Last week 42-year-old rapper Rick Ross was hospitalized after a suspected heart attack. Reportedly he suffered respiratory problems and was put on life support, hooked up to a machine that took over control of his heart and lungs. Insiders say he was placed on ECMO, a treatment where they oxygenate the blood outside of the body and pump it back into the body.
Although the hip-hop star has a history of seizures, he was taking medication, and had recently changed his lifestyle, losing a massive 75 pounds. The health care came as a huge shock to fans, and many of his peers in the hip-hop community reached out on social media to wish him well.
But there's good news: While his condition was serious for a while, Ross appears to have made a full recovery. After four days in the hospital, the Maybach Music artist returned to his Florida home. It won't be long before he's back in the studio, recording a boastful verse over opulent production, adlibbing "BAWSE" in his trademark husky voice.
Today The Daily Mail released audio of the frantic 911 call placed from his Miami, Florida home. We heard a little bit about this call previously, when the story broke: Last Thursday at 3:30AM, someone called emergency responders, saying the rapper was "slobbing at the mouth" and totally unresponsive. Now the call is available to hear.
"I have a friend of mine, at his house, he's breathing hard and throwing up," says the distressed man. "I need an ambulance here ASAP. I know he's had seizures before. He took his medicine earlier, but he's not breathing right."
After identifying the distressed man as William Roberts (Rick Ross), the caller realizes he does not know the address, and frantically searches the house for mail. Finally, he goes outside, to read the street name and the house number. "I just happened to get up and go up and check [on Ross]," the unidentified man explains. He said that the rapper "was kind of breathing hard" and had been sick for about twenty minutes before placing the call.
Them the 911 caller gives up an update on Ross' condition: "He's in and out...He has cold sweats and is breathing real hard. He's been shaking real bad... When [he was vomiting] it looked a little like blood." Halfway through the phone call, he says the MC was nodding his head and "boo-bood" on himself.
It was a scary incident, but it's great to hear that Rozay is doing all right. Back in 2000, the rapper Big Punisher suffered a fatal heart attack and respiratory failure, after a similar ordeal, struggling with his weight. Of course, Big Pun was much younger (28) and weighed much more (698 pounds), but still, we lose too many musicians too soon. Hopefully Ross will continue to live a healthy lifestyle, so he can start 'Blowing Money Fast' on more fun things than hospital bills.