Da L.E.S Opens Up About the Stroke That Changed His Life: “I Woke Up in Another World”
South African hip-hop star Da L.E.S has spoken publicly for the first time about the morning he suffered a stroke, offering an unfiltered look into the trauma, the grief he had long avoided and the difficult road he has been walking since. The rapper, whose real name is Leslie Jonathan Mampe Jr., sat down with his longtime friend L-Tido on the “L-Tido Podcast” for a candid and emotional conversation recorded inside the very club where he had been scheduled to celebrate his birthday on the night everything changed.
The stroke occurred on 26 July 2024, early in the morning of his birthday. The incident left him hospitalised and unable to attend his birthday celebration, which had been fully planned for that evening. At the time, his family confirmed that he was stable and appealed to the public to keep him in their prayers, but the rapper himself had not spoken in depth about the experience—until now.
L-Tido began by reminding him of how normal everything appeared in the hours leading up to the medical emergency. The host recalled that they had spoken the day before, with nothing seeming unusual about L.E.S’s behaviour. But for the rapper, the memory of that night is almost completely gone.
“I went to sleep and woke up in another world. I was so confused,” he said. He added that in the days leading up to the incident there had been heavy partying. “There comes a time when your body just says no, and yeah, man, it got me. I am just happy to be alive and given one more chance.”
Throughout the interview, it became clear that the medical scare was not an isolated event but the breaking point after years of grief, pressure and avoidance. L.E.S explained that he had been carrying emotional wounds he never confronted, beginning with the death of his father. Not long after, he was hit by the death of AKA, followed by the passing of Ricky Rick and later Nathan. Each loss was deeply personal, and the rapper admitted he had never given himself the chance to properly grieve any of them.
He confessed that instead of dealing with his emotions, he numbed them. “I feel bad for my mom, but now I am back, and I am ready to go,” he said, acknowledging how his choices affected those closest to him.
L-Tido also raised the period when AKA was not speaking to L.E.S, partly due to concerns about his drug use. He pointed out that when they both entered the industry, they had been among the few artists who avoided drugs, despite being surrounded by a lifestyle where substances were common. L.E.S agreed, saying he never imagined that this would be the way he responded to grief. When people asked how he was coping with the deaths of his close friends, he said he often could not explain the turmoil inside him. Instead, he would go out and “get lit”, convincing himself that life could simply continue without emotional processing.
He admitted that AKA’s death struck him particularly hard. “I should have dealt with it. I should have grieved properly and not just moved on with life or used substances to numb the pain,” he said.
In the months following the stroke, L.E.S had to confront the reality of what his body had been trying to warn him about. He revealed that after collapsing, he could not speak for months. While he acknowledges that drug use did play a role, he believes the emotional burden he carried contributed even more to what happened. The rapper has since been taking things “day by day”, gradually rebuilding his health.
Part of his recovery involved a stay in a rehabilitation facility. He recalled experiencing difficult days during his time there, to the point where he wanted to return home to his children. L-Tido admitted that, from the outside, it was a terrifying time for their circle of friends. They had been told that the stroke was severe—and that he might not survive.
Determined to be transparent about his journey, the 40-year-old artist has been sharing his recovery with fans through vlogs on his YouTube channel. These videos document his physiotherapy sessions, his daily challenges, and the small but meaningful milestones he has achieved since surviving the stroke. Although his speech has improved significantly, he disclosed that he still has trouble walking at times, and one of his arms remains numb.
Despite the gravity of his experience, the conversation eventually shifted to lighter topics, including his well-known signature all-white themed parties. But before moving on, L.E.S used the moment to issue an earnest message to his fellow artists and peers. He urged them to prioritise their health, go for regular medical check-ups and stay aware of how stress, grief and lifestyle choices can silently erode one’s wellbeing.
His story, told in his own words, is not just about survival but about facing hard truths—about loss, responsibility, avoidance and the long road of healing he is still walking.
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