• View Comments
• Share with Shortlink:

(AllHipHop News) Los Angeles hip-hop radio host Big Boy is releasing a tell all book titled An XL Life: Staying Big at Half the Size.

The tell all about overcoming his obstacles with weight loss and his journey from being a young homeless kid to becoming one of the most influential on air DJs in the country.

Big Boy, who is known for his hilarious personality and at one point his struggle with weight, once fought daily to maintain a 500 plus pound frame, until a challenge from actor/rapper Will Smith, changed his life.

“His story is an inspiration to anyone looking, not merely to overcome obstacles, but to absorb, process and actually utilize adversity to their advantage,” Will Smith said of his good friend.

The book, which is being released by Cash Money Content, is both a comedic and real look at the struggles that Big Boy faced over the years.

Overcoming homelessness, guns, gangs and drug dealing, are just some of the stories Big Boy shares, as the book leads up to how he landed his gig as an on air personality.

“As a child, although we were poor, my family was always happy, loving and encouraging, which has made me the self confident and happy adult that I am today – no matter what size I am,” Big Boy.“Food was always one of my most favorite things in the world.”

Big Boy’s relationship with Will Smith goes back to August of 2002 when Big Boy weighed approximately 511 pounds.

After a challenge from Will Smith to donate $1000 for every pound Big lost to the charity of his choice, over the next year, Big Boy would gain and lose weight with diet, exercise and finally, a dangerous weight loss surgery called Duodenal Switch.

In addition to Will Smith’s encouragement, Big Boy credits the late New York rapper Big Pun, and a conversation with Fat Joe as sources of inspiration throughout the struggle.

“Growing up, our family, and many African American families, always gathered around family meals and holiday dinners – always around food,” Big Boy said. “To eat was to be loved, to be safe. And what we learn as a child, just like tying our shoes, stays with you. Now, I still love food but I know more about nutrition, portion size, and exercise and I am passing these new food habits on to my kids.“

Finally, after two surgeries, two blood transfusions later, and after losing half of his weight, Big’s health has stabilized.