During a recent interview with Rolling Stone, he revealed that he’s been battling some serious health issues, making his creative process all the more complex. Reportedly, he has a neurological condition called lingual dystonia, which causes spasms that impact the way he speaks and records music.
“There’s some kind of interruption in the nerve firing off in my tongue,” he explained. “My cranial nerves and my vagus nerve were all inflamed. I got a genetic condition called the COMT gene that processes dopamine slower than normal.”
Royce Da 5’9″ Health Issues
Hip hop artist Royce Da 5’9″ speaks during a rally put on by Detroit Council President Pro Tem Mary Sheffield on Monday, June 1, 2020 at the Detroit Association of Black Organizations in Detroit. Speakers ranged from iconic Detroiters, activists and community leadersthat spoke on calls for justice and to direct the pain and protest towards progress and away from destruction. Ryan Garza / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
“And when I did a neurochemistry test, [I found out] the left hemisphere of my brain produces less dopamine than the right,” the rapper continued. “So not only is it less dopamine, but it’s an imbalance as well. When your dopamine is low, that’s like Parkinson’s, ADHD… I had involuntary movements in my face and in my tongue. So they went on this long thing where they would put me on all these different kinds of medicines.”
Fortunately, while it’s been a long road filled with multiple improper diagnoses, Royce Da 5’9″ says he’s “almost through it.” He even claims that he’s started recording again.