Alsina continued, “My father and grandfather both died of severe illness. But they were FIGHTERS and that’s all that matters. Just ride with me is all I ask.”
He also elaborated on the reason for his reluctance to share this information sooner. “I don’t really like to talk about it because I’m not looking for anybody’s sympathy. Don’t treat me like I’m a f***ing cancer patient, because I’m not.”
Besides his physical health problems, Alsina also opened up about his struggles with mental illness; specifically, depression. “I feel a sadness and depression that is embedded into my DNA.”
August Alsina calls his older brother Melvin LaBranch III’s death one of the defining moments of his life. “Those six bullets that my brother took, in a lot of ways, made me very cold.”
The young rapper also underwent surgery in 2015 in order to correct his failing eyesight. Opening up about such things, especially in the hip-hop world, which is founded on the machismo of being the baddest MF in the game, is incredibly brave.
Not only that, but it could also serve as inspiration to someone who needs to get help for either a physical or mental illness. He went on to say that his father and grandfather, despite eventually succumbing to their illness, were fighters. And so is he.