Updated May 22nd, 2023

Black Eyed Peas Rapper Taboo Says He Felt ‘Embarrassed’ After Testicular Cancer Diagnosis, Highlights Disparities in Health Care for Native Communities

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Taboo is Using His Platform to Raise Awareness

Rapper Taboo, 47, a founding member of the Black Eyed Peas, was diagnosed with testicular cancer back in 2014.
The rapper spoke candidly about how he felt “embarrassed” to have the cancer and that it took away part of his masculinity.
Now in remission, Taboo is using his platform and his voice as a Native American to raise awareness about disparities in access to cancer care.
He spoke about his experience for SurvivorNet’s ‘Close the Gap’ conference.

Rapper Taboo, 47, a founding member of the Black Eyed Peas, was at the top of the world when he received a testicular cancer diagnosis, which filled him with embarrassment and feeling like he lost his masculinity. But now, he shares his story to help end the stigma and highlight disparities in health care for native communities.

“I had just played the Super Bowl, I had just won a Grammy,” the rapper said while speaking at SurvivorNet’s “Close the Gap” conference on racial disparities in healthcare. “One minute, I’m on top of the world. I’m in the best shape of my life and I’m riding high and then all of the sudden I get diagnosed with cancer … and then reality sets in.”

Taboo, also known as Jaime Luis Gomez, shared how much treatment surgery to remove the cancer followed by chemotherapy affected his confidence. “When I lost my right testicle, I lost a piece of that [masculine] strength,” he explained.

“I was embarrassed. The doctor was like, well, you don’t have a right testicle, but I can give you a fake ball to put in. I was like, I don’t want a fake ball,” he laughed. “Then I learned how to not be embarrassed. Fortunately, I had my wife and my kids and my bandmates to be able to pick me up and they gave me that warrior spirit.”

Health Disparities in the Native Community

Now, years after being declared in remission, Taboo is dedicated to bringing awareness to disparities in cancer care. The rapper is part Native American, and has noticed a real lack of access to care in the vicinity of many reservations.

“We don’t really have a lot of treatment centers close to Indian reservations,” he said. “And it really bothers me … it’s sad.”

The rapper stressed that he is trying to use his platform to raise awareness about these disparities with the end goal eventually bringing treatment centers closer to reservations, or perhaps even on them.

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