Since the 2014 debut of his first studio album, Testimony, August Alsina set the tone for the transparent, autobiographical, and sometimes painfully honest style that would become his signature both inside and outside the studio. In his relatively short career, the 24-year-old singer and songwriter has encountered his share of controversy for his unfiltered commentary, public family struggles and the health challenges that lead him to slip into a three-day coma following an onstage collapse during a 2014 concert performance.

On Tuesday, Alsina took to Instagram to share a clip of a one-on-one talk with Jada Pinkett-Smith, where he “set the record straight on everything.” During the conversation, for the first time publicly, the artist named his disease saying, “I have a liver disease…my auto-immune system is fighting itself. The reality is that I’m sick all the time.”

Alsina goes on to share that his family has a history of health issues range from physical to mental. “I feel like sadness and depression is so embedded into my DNA.  It’s where I come from,” he said. “I don’t really like to talk about it because I’m not looking for anybody’s sympathy…don’t treat me like I’m a f*ckin’ cancer patient — because I’m not.” In a subsequent post, Alsina wrote, “Please excuse my defense mechanism…I'm sicker than ever & having a hard time accepting what I feel & what the Doctors are saying.” He went on to write, “…sickness & illness runs in my family. My father & grandfather both died of severe illness. but they were FIGHTERS & that's all that matters.“

The conversation proved mutually healing for Pinkett-Smith who shared that Alsina helped her to heal wounds leftover from her relationship with Tupac.

This also may explain the recent relationship that seems to have formed between the singer and the Pinkett-Smith family.

Our thoughts and prayers are with August as he continues to give his all, while battling this disease. 

August-AlsinaJada Pinkett-SmithLiver-Disease