Lil Jon Reveals Childhood Eye Injury Is Why He Always Wears Sunglasses

Lil Jon has been rocking sunglasses for as long as anyone can remember, and now we finally know why. In his upcoming memoir“I Only Shout So You Can Hear Me,”the Grammy-winning rapper reveals that at age six, he accidentally stabbed himself in the eye with his diabetic mother’s syringe while curiously trying to feel air on his eye. The injury caused a traumatic cataract and required multiple surgeries, including a corneal transplant.

As a kid, Lil Jon had to wear a metal eye patch to school, where he was teased for being different. He told the story candidly, saying“At that age if somebody’s different, they’re going to pick on you.”But instead of letting it break him, he says the experience fueled his drive:“Whenever people have put me down, I used that as fuel in my fire to excel.”

The accident also led to a lazy eye as an adult, which required further surgery, and it’s the reason those sunglasses have been a permanent part of his look. His memoir drops Tuesday, and it promises plenty more reveals like this one. So, what’s the one accessory you never leave home without?