South African rapper Da L.E.S, born Leslie Jonathan Mampe Jr., has finally spoken in detail about the stroke he suffered on July 26, 2024. He opened up about the frightening experience during an emotional interview with L-Tido on the L-Tido Podcast, marking the first time he has shared the full story publicly.
The health scare happened on the morning of his birthday. The rapper explained that the stroke came without warning, just hours after a night out with friends. “I went home, and I just had a stroke just like that. I don’t even know what happened, to tell the truth. It was just weird,” he said. The sudden medical emergency led to him being hospitalised and missing the birthday celebration he had planned for that evening.
At the time, his family released a statement confirming that he was stable and asked the public to keep him in their prayers. Fans across South Africa were shocked and worried as the news spread online.
During the interview, Da L.E.S reflected on the emotional and personal battles he had been facing before the stroke. He shared that he had been dealing with heavy grief following the passing of his father, as well as the deaths of close friends and fellow rappers AKA and Riky Rick. He admitted that he had been trying to hide the pressure and sadness he was feeling. “I was hiding a lot of stress from everybody. I had a lot of pressure and, just to be real, there was a lot of partying,” he said.
He also spoke honestly about his past lifestyle. He shared that he used to party hard and take drugs as a way to cope with stress, although he does not believe those choices directly caused the stroke. “All I would ever do since I got into this industry was just make music and party, because my character goes with partying. I was the life of the party, and there just comes a time where your body just says no, and yeah, it got me,” he added.
Da L.E.S is currently on a recovery journey. He explained that healing takes time and comes in stages. “It goes through stages, but I am walking now… The arm, I can’t feel it. I can get it up, but I cannot feel the hand, but it will get there,” he said. Despite the challenges, he remains deeply grateful. “I am just happy to be alive and to be given one more chance. I can imagine if I left this world and my kids. I just feel happy. I had a stroke, and it’s insane that it was on my birthday.”
In September 2025, Da L.E.S revealed another major life update: he is officially moving to the United States. On his YouTube channel, Da L.E.S Network, he announced, “We’re moving to Houston, Texas. I’m going out there to spend some time with my family in the States, but don’t worry SA, I’ll be back.”
His farewell party included emotional messages from friends, including L-Tido, who told him, “I know when you come back, everything is gonna be good. You know we got you, we love you. We got your back forever.”
