autism
Dallas rapper BigXthaPlug is speaking out about his journey to understand autism in a new PSA for the Autism Society of America’s Autism Is campaign during Autism Acceptance Month. “To me, autism is a journey,” he says in a new video in which he talks about his 6-year-old autistic son.
“The reason I say that it is a journey is because I have a six-year-old son who has autism,” he continues about his son, Amar. “There’s nothing wrong with him. He’s a perfectly good child. My journey as far as me having to be gone, be able to make funds for my child and him having autism, so the journey is not an easy journey. You can’t make it a hard journey, because if you make the process hard, it’ll all be hard.”
April is Autism Acceptance Month and BigX’s advocacy for his son comes just a week after Health and Human Services Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., drew widespread criticism for his latest comments about autism, in which he said it “destroys families,” as well as making broad, unscientific claims about autistic people.
Trending on Billboard
At an April 16 press conference, Kennedy said that many autistic children were “fully functional” and then “regressed… into autism when they were 2 years old. And these are kids who will never pay taxes, they’ll never hold a job, they’ll never play baseball, they’ll never write a poem, they’ll never go out on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted.”
According to a PBS report, medical experts and people on the autism spectrum told PolitiFact that Kennedy’s comments were off-base, citing a 2023 study written by CDC officials and university researchers that found that one-quarter of people on the autism spectrum have severe limitations, a figure that is at the high end of studies. It noted that the vast majority of people on the spectrum do not have the kinds of severe challenges Kennedy suggested, nor do many of the people in the one-quarter of the autism population cited in the studies.
A HHS spokesperson later clarified that Kennedy was referring to “those that are severely affected by this chronic condition” and that “this was in no way a general characterization.” Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic who for many years has made false claims that vaccines cause autism, recently announced that his department is launching a “a massive testing and research” effort to determine the long-sought cause of autism by September of this year.
According to the BBC, experts called the effort “misguided and unrealistic,” given that autism spectrum disorder is a complex syndrome that has been studied for decades and that promising a definitive answer in six month is unlikely. At press time Kennedy had not revealed any details on the scope and range of the research project or how much funding will be devoted to it at a time when Pres. Trump’s administration is making drastic, wide-ranging cuts to research grants at HHS.
“As a dad to an autistic son, I’ve seen the importance of being understood for who you truly are,” the “Texas” rapper added in a statement. “This is personal for me — it’s about sharing our journey, showing up for my son, and breaking down the walls around autism. It’s about being real, spreading awareness, and making sure no one feels alone in this.”
The Autism Society — the largest and oldest grassroots autism organization in the U.S. — praised BigX (born Xavier Landum) for speaking out to “authentically” combat the “stigma and stereotypes by sharing his own family’s journey. Through his platform, BigXthaPlug is using his voice to reach fans and families who may be navigating similar paths — especially in communities where awareness and access to support can be limited. His participation in the Autism Is campaign encourages conversation, connection, and compassion.”
Speaking to People, BigX also offered some advice for other parents trying to navigate the sometimes confusing journey of helping their children. “You ain’t alone. I know in our communities, sometimes it feels like you gotta keep stuff to yourself, or like nobody’s gonna understand,” he said. “But there is support out there — you just gotta start askin’ questions, lean into the love you got around you, and don’t be afraid to speak up for your kid… Every kid on the spectrum is different, so take time to learn your child. Be patient, be open, and don’t wait for a ‘perfect’ answer — just show up, every day. That’s what matters most.”
BigX just scored his first top-five hit on the Billboard Hot 100 when his Bailey Zimmerman collab “All the Way” ran up to No. 4 on the chart dated April 19.
Watch BigXthaPlug’s video below.
[embedded content]
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Source: Anadolu / Getty
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is overseeing a plan to collect data on autistic people nationwide, which has drawn backlash from the public.
According to reports, the National Institute of Health is creating a database of Americans’ private health records in line with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s controversial plan to find a cause and cure for autism. The plan will cull data from pharmacy chains and private laboratories as well as from government agencies such as the Department of Veteran Affairs and potentially from Medicaid and Medicare.
NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya detailed the plan in a meeting with a panel at the agency, according to NPR. “The idea of the platform is that the existing data resources are often fragmented and difficult to obtain. The NIH itself will often pay multiple times for the same data resource,” he said while emphasizing that the data collected would be subject to “state of the art protections” for confidentiality purposes.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been persistent in promoting his incorrect views on autism, having recently stated at a press conference that those diagnosed have “regressed … into autism when they were 2 years old. And these are kids who will never pay taxes, they’ll never hold a job, they’ll never play baseball, they’ll never write a poem, they’ll never go out on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted.” He also falsely claimed that vaccinations and environmental factors are the causes.
“Even among those with an intellectual disability, there’s huge variability,” Penn Center for Mental Health David Mandell said, refuting RFK’s autism claims. “People with Down’s Syndrome have an intellectual disability, but often are quite capable and can do all the things RFK points to.”
The plan has alarmed many who call it an “autism registry” and liken it to eugenics. “This idea is dangerous, unethical, and a serious threat to privacy. People with autism deserve dignity and respect—not surveillance by their own government,” New York State Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, adding: “I stand with advocates across the country in strongly opposing this proposal.” Santabarbara has a young child diagnosed with autism.
Senior counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center Sara Geoghagan touched on the breach of privacy involved. “The collection and processing of personal information, especially health-related information that can reveal health conditions in this way, is out of context and inappropriate,” she said in an interview.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: ROBYN BECK / Getty
Ye aka Kanye West revealed that he has autism, claiming he was misdiagnosed as being bipolar during a recent interview.
In the latest episode of Justin LaBoy’s The Download podcast, Kanye West said that he has autism, a conclusion he came to with the aid of his wife, Bianca Censori. “I went to this doctor … My wife took me to do that because she said, ‘Something about your personality doesn’t feel like it’s bipolar, I’ve seen bipolar before.’ And I’ve come to find that it’s really a case of autism that I have,” he said.
West said that the diagnosis helped him get a better understanding of his behavioral outbursts, like sporting a “Make America Great Again” cap in 2018 and supporting Donald Trump, allegedly. “Autism takes you to a Rain Man thing,” West said, explaining that it was on purpose. “‘I’ma wear this Trump hat because I like Trump in general.’ And then when people tell you to not do it, you just get on that one point. And that’s my problem.”
The “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” rapper was candid about how those in his inner circle have had difficulty dealing with his periods of erratic behavior, citing his relationship with his friend and former manager Don C. “It’s been so hard on him because he loves me. It’s so difficult for them, because this is like a grown man – you can’t take control of his bank account, you can’t control what I’m saying on Twitter.” He added, “But a lot of what was sending me into the episodes — and it’s hard … [is] the constant feeling of not being in control, spun me out of control.” West also spoke about not taking his bipolar disorder medication, and working with his mental health to make music, saying of any potential episode that he does “watch for it beforehand” “It’s finding stuff that doesn’t block the creativity, obviously that’s what I bring to the world,” he said. “It’s worth the ramp-up, as long as y’all get the creativity.”
West also talked about his upcoming Bully album, which he says will be released on June 15, the same day as his daughter North’s birthday. He also revealed that he’s reconciled with producer Mike Dean, who worked with him on all his albums up to the last Vultures albums before they fell out.
Check out the entire interview above.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: WILLIAM EDWARDS / Getty
The genius of Ye fka Kanye West can be attributed to having “the soul” of a white autistic person, says far-right figure Nick Fuentes.
According to white nationalist Nick Fuentes, there’s a reason why Kanye West is so creative – it’s because of white-coded autism. Fuentes made the claim during an interview last Thursday (April 18), with media personality Sneako during a livestream on the Rumble platform. The conversation, which began with Fuentes declaring his dislike for Playboy Carti, saw him declare that Ye was in effect a white autistic person. He cited Ye’s background and instances from when they worked together on Ye’s fledgling campaign for the 2024 presidential election.
“He would have to kind of tone up the Blackness when he was with other Black people. I noticed this,” Fuentes said. “When he was with the Black people, he would kind of tone up how Black he was acting. When he knew he was safe, when he knew it was a judgement-free zone and he could be himself, that’s when he realized his mom was a professor. And he didn’t come from Chicago, he came from Hyde Park. Big difference.”
The 25-year-old would conclude his assessment this way: “He came from the campus of University of Chicago. He liked art, he liked poetry. You know, he’s like a white autist in many ways. He’s got the soul of a white autist. That’s what fuels his genius; not playing into this gang banger, ‘I f*cked your b*tch’ whatever.” Fuentes’ association with Ye became more infamous as the rapper had ostracized himself with a series of antisemitic comments, which led to the dissolution of his partnerships with adidas and Gap.
The white nationalist would also accompany him to a dinner with former President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort during the Thanksgiving holiday. Ye has claimed that he has autism, in a series of text messages sent to tech billionaire Elon Musk during his suspension from X, formerly Twitter, in December 2022 after issuing a series of antisemitic posts. “I’m not bi-polar. I have signs of autism from my car accident,” he wrote. The car accident Ye refers to was from 2002, which saw him have his jaw wired shut as a result – autism is widely regarded as a neurological condition one is born with and impossible to be induced by such a situation.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
Muni Long has shared another update on her medical health. The 35-year-old Florida native shared with fans last year that she had been diagnosed with lupus. The development caused her to cancel her highly-anticipated 2022 tour to support her Grammy Award-winning single, “Hrs & Hrs.”
On (Dec. 3), the singer-songwriter, born Priscilla Renea Hamilton, took to social media to share a new update on her health, writing: “So apparently I’m autistic, and my free self is the version of me that I began repressing at the age of 22 because it made people highly uncomfortable. It started first with me doing insane amounts of drugs and then when that didn’t work I just held it in. Which led to lupus,” Long penned on X.
“And now the lupus has gotten to a point where it’s effectively impossible to contain. And in order to free myself from the rollercoaster that is autoimmune disease, I have to let my emotions, thoughts and feelings out…. But…. Autism! OMG WTF THIS IS SO WACK [weeping emoji].”
She concluded: “But at least knowing I am autistic explains SO MUCH.”
The brave revelation was met with support from fans.
Long followed up the three-part post on Dec. 4 writing, “A lot of days I just wanna put my head in the pillow and scream… minus the pillow tho.”
Long told The Breakfast Club last year that she contracted a bacterial infection from a microphone in 2018, and that triggered her Lupus, adding, “So when you have any type of bacteria, especially in your lungs, the inflammation is crazy. So I deal with that. As I’m talking, you can hear me tryna catch my breath,” according to Baller Alert.
She continued, “I deal with that on a daily basis. I take a lot of medicine to like function normally and that’s not something I normally share. Because that’s my journey, I’m not looking for sympathy.”
According to BlackDoctor.org, “Lupus is a disease where the immune system attacks instead of protects. The immune system is the body’s natural defense against disease. In lupus, the immune system creates antibodies that attack the body’s own tissues and organs.”
African American women in particular seem to have a higher risk of getting lupus. As many as 1 in 250 will develop the disease. Women who suffer from lupus are twice as likely to give birth to a child with autism.
We send Muni Long best wishes on her health journey.
Sia is opening up about a new chapter in her health journey. The “Chandelier” singer revealed her autism spectrum diagnosis on a recent episode of Rob Has a Podcast. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “I’m on the spectrum and I’m in recovery. There’s a lot of things,” […]
-
Pages