Legendary rapper Lil Wayne opened up about his history of struggling with mental health and even attempting suicide as a child, in a new interview with Emmanuel Acho for his series Uncomfortable Conversations. Wayne says he came into the interview with the explicit goal of helping any of his fans who are struggling with mental health problems.
As for when Wayne first realized he dealt with mental health issues, he answered, “As a kid, around 10, when I was told I couldn’t have what I wanted, what I dreamed of and what I desired, and that was to rap. I was willing to die for it.”
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After that, Wayne reflected on a time when he was 12 years old. His mother had found out he was lying about school and he knew he was about to get punished. Before his mother could get home, he got her gun and held it to his chest, and pulled the trigger. While the gun wasn’t loaded, Wayne says he fainted from shock.
The new conversation with Acho isn’t the first time that Wayne has discussed his mental health in public. In 2016, on Solange’s song, “Mad,” he spoke about suicide. “When I attempted suicide, I didn’t die,” he said on the track.
Check out Wayne’s new interview below.
[Via]