Ghostface Killah recently opened up about a challenging time in his life when he was dealing with undiagnosed diabetes, which contributed to him hearing voices. In a conversation with Touré, the 54-year-old Wu-Tang icon revealed that he was diagnosed with diabetes around the time of his debut solo album, Ironman, in 1996. Despite this dark and rough period, Ghostface managed to create some of the most memorable lyrics of that era, including on Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… album in 1995.
The troubles began for Ghostface while he was in Ohio and experienced a moment of disorientation after smoking marijuana. He started hearing whispers and felt something was off. This led to a period of depression and other issues, during which the voices would urge him to do harmful things. Initially, Ghostface kept this battle to himself, only confiding in RZA, who helped him cope by explaining the workings of the brain. Triggers for the voices included smoking, which intensified the symptoms.
Ghostface eventually sought help from a psychiatrist, who initially prescribed medication that didn’t work for him. It was later discovered through bloodwork that he was diabetic. Ghostface explained how having bad blood, such as in the case of diabetes, can affect one’s mental state with bad thoughts. He has been managing his condition with insulin and no longer experiences those troubling symptoms.
Despite his struggles, Ghostface has turned his health challenges into a learning opportunity for his fans through initiatives like the Making Diabetes Ghost foundation. It’s clear that he has come a long way from those difficult times and is now in a better place thanks to proper management of his health.