Black Eyed Peas Member Taboo Reveals Cancer Battle

Black Eyed Peas Member Taboo Reveals Cancer BattleDavid Livingston/Getty ImagesHe kept it a secret for two years, but now Black Eyed Peas member Taboo has revealed that in 2014, he was diagnosed with stage 2 testicular cancer.

Taboo tells People that he began experiencing pain in his back and abdomen, so he went to the emergency room.  In June of 2014, tests revealed the cancer, and the next day, he had surgery.  “But my fight had just begun,” says Taboo. “My family and the group were all in shock, but will.i.am instantly reached out to a great doctor who helped me figure out a treatment plan. I was racing against the clock.”

The rapper underwent 12 weeks of what he calls “intense, aggressive” chemotherapy, which he says he was able to handle by “channeling my energy into the thing that keeps me alive and spirited: music.”

As for why Taboo kept this a secret, he says he wanted to be able to show fans that he’d “made it out the other side stronger.”  He’s since written and recorded a song called “The Fight,” which is being used by the American Cancer Society to inspire other cancer patients.  You can download it now at Taboo.cancer.org.

Taboo tells People, “I’ve been cancer-free for over two years, but the real battle isn’t over…There are millions going through things like this, and I want to remind them that we don’t curl up into a ball when we have a trial or tribulation. We get up and fight.”

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