In recent years, more and more of hip-hop’s vanguard artists, reaching the nostalgic memoir portion of their careers, have revealed that they confronted sexual abuse in their pasts. Common, Jim Jones, Kevin Gates, and more have come out with their realizations that they weren’t ready for some of the sexual encounters that were forced onto them in childhood and publicly reckoned with the effects that could have on their mature relationships.
Jeezy has added himself to that list, detailing how his trauma affected him in an hour-long interview with Nia Long about his new album, I Might Forgive… But I Don’t Forget. “I think the first [example of trauma] was being left with a babysitter that was a woman that was older than me,” he admits in the video, “And her, you know, touching me and doing things to me that don’t normally happen to kids… I was introduced to sex at a very young age.”
He also talks about his recent divorce from Jeannie Mai after the birth of their child together, saying, “I can tell you that this has not been an easy journey. I can tell you that I’m saddened. I can tell you that I’m disappointed. I can tell you that I’m uneasy, right? But, again, God has put me on a different path, and that path is going to entail for me to take care of myself and to love myself and to be in the best situation that I can thrive as someone who’s been through all of the things that I’ve been through.”
Still, he denies that infidelity plays a part, quoting, “Real n****s don’t cheat,” from the chorus of his new track “Don’t Cheat.”
You can watch the full interview above.
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