Macklemore says rehab saved his life: 'I was about to die'
'Downtown' singer checked into rehab in 2008
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Macklemore is grateful for having been to rehab.
The 37-year-old rapper recently appeared on Talib Kweli's podcast, People’s Party, and opened up about his time recovering from addiction.
"If it wasn’t for my pops having the 10 or 12 [thousand dollars] that it was when I first went to treatment and [his ability] to spend that on me, I’d be f--king dead," Macklemore explained, per Yahoo! Entertainment. "I wouldn’t be here right now."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He added: "That’s not to be f--king dramatic, that’s just what it is. I was about to die."
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The star went to rehab in 2008 to treat addiction to drugs and alcohol. Following the success of his 2013 album "The Heist" and subsequent rise in fame, the artist, born Benjamin Haggerty, relapsed, as he revealed to Complex, according to Rolling Stone.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Macklemore said that he'd be 'dead' if it weren't for rehab. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images for iHeartMedia)
"I was lucky enough to go to a facility for 30 days," Macklemore said in the podcast. "People don’t know that’s OK to go to treatment."
Yahoo reports that the musician has struggled with OxyContin and first drank when he was in his early teens.
After getting sober, Macklemore said he came across a fellow rapper who was weighing whether to go public with his own sobriety.
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"He was having that internal conversation like, ‘What do I do now?’ My whole s--t is [about] sipping lean and smoking Backwoods [Cigars]. How do I still remain relevant?’" the "Thrift Shop" rapper recalled. "It’s a mess, but what’s more of a mess is f--king dying."
He also said that his addiction wasn't clear to him before seeking out rehabilitation.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Macklemore went to rehab in 2008. (Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images for iHeartMedia)
"I went for years like, ‘Why can I not f--king stop? Why can I not drink and smoke like my friends? Why, when I wake up, that’s the first thing I’m thinking about and I have to go get, and other people can just do it on the weekend or three times a week?’" he remembered thinking.
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Nowadays, he's back on track and is happy to share his story and struggles publicly.
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"There is a therapeutic value of one addict to another sharing their experience, strength and hope," he said. "That has saved my f--king life and continues to save my life."