‘This breathing is scaring me’ during sex, Hip-hop icon Busta Rhymes opens up about his weight loss journey

Hip Hop icon Busta Rhymes reveals how a health scare during sex motivated him to lose weight and get in shape.

Busta Rhymes, the 51-year-old Hip Hop icon, has revealed the shocking incident that motivated him to lose weight and get in shape.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 25: Busta Rhymes, winner of the Lifetime Achievement award, poses in the press room during the BET Awards 2023 at Microsoft Theater on June 25, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Frazer Harrison/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Frazer Harrison / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP)

In a candid interview with Men’s Health, Busta shared how he struggled to breathe during sex with his ex-wife, and how she urged him to change his lifestyle.

The 51-year-old said that he had to stop in the middle of the act because he felt like he was having an asthma attack, even though he doesn’t have asthma. He tried to calm himself down in the living room, but his ex-wife followed him and confronted him about his health.

"She was like, ‘You gotta lose this weight. This breathing is scaring me. When I met you, you wasn’t like a muscle head, but you was slim, you was cut, you had your s— right. I need you to get back to who I fell in love with,’ " Busta recalled.

That was the wake-up call that the “BEACH BALL” singer needed to transform his body and his life. He revealed his weight loss journey on Instagram in October 2020, posting a before-and-after photo of his physique.

He went from 340 lbs. to around 254 lbs. in a matter of months, thanks to a very strict diet and exercise regimen. He also released his 10th studio album, Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God, which he said he wouldn’t do without being in the best shape of his life.

Before and after (Instagram/ Gusta Rhymes)

Busta opened up more about his fitness routine and his mindset in May 2021, telling Men’s Health that he was not only doing it for himself, but also for his family and his people.

“I ain’t just getting in shape to look good with my music,” he said.

I was raised to protect and provide for my family and my people. I don’t know how to be any other way. I have to contribute in any way I can, even if that means engaging in physicality to ensure survival.

The hip-hop icon is one of the featured stars in the September 2023 issue of Men’s Health, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop. The issue also includes interviews with other rap legends like Method Man and 50 Cent, who share their insights on how Hip Hop has influenced their lives and their health.

The issue of Men’s Health will be available on newsstands on Aug. 8.