Pharoahe Monch Has Chronic Asthma

Pharoahe Monch has been fighting a secret battle with chronic asthma since he was a baby.

The hip-hop star has gone public with his health struggle after documenting his condition in the lyrics of his new single Still Standing, and hereveals he was diagnosed with the illness at just 13 months old.

He tells XXLMag.com, "I didn't know until I got older (that) you can't do this or that as a kid, don't run too fast because you might induce an asthma attack.

"It affects everything you do in terms of being a kid... "I wanted to be a little bit more introspective on this song.

"I want to show the personal war that we go through. This is sort of a battle I deal with myself.

"It's a battle for me everyday with asthma.

"I have to eat right, exercise and go to the gym in order to stay healthy".

But Monch, real name Troy Anderson, admits the song was almost left unfinished - he suffered an asthma attack shortly after recording collaborator Jill Scott's vocals for the track and had to be briefly hospitalised.