S. Samuel
With hip-hop's health awareness growing as rappers like Fat Joe and Styles P. eat healthier and even video vixen Amber Rose quitting a smoking habit, SOHH reached out to formerly obese radio veteran Big Boy to get his take.
Co-signing hip-hop getting in shape, Big Boy explained the importance each artist’s control over their guilty vices is.
“Styles P is doing his thing and I see Lil Cease is f*cking diesel and then Fat Joe is losing 100 pounds but still enjoying his lobster and his steak, Amber Rose pulling back [from smoking], Lil Wayne being forced not to do what he was doing [with probation], I’m hoping cats are taking more notice to [their health] and that other people are looking at it also,” Big Boy told SOHH about the recent wave of health consciousness in hip-hop. “No disrespect to anyone, but we spent a lot of time showing cats how to make it rain and hopefully now in 2012, we’re showing cats that we only get one [life]. That’s crazy because once it’s over, it’s over. We see cats who paid tuition into the school of experience and we have to realize that no one is exempt or immune to the things that can happen to us. What I tell people, Amber Rose or whoever, anything that you do is like a credit card. Whatever your vice is, you can keep charging that to the game. For me it was obsesity. But at some point, that whole statement is going to come in.” (SOHH)
Boy also said people should acknowledge the risks they take from indulging in vices which could ultimately hurt them in the long run.
“Once that statement comes in, what do I have to pay for it,” Big Boy added. “Would it be my lungs, my heart, death? Whenever that statement comes in, I’m responsible for the charges that I made. That’s why I tried to turn my life around. I’m still a work in progress. I’m still under construction. With Amber Rose saying she’s going to stop and Styles P. doing his thing [drinking and eating healty], Fat Joe doing his thing, I’ve charged a lot on my card. So hopefully, I got some of that time back and I can live a little bit better as far as nutrition. So when that statement came in, thank God it wasn’t anything too crucial that I couldn’t pay and I was able to get back on track.” (SOHH)
Recently, slimmed down rapper Paul Wall told SOHH he recalled Big Boy during his heavier days.
“All I knew were people like [radio host] Big Boy from Power 106 and DJ AM [who experienced a significant weight loss]. I didn’t know DJ AM or Big Boy when they were big. I knew them when they were smaller. I remember going to DJ AM’s funeral and seeing a lot of the photos of him when he was bigger and hearing from people that knew him saying, “I remember the big AM.” That’s when I knew I wanted people to say the same things about me. I wanted to be referred to as big and little. I didn’t want to just be known as the big guy. I wanted people to be like, “Remember the big Paul Wall?” That just amazed me.” (SOHH Guest Star)
Last month, Amber Rose revealed she quit smoking to focus on a music career.
“I showed Wiz [Khalifa] some things I’d written down and he really encouraged me to pursue it,” she admits almost shyly. “I’m taking this really seriously – I even quit smoking just so I could improve my voice.” Her features tighten momentarily then relax with a careless shrug. “I already know when the first single drops the haters will have their own opinions, but my fans (almost 900,000 strong on Twitter who she refers to as her “rosebuds” and “rosestuds”) will be there for me.” (Style Caster)
Check out Big Boy discussing his new An XL Life book below:
