wellthy

Free Wellness Advice From Rappers

LL Cool J.
LL Cool J. Photo: RAMEY PHOTO/Corbis

On Instagram, DJ Khaled extols the benefits of meditation. Jadakiss and Styles P’s newest hit isn’t a song but a juice bar that’s received more than four Yelp stars. And we all know Drake isn’t getting this swoll from eating coconut cake. The world of hip-hop isn’t known for Gwyneth Paltrow–esque devotion to good health, but as we’ve learned from our own Wellness Theories, plenty of rappers are obsessed with staying fit. (Think about how much work it takes to maintain a six-pack, after all.) Here are some of the best quotes we’ve found on the topic, ranging from what’s in Big Sean’s vitamin case to how Snoop Dogg practices balance.

1. “Gotta start off the day lighting one up and eating some fruit.” —Snoop Dogg

2. “I did try a cycling class, but a 55-year-old lady kicked my ass and I was done.” —Nelly

3. “& here it is ladies & gents…. Day 30 lunch: shrimp, tomato & red onion salad … Light balsamic vinegar dressing…. Vegetables & a Zenify. @60daysoffitness #StayFocused” —The Game

4. “I don’t work out. I hate it. I don’t mean to sound super lazy. I tried it for a time. I lost my boobs. When I feel I need to lose weight, I just change what I eat.” —Nicki Minaj

5. “I take my supplements from Vitamin C to chlorophyll to asodophilu to multi-vitamins … priobiotics. There’s a lot of things I take which [my mom] instilled in me as a little boy … I always got my vitamin case. I travel like an old man.” —Big Sean

6. “I never used to do a lot of cardio and I still don’t do a lot of cardio because then I get real thin. But basically it’s just constant workouts and overall I just eat healthy. Of course I have days where I might go in on some French fries but overall it’s a pretty clean diet. Then I have my little cookies. They’re not the worst cookies, but I get them in there.” —Common

7. “Working out is a huge investment in yourself, and it builds equity in your body. It helps in all your decisions. It helps you negotiate. It clears your mind. It gives you strength to overcome obstacles. It’s a deep thing, you know?” —LL Cool J

8. “A lot of times I’m onstage for more than an hour, hour and a half, and just doing the cardio and the boxing that I do, it helps me out. And a lot of girls, you know, they love guys with muscles. And I use that to my advantage when I’m onstage, taking off my shirt and things like that.” —Flo Rida

9. “Gotta stay hydrated. Though it’s hot, I still work out. Now don’t be expecting me to look like Hercules when I get out [of jail], but I should be a little bulky.” —Lil Wayne

10. “Gym. Eat. Headline Wireless. Get Fry. 🙏 Today will be a good day.” —Drake

11. “I’ll have liquid protein before the gym. I’m not really a breakfast person.” —50 Cent

12. “I was living the young rapper’s life: smoking weed, drinking, eating whatever was at the fast food restaurant. And one day I woke up with gout. In a nutshell, my wife helped me heal by introducing me to a vegan lifestyle and from there I wanted to get use of my leg back — so I took up kung fu.” —Khnum Ibomu of Dead Prez

13. “I never seen him eat a vegetable, not once in the five years I knew him. That’s how I knew he wasn’t planning on living too long.” —Shock G on Tupac Shakur

14. “During 6, I worked out every single day for an entire year. We were filming in London. There were times when I’d fly from the States to London and still find a way to work out that day.” —Ludacris

15. “I go to the gym two to two-and-a-half hours Monday through Friday … I feel like I can kick a brick wall down now.” —Dr. Dre

16. “When it came to running, I think I got a little carried away. I became a fucking hamster. Seventeen miles a day on a treadmill. I would get up in the morning, and before I went to the studio, I would run eight-and-a-half miles in about an hour. Then I’d come home and run another eight and a half. I started getting OCD about the calories, making sure I burned 2,000 every day.” —Eminem 

17. “So what we going to do is meditate more ! 🙏🏽win more 🙏🏽🔑 major 🔑 bless up the icon @aliciakeys #wethebest.” —DJ Khaled

18. “Life is like the gym.. Look one way and there will always be someone in better shape. The other way someone who would die to be you.” —Ice-T

Free Wellness Advice From Rappers