Oak Cliff reality rapper C. Struggs has always rapped about his struggles. He now has a big new one: his health. Last week, a video of the 31-year-old rapper being rushed to the hospital went viral on social media after rap blog Say CheeseTV posted it.
The video didn't indicate the nature of Struggs' ailment. When we asked him during our initial interview, he said has been sick for the past eight months, dealing with constant migraines and nosebleeds.
Although he is known for putting the cold, hard truth to paper with his lyrics, Struggs seemed hesitant to divulge his diagnosis. After we hung up, he asked if he could call back.
“Nov. 14, I was diagnosed with a rare head and neck cancer,” he told the Observer during the second interview. “It’s something that I thought was severe sinuses. I went to the doctor and did a biopsy, and it came back a tumor.”
"It's mentally put me in a state of shock, but it's also fueled me. I know I gotta get ready to go through this battle." – C. Struggs
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Struggs starts chemotherapy next week, and he said he has returned to his hometown of Ennis to clear his head and prepare for the challenges ahead.
“I had to move to Ennis to get out of the city. I was just so fucked up,” he said. “I just had to come back down to my roots and clear my thoughts.”
Despite his health issues, Struggs is still working hard on his rap career. “No one this year has worked harder than me,” he said.
Earlier this year, he released a 22-track mixtape, "Da Fat Crip," and a slew of music videos. In August, Houston hip-hop label Swishahouse screwed and chopped his breakout 2016 mixtape, "Why Not Hustle."
Struggs will release another mixtape next month in collaboration with producer DJ Michael "5000" Watts, Swishahouse and his own record label, Clone Free Music. "Brad Jordan Jr." is a tribute to legendary rapper Scarface. Struggs’ lyrics and vocal delivery resemble his.
Since Struggs has been in Ennis, he has been isolated from the hip-hop community. It has made it more difficult for him to play shows and record features for other artists. Struggs said he has been thinking about starting a GoFundMe campaign to help support his family through his illness.
“It’s mentally put me in a state of shock, but it’s also fueled me,” Struggs said. “I know I gotta get ready to go through this battle. I come from nothing; I come from the struggle; I come from bottom. I’ve been going through shit my whole life.”
