BlackDoctor.org: Over the past few years, the hip hop community has suffered tremendous loss with the passing of Heavy D (pulmonary embolism) and Guru (cancer), and of course, more recently, the diabetes-related deaths of Phife and Prince Be. Did their deaths affect you in any way?
Masta Ace: Hearing those stories and knowing what happened with those artists just reinforced my commitment to being healthy, eating right, taking care of myself and watching what I put in my body, especially at my age. It played a huge part in me realizing I was doing the right thing.
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BlackDoctor.org: Richard Pryor is undoubtedly one of the most famous people stricken with multiple sclerosis, and presently, R&B singer Tamia and TV’s Montel Williams have both spoken publicly about living with the disease. Did you ever refer to their stories or perhaps reach out to any of them?
Masta Ace: I never reached out to any of them but those are the exact names that came to mind when I got the diagnosis. But with Richard Pryor, he had a lot of difficulty and some of it probably had to do with his drug abuse. That’s probably why he was struggling more than most. I definitely did consider those celebrities though, and I just wondered how about their situation. I took a glance every now and then to see how they were doing.
BlackDoctor.org: When you were first diagnosed, you’ve said that music and career-wise, you reached an impasse but shortly after, your energy and passion were refueled and you resumed recording. What turned things around?
Masta Ace: I think the realization that it was possible that my quality of life was going to change over time and since there were things I thought were unfulfilled musically, I felt like it was “now or never.” You just don’t know what the future’s going to hold or how your system or the disease is going to progress, so at that point, it made me rededicate myself to my craft. It made me want to put out the best music I possibly could at that time.
BlackDoctor.org: And you’ve kept things going with the recent release of “The Falling Season.” Tell us about this album.
Masta Ace: As a writer, I’ve become a lot more introspective and something as dramatic as this kind of a diagnosis can make you become more introspective. This new album is about me growing up in Brooklyn and I give listeners insight into my four years of high school and what was going on in my neighborhood, my school and my life at that time.
BlackDoctor.org: How do you want others living with the disease to be inspired by your journey?
Masta Ace: I hope that others living with the disease realize that although you may not be in total control of what happened, you do have control over how you conduct your life going forward. I try to live a very healthy lifestyle; I realize that I’m not 20 years old anymore, so hanging out late and drinking and doing all those things I did when I was younger don’t fit who I am anymore. I spend quite a bit of time working out at home and when I’m on the road, and I have dramatically changed the way I eat. [My new lifestyle] has paid dividends in the way I feel, how active I am, and how I’m able to work out without feeling tired which is a challenge for anybody my age, even without a disease! I just try to live a much healthier lifestyle and I encourage people to do the same. I want others to just take control of their life, their health and their well-being.
LaShawn Williams is a freelance writer and editor from Chicago, Illinois. She is an arts and entertainment enthusiast who has a serious thing for stand-up comedy, music and dance. Follow her on Twitter:@MsWilliamsWorld.