In a distressing Instagram post, South Korean underground rapper Keith Ape revealed that he has less than six months left to live. While he hasn’t revealed any more details about his health, a statement from his management is awaited.
Earlier this week, Keith Ape uploaded a picture of himself in a hospital bed, hooked up to an IV. The accompanying caption addressed his ‘haters’ and revealed that his doctors had given him three to six months to live. He also expressed his desire to feature on music by artists he admires and idolizes.
“I’m gonna do the feature without payments if you gave me a little part of the inspiration for my music life or I grew up with someone I lookups DM ME I WANT LEAVE MY NOISES AS MUCH AS I CAN BEFORE I LEAVE THIS PLANET.” he wrote.
As of now, it is not confirmed what his official diagnosis is. In response to supportive comments from his fans under the post, Keith also asked people to talk about his music and not his health, saying ‘that’s all i care bout rn.’
Keith Ape rose to fame in 2015 with his viral hit ‘잊지마 (It G Ma)’, which turned him into an international sensation and earned him the epithet ‘Korean trap lord’. The polarizing track propelled him to international fame, earning him mentions in the New York Times and establishing him as a figurehead in hip-hop.
Along with fellow artists JayAllDay and Okasian, Keith is also part of The Cohort, capturing the essence of the Korean indie hip-hop scene, away from the more polished stages of K-pop. Keith Ape’s last release was his 2018 debut album, Born Again.