebib was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis back in 2005 at the age of 22. It’s a disease that affects the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Though the incurable disease can be managed, there is a percentage of patients who succumb to MS-related complications. The fact that Pusha used Shebib’s potentially fatal illness in “The Story of Adidon” did not sit well with many listeners, including the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Hours after the G.O.O.D. Music boss released the track, NMSS shared a statement regarding the controversial lyrics.
“It’s troubling to hear that a person’s disability would be made fun of by others. Multiple sclerosis, which affects more than 2.3 million people worldwide, is an often misunderstood disease,” Eileen Curran, the senior director of national PR/media for the NMSS, said. “People living with MS face many challenges every day, which is why it’s so important to continue to raise awareness for MS so others can better understand those challenges. We at the National MS Society see this as an opportunity to raise awareness of this disease, the people who live with it, and the support that is out there—especially since today is World MS Day.”
Shebib, who is an ambassador for the organization, responded to Pusha’ track Tuesday night. He used the opportunity to promote World MS Day, which “coincidentally” fell on Wednesday.
“MS has made me a stronger person and motivated me to find success despite it,” Shebib said in a post on the organization's website. “MS can’t stop me [...] But I would like to be visible to young men who might have MS or be diagnosed with it tomorrow, so they know that they are not alone, that they can still succeed and have their dreams [...] By improving connections and knowledge about MS, we can end the disease.”
