Ray J shared devastating news when the rapper said that he only has months left to live after a surprise hospitalization revealed that his heart was “mostly black.”
“2027 is definitely a wrap for me. That’s what [the doctors] say,” the R&B artist, 45, said in a video shared on social media on Tuesday, January 27. “My baby mama gonna be straight, my kids gonna be straight, if they wanna spend all the money, they can spend it. I did my part here. I shouldn’t have went this hard.”
Now, fans are curious if “black heart” is a real medical condition.
What Is the Medical Condition ‘Black Heart’?
While Ray J did not identify a specific diagnosis, he said that his doctors had told him that “half of his heart had turned black.” According to the National Library of Medicine, “black heart” can be caused by alkaptonuria, “a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder where an accumulation of homogentisic acid in the tissues leads to ochronosis-a pathological dark pigmentation.”
The “Sexy Can I” singer added doctors told him that his heart is operating at roughly 25%, a level that typically indicates serious cardiac problems.
Ray J’s Doctors Gave a Grim Diagnosis
In a new interview with TMZ on Thursday, January 29, the dad of two revealed that his doctors also told him to prepare for the possibility of receiving a pacemaker and put him on “eight different medications” in an effort to prolong his life. His treatment includes medications such as Lipitor, Jardiance and Entresto, which are often used in the management of heart disease, as well as being advised to not drink alcohol or smoke, he told the outlet.
The “One Wish” singer added that he would know more when he returned to the doctor for a checkup in two weeks.
The Rapper Previously Speculated on What May Have Caused His Condition
When Ray J first revealed his condition, he told fans that he believed that the prognosis was due to his hard partying lifestyle.
“I think I thought I had more weight. I thought I was a big [shot], so I could handle all the alcohol,” the rapper explained in the January 27 video. “I could handle all the Adderall. I could handle all the drugs, but I couldn’t. And it curbed my time here.”
This wasn’t the first time Ray J has faced health issues. TMZ reported that he had been hospitalized with pneumonia in 2021.
“I thought it was over,” he told the outlet at the time. “I started praying and knew God is good, so I just kept praying.”
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What Is ‘Black Heart’? What Ray J’s Diagnosis Could Mean