Darryl McDaniels of Run-DMC has released a new memoir titled Ten Ways Not to Commit Suicide. It chronicles his many struggles throughout his life and career. Even at the height of Run-DMC’s fame, the legendary emcee was close to taking his own life due to struggles with alcoholism and coping from the loss of his voice because of spasmodic dysphonia, a life long throat condition.
Several other factors contributed to his depression, including finding out he was adopted at the age of 31. He finally realized, however, he had to get sober if he was going to save his own life.
“I found out I was adopted, Jay got shot and killed and my father died all during the same time period,” McDaniels says. “It was crazy. What finally made me realize I had to get sober was I was in Las Vegas in 2003 for a show on New Year’s Eve. I drank a whole Jack Daniels and said to myself, ‘What am I doing. I can’t get no higher. I’m killing myself.’ Everybody throughout my whole four years of drinking was always telling me to go to rehab. I was a functional drunk, you know what I’m saying? That’s not the point though. I was killing myself and destroying my liver.”
At 52-years-old, McDaniels is now happy, sober and still rockin’ his Adidas. Ten Ways Not to Commit Suicide hits the shelves Tuesday, July 5.