Conway The Machine Talks The Mental Challenges of Looking Different After Being Shot

Conway The Machine opened up to The Athletic about being shot in March of 2012, which left the right side of his face paralyzed with Bell’s Palsy. The Buffalo rapper told the publication that he still struggles mentally with his appearance.

“I don’t feel like I’m disfigured or none of that, but when you gotta look at yourself in the mirror and you know that you don’t look the same or your kids gotta see you don’t look the same and your momma gotta see you like that, it definitely takes a toll and it’s like a war in your mind,” said Conway, who's album From King To A God has been called among the top releases of the year. 

“In my mind it was like, ‘Man, I don’t even want people to see me like this,'" he added. "The mental part of it was harder than the physical. I had to re-calibrate. I had to strengthen my mind before I could strengthen my body. I lost it for a minute. Mentally I just wasn’t in a good space ... I’m opening up more and knowing that it’s okay if you need to talk to somebody. Especially in the hood, in the Black community, period. It’s like this stigma of mental health issues is equal to weakness. Even I struggle with that.”

Do you agree with Conway about the stigma of mental health?