WATCH: Da L.E.S shares heartfelt insights on grief and recovery following stroke

Da L.E.S (born Leslie Jonathan Mampe, Jr.) has reflected on the stroke that he suffered on July 26, 2024, speaking in detail about the experience for the first time during an interview with L-Tido.  

The rapper was hospitalised after suffering a stroke at home on the morning of his birthday, which led to him missing his celebration that had been planned for that night.

At the time, his family confirmed that he was in a stable condition and asked the public to keep him in their prayers. 

The “Lifestyle” rapper joined his longtime friend on the “L-Tido Podcast”, where he looked back on the moments leading up to the health scare, the grief that he had been carrying and the journey he has been on since.

The interview took place inside the club where he was meant to celebrate his birthday. Due to his foggy memory, L-Tido reminded him that they had spoken the day before and that nothing seemed off.

L.E.S said that he remembers very little from that night. 

“I went to sleep and woke up in another world. I was so confused,” he said. He explained that there had been a lot of partying around that time.

“There comes a time when your body just says no, and yeah, man, it got me. I am just happy to be alive and given one more chance.”

He shared that stress from losing his loved ones was also building up and that he had never dealt with it.

He had been dealing with the passing of his father, then AKA’s death happened, followed by Ricky Rick and, later, Nathan.

All of them were people he was close to, and the losses happened one after another. Instead of processing his emotions, he turned to drugs to numb everything he was feeling.

“I feel bad for my mom, but now I am back, and I am ready to go,” he said.

L-Tido also touched on the time when AKA was not speaking to L.E.S and did not like the idea of his drug use. He pointed out that when they started in the industry, they were two of the few artists who stayed away from drugs despite being surrounded by the lifestyle. 

L.E.S admitted that he never imagined he would cope with grief the way he did. He said people would often ask him how he felt about the deaths of his friends, but he could never explain or regulate what he was going through, so he would go out and “get lit”.

He further opened up about how hard AKA’s death hit him.

“I should have dealt with it. I should have grieved properly and not just moved on with life or used substances to numb the pain,” he said.

He said that he did not see the drug use coming and has been taking things day by day since the stroke. After suffering the stroke, he could not speak for months and believes that while the drugs played a part, the emotional weight he had been carrying contributed even more to what happened. 

L.E.S also opened up about his time in rehabilitation and how he had difficult days at the facility. At one point, he wanted to go back home to his children.

L-Tido reflected on that period too, saying it was frightening for their circle because they were told the stroke was severe and that he might not make it.

The 40-year-old rapper also shared his journey to recovery with fans by vlogging his progress on YouTube, showing his physiotherapy sessions and his life since surviving the stroke.

Although his speech has improved, he said that there are still moments when he struggles with walking, and his one arm remains numb.

Before the conversation shifted to his signature all-white themed parties, L.E.S encouraged his peers to go for regular check-ups and stay on top of their health.