Macklemore, 37, says he would have been ‘dead’ if his father hadn’t spent $ 10,000 to send him to rehab

Macklemore says he would be “dead” without rehab.

The 37-year-old rap star believes he wouldn’t have survived his addiction if his father hadn’t spent $ 10 or $ 12,000 to send him to rehab at the age of 25.

“ If it wasn’t for my pops with the 10 or 12 racks [thousand] that it was when I first went to treatment and [his ability] to spend that on me I would be f ****** dead, ” the singer said during a virtual People’s Party appearance with Talib Kweli.

Glad to be still here: Macklemore says he would be “dead” without rehab. The 37-year-old rap star believes he wouldn’t have survived his addiction if his father hadn’t spent $ 10 or $ 12,000 to send him to rehab at the age of 25.

The Big Days of Fame: Macklemore with his press room awards at the 56th Grammy Awards at Staples Center in Los Angeles in 2014

“I wouldn’t be here now. It’s not dramatic, it’s just what it is. I was about to die, ” added the star – whose full name is Benjamin Hammond Haggerty.

The Same Love hitmaker entered drug and alcohol addiction rehab in 2008 and celebrated three years of sobriety until relapsing in 2011.

He had struggled with drug addiction for the majority of his twenties because he didn’t realize there was a supportive community to help him get sober.

He continued, “ I had no idea that there was a group of people, thousands in my town, who would gather in the basements of churches and old halls at random and talk about this disease that I had. I didn’t even know it was an illness at first.

Better now: Seen in 2019 in Los Angeles. “ If it wasn’t for my pops with the 10 or 12 racks [thousand] that it was when I first went to treatment and [his ability] to spend that on me, I would be f ****** dead, ” the singer said during a virtual People’s Party appearance with Talib Kweli

With his caring dad: Macklemore with his dad, “Me and pop at @ caitlin_chapman’s wedding. #orcas’

“There was a community that was there to support me and love me unconditionally who had the same f ****** disease. There is therapeutic value from one addict to another sharing their experience, strength and hope [and] who saved my fucking life and continues to save my life.

Macklemore went on to address the stigma often associated with drug addiction, as many musicians are unsure whether to reveal that they have become sober because so much of their music has centered around drug use.

He explained: ‘People don’t know it’s okay to have treatment.

‘I remember hearing a certain rapper, I think it was Smokepurpp, and he was talking about [how] he went to treatment but didn’t want to tell anyone.

‘He was having this internal conversation like “What am I doing now?” All my shit is [about] sipping lean woods and smoking [cigars]. How to stay relevant? “

In his youth: Here the artist is seen during a photoshoot for his first album; he was 18

His look now: the star with wild hair and mustache as he showed off his tattoo