Darryl “DMC” McDaniels says he has gained strength in dealing with his mental health issues

As Run-DMC grew into one of the crucial influential rap groups in music history, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels admits that fame had dire consequences for his mental health and well-being.

“When you see us after the concert, when the album is already available, when we give concerts, when we appear on the radio and in music videos, you don’t understand. You see the results; you don’t see the process,” he said People Magazine in a recent interview.

He added: “(E)ven if the method goes well, it doesn’t suggest I’m proof against struggle and adversity. It dawned on me late in my life, but it surely was all the time there. The situation I used to be in made this much more intense.

The rapper noted that he is “fortunately” practicing an art form in which performers pride themselves on “keeping it real.”

With the premiere of the documentary “Kings of Queens: The Story of the DMC Runs,” which chronicles the rise of Run-DMC, McDaniels, 59, opens up in an interview with People concerning the mental effects of a profession in the highlight. He said he struggles with depression, suicidal thoughts and substance abuse.

In the publication he learned, he said: “When I tell the truth, I receive everything necessary to overcome it. If I keep it inside, it will destroy me.”

The latter almost happened when McDaniels’ mental health caught up with him in 2002, shortly after the murder of fellow Run-DMC founding member Jam Master Jay. He said he found himself in a “dark place” and even considered taking his own life until he heard Sarah McLachlan’s ballad “Angel.”

“There were no feelings in the world that I could identify with that would make me say, ‘Everything will be okay’ – until I heard that piano on the radio station and then I heard a voice saying, ‘Into the arms of an angel/Fly away…'” sang.

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“Something in my soul said, ‘D, now this is fucked up. Life is traumatic. It feels like the world is ending, but as long as there’s something out there that sounds similar, maybe I can stay here one more day.”

McDaniels said talking about his mental issues is a approach to show fans that opening up “is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of strength.”