Busta Rhymes' Shares How A Post-Sex 'Asthma Attack' Inspired His Incredible 100-Pound Weight Loss

Hip-hop legend Busta Rhymes, known for his electrifying performances and iconic discography, underwent a remarkable weight loss transformation in 2020.

The rapper, whose powerful stage presence has always been a defining feature, posted a staggering 100-pound weight loss at the time.

Rhymes revealed that his inspiring journey was prompted by a health scare - a post-sex "asthma attack"-like experience that urged him to prioritize his well-being. He also revealed that he trains twice daily as he prepares to go on tour with 50 Cent.

Keep on reading to learn more.

In a candid interview with Men's Health Magazine, the "Look At Me Now" emcee opened up about the turning point that led him to make a significant change in his lifestyle after gaining significant weight.

The incident, which took place in 2020, involved an "asthma attack"-like experience following an intimate encounter. The frightening episode became a wake-up call for Rhymes — born Trevor George Smith Jr. — pushing him to take charge of his health and embark on a transformative journey.

"One night, I was getting ready to have, make, you know … I was getting ready to have an intimate moment with my ex," he recounted the ordeal to the news outlet. "I had a breathing issue after the intimate interaction."

He continued, "I was trying to inhale, and it felt like it wasn't working. I felt like I was having like, an asthma attack — but I don't have asthma."

"So I walked out of the bedroom and went into the living room, and I was forcing myself to inhale, to relax," he added.

During the journey to reclaim his health, Rhymes revealed that the particular incident involving his then-partner impacted his decision to lose weight.

The rap icon noted that his ex-partner commented on his appearance following their love-making session, which deeply affected him. Rhymes admitted that the remark "really f**ked" him up but also acknowledged that it served as a turning point in his weight loss journey.

"She was like, 'Yo, this is not who I fell in love with,'" he shared. "She didn't know what had happened outside, but she was looking at my body and the weight. She was like, 'You gotta lose this weight. This breathing is scaring me. When I met you, you wasn't like a musclehead, but you, you was slim, you was cut, you had your shit right. I need you to get back to who I fell in love with."

Elsewhere in his interview with Men's Health, Rhymes shared that his struggles with weight gain began after the untimely loss of his father.

The "I Know What You Want" rapper disclosed that he didn't properly deal with the emotional impact of losing his father, leading him to turn to food, alcohol, and other unhealthy practices as a coping mechanism. The grief and void left by his father's passing weighed heavily on him, leading to emotional eating and unhealthy habits that eventually contributed to his weight gain.

"That had to do with me never properly dealing with the loss of my father," Rhymes responded when asked about what caused him to gain over 300 pounds during the pandemic.

"My dad died in 2014, and I drowned myself in work. I just kept drinking, smoking, eating bad—the whole nasty—and recording a bunch of songs just to escape the pain," he continued. "I also had a 90 percent blockage in my throat because of polyps on my vocal cords, and my breathing was bad."

Rhymes also shared that he made a courageous decision to reject surgery despite facing health challenges related to polyps on his throat. The rapper feared that undergoing surgery could potentially impact his unique and iconic baritone voice, a defining characteristic of his music career.

He recounted another sad incident that prompted him to get back in shape, where his son and security took about 45 minutes to get him up after passing out in the car in 2019, after which the doctor told him he may "die in my sleep."

"I was also scared about surgery for the polyps on my vocal cords because my voice is how I feed my family—the voice is the dragon. I ran from the surgery as long as I could, but after that weekend, I saw the doctor, and he looked at my throat, and he said I could die in my sleep. That's when I got surgery and started to get back in shape," Rhymes shared.