HOUSTON — Rapper Slim Thug is not only an artist, but a huge role model in communities across the City of Houston, so when he took to Instagram to let everyone know he had coronavirus, it was shocking to many. The revelation was yet another reminder of how the virus doesn’t discriminate and how we should take the precautions seriously.
“Y’all gotta take this stuff serious,” he said in his Instagram post. “Sit home, self-quarantine, do not come outside for however long they saying. If you have symptoms, you need to get them checked out.”
Slim said the decision to get tested for the coronavirus came after he had a fever of nearly 100 degrees last weekend. Thinking it may just be his sinuses, he also noticed his breathing had taken a major hit, causing him to go to the doctor the following Monday. On Tuesday, he received the startling results.
“I go to the doctor for any little thing, so I went in and took the test. The next day, I got my results and they told me I had it,” he said.
So what now?
“The doctors sent me home and told me I have to just wait until it passes over,” he said.
His answer is yet another reason and example of why it is critical to avoid unnecessary trips and places if you’re able. As if his diagnosis wasn’t shocking enough, rapper Scarface told fans he had the virus the next day.
“It’s crazy,” Slim said. “When I had told everybody on Instagram, he actually called me. The next day, he found out he had it.”
While Slim understands that health insurance is expensive, he wishes there was some type of union for hip-hop artists, similar to what actors use. He believes health insurance should be free in the United States, as it is in Canada. He also stressed the importance of prevention. According to Slim, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner did the right thing by deciding to issue the “Stay home, work safe” order along with Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, but he doesn’t feel people are taking the order seriously by staying inside. As for Trump, he feels like the president could’ve acted sooner.
Slim has wasted no time trying to recover from the virus. He said he has been doing things to build his immune system back up, and encouraged everyone else to do the same.
“I wasn’t scared or nothing, I just felt like, ‘Okay, let me gear up,’” he said. “Let me get my vitamins together, let me get my immune system together.”
When it comes to trying to find entertainment while in quarantine, Slim is no different than most of us. The rapper said one of his favorite things to watch on Netflix has been Tiger King, a docuseries about a zoo owner spiraling out of control in a true murder-for-hire story from the world of tiger breeding.
Music has of course been therapeutic during this hectic time. On Thursday, he hosted a virtual listening party for his new project Thug Life. When asked what his favorite tracks off the album were, he mentioned Make it Right featuring Z-Ro and Both Eyes Open featuring Z-Ro and Scarface, but also made note of Paradise, which features up-and-coming Houston artist Yung Al. Slim said it gives him pride to support younger artists working to make a name for themselves in the industry.
“I look forward to doing that as an O.G. in the game,” he said. “I like to be the first dude to let you hear a certain artist… I’m gonna stay in my lane and do me, but I definitely like to help the younger artists too.”
Photo Credit: Pony Boy
While you’re at home due to coronavirus concerns, click here to listen to Slim’s new music from Thug Life, and take a look at the video for the song This World, which focuses on issues affecting the globe, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
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