Who is Skinnyfromthe9? Rapper asks fans to pray for him as he shares snaps from the hospital bed

808 & Soundbreak Presents Complex & Puma - Source: Getty
Skinnyfromthe9 attends 808 & Soundbreak Presents Complex & Puma at The Flat NYC on August 7, 2018, in New York City. (Image via Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

David Alex Villegas, known by his stage name Skinnyfromthe9, sparked concern among his fans after he shared snaps of himself from a hospital bed.

The rapper shared a concerning selfie of his face, visibly thrashed up. His lips were split open, front teeth broken, eyes swollen shut, scuffs on his cheeks and visible bruising on his eyelids. He also shared another photo of his arm connected to an IV line with a hospital wristband on it.

"Pray For me i almost lost my life," he captioned the post.

As of this writing, it is unclear what happened to him or his current medical condition.

Skinnyfromthe9, 29, is a singer-rapper from Somerville, New Jersey. He is most kown for his breakout track, 2017's Love Blast. He is reportedly signed to L.A. Reid's record label, HITCO, and dropped his debut mixtape, Highly Clouted, in July 2016.

He is of mixed Puerto Rican, Colombian, and Dominican descent, though hegrew up in and out of homeless shelters and hotels. He had a turbulent upbringing, as his father was imprisoned and his mother and stepfather engaged in several scams and identity fraud. The latter was eventually caught and charged.


Everything we know about Skinnyfromthe9's struggles with his health:

Skinnyfromthe9 began his career with the name "Skinny" because that was his nickname, and he was from area code 908, more commonly known as "the 9." He started his stint in hip-hop by sharing his work on SoundCloud in 2016. By the following year, he debuted songs like "Family Rich" featuring Jay Critch, and "Love Blast," the single that propelled him to fame.

He has since released several acclaimed singles, including "Back When I Was Broke" and "Pink Choppas," the music videos of which saw guest appearances from Wiz Khalifa and Russ.

Back in October 2022, Skinnyfromthe9 made headlines when he announced that he was diagnosed with Bell's palsy, culminating in partial facial paralysis. At the time, he shared a video explaining why he had a patch over his eye:

"Everybody's wondering why I have an eye-patch," he started. "I went to the hospital today and they told me I have Bell's palsy. Basically, it's when half of your [face] is paralyzed. For me, my whole left side is paralyzed." He then listed his symptoms, before adding, "I'm just hoping I get better."

Skinnyfromthe9 captioned the post:

"I ain’t embarrassed of nothing but I feel like I owe my fans/friends/ & people I love an explanation but I got tired of hitting everyone back individually so I went to the hospital today & they told me I have 'bells palsy' basically half my face is paralyzed & this just happens no warning no nothing I’m seeing a neurologist tomorrow & if you play close attention you can see I’m have trouble with my speech. Sounds appear louder. My [face] hurts a little. Can’t move my lip. slurred words. Eye can’t move. Can’t blink. Can’t form a full smile. Can’t move eyebrows. Praying to get better."

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders states that Bell's Palsy is a condition that affects about 44,000 people in the U.S. annually. The cause remains unclar, though it leaves the afflicted with paralysis on one side of the face.


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Edited by Jenel Treza Albuquerque