Lil Durk Reveals How Therapy Helped Him Cope With His Emotions

Lil Durk has been through quite a lot throughout his life and career. The rap star has suffered numerous tragedies, including the deaths of his manager, elder brother, and childhood friend and artist King Von. In a recent cover story for XXL, Durk spoke on the impact that seeing a therapist has had on him, particularly his ability to express his emotions.

“I got a therapist so I cope different. … I don’t show emotion,” the hitmaker told journalist Georgette Cline. “So, some people will be like, ‘Man, you can’t hold it in.’ And I just can’t talk to nobody usually. You gotta be careful how you tell people, what you tell people, because they can use it against you. They can find out your weaknesses. So now, when I talk to the therapist, then it start getting more emotional. But like somebody on the street, you’ll never even see me shed a tear.”

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He also denies that his gravitation to therapy wasn’t particularly a byproduct of friends and family members being murdered, but is something he could have benefitted from dating back to his formative years. “Nah, I think I had to go to therapy fresh out the womb.”

The Chicago native, who has enjoyed a resounding amount of musical success in recent years, also spoke on changes he’s made both personally and professionally that have benefitted him.

“Being more open. Being more open to letting [my new manager] Pete [Jideonwo] in,” he said. “Moving certain people out the way. That’s the best feeling. Therapy, the kids, the new team, all that. But the best feeling is really just starting over.”

Lil Durk’s affiliation with street gangs in Chicago has been well-documented, as well as the growing list of associates he lost before and during his rise to fame in the rap game.

The rapper made headlines in 2015 when his manager OTF Chino was shot and killed in Chicago. In November 2020, OTF artist King Von was murdered in Atlanta during a physical altercation with fellow rapper Quando Rondo. In June 2021, Durk’s older brother DThang was killed in a shooting outside of an Illinois club.

Check out Lil Durk’s XXL cover story here.

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