Westside Gunn is having an interesting year to say the least. On one hand, the Griselda rapper recently dropped off the critically acclaimed Pray For Paris, an album many have already deemed his best yet. On the other, Gunn found himself sidelined by the coronavirus for weeks before ultimately emerging as a fully recovered survivor. During a call with Ebro Darden, Gunn detailed his experience battling COVID-19, a fight he claims "almost took him out."
"I'm feeling good now, these short breaths, this shit was like a tornado through my chest," he muses. "I smoke a lot so I'm trying to build my lungs back up. I was going to go out for a walk, but even when I went outside to do that, I was like nah let me wait another week. Next week, I'll probably try to walk for 30 minutes." When Ebro inquires how serious things got, Westside turns the camera on a small machine he uses five times a day to help with his breathing.
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"At first I was in LA, we went out for dinner, I had signed a new artist Armani Ceaser," he reflects. "It was my daughter's birthday. The next day, I woke up and it's cold in the house. But I woke up sweating. Something not right, and everybody talking about corona. And I won't front, I was one of those dudes joking about it. Man, this the government! [laughs] We just making jokes all day about this shit." He soon realized that the sickness was serious, and he planned on making his way back to his Atlanta home. "First I stayed in bed for two days, let them enjoy LA, they were on vacation. But that plane damn near took me out. When I made it back, I went to urgent care -- I know some ladies up in there."
After getting an inhaler and a prescription for Zipac, Westside admits he did start feeling better. "But then I started smoking," he says. "Benny came over, he wanted to chill. We smoking back to back. The next morning, I hit my wake and bake, bro I couldn't even get off the couch. Something just hit me. I FaceTimed my family, they didn't pick up. I could breathe but the whole room was spinning. I couldn't even lift my head off the couch or nothing. I got enough legs to open up the door, basically damn near collapsed. Security had to get me, carry me to the wheelchair. I was like 'I can't breathe!'"
For more from Westside Gunn, be sure to check out his full conversation with Ebro Darden below. Have you been enjoying Pray For Paris?