Lil Wayne mourns the death of a New Orleans police officer who heroically saved his life when the rapper was 12 years old.
The five-time Grammy Award winner, 39, took to Instagram Monday to write some heartfelt words about Robert “Uncle Bob” Hoobler, who came to his rescue after attempting suicide in his youth in 1994.
“Everything happens for a reason. I was dying when I met you in this place,” the rapper wrote alongside an image of Hoobler. “You refused to let me die. Everything that doesn’t happen doesn’t happen for a reason.”
“That’s why you and faith are. RIP Uncle Bob. Aunt Kathie has been waiting for you. I will love you and miss you both and live for all of us,” he added.
Hoobler, 65, was found dead Friday at his Louisiana home, reports Nola.com. Hoobler’s grandson, Daniel Nelson, told the outlet that he recently had both legs amputated and had diabetes.
In an interview with former NFL star Emmanuel Acho last year, the rapper briefly discussed his suicide attempt at age 12.
He called the police before grabbing his mother’s gun from her bedroom and shooting himself in the chest.
The police arrived on the scene, but ignored his cry for help. Instead, they focused on the weapon and drugs found in the room.
The lone officer, Hoobler—who was off duty at the time—heard a message on his police radio and ran to the house to help Wayne.
“It took a man called Uncle Bob, he ran over there and then he got to the top of the stairs and saw me there. He refused to even step over me,” the rapper said. “One of them yelled, ‘I’ve got the drugs,’ and then he went crazy. He said, ‘I don’t give a fuck about no drugs! You see the baby? not on the ground?!’”
The couple has kept in close contact ever since. During the worldwide protests against police brutality in 2020, the rapper opened up his view on the police and said that Hoobler completely changed his view.
“My life was saved by a white cop. Uncle Bob,” he said on an episode of his Apple Music’s Beats 1 show. “That’s why you have to understand how I view the police, period.”
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or going through a mental health crisis and live in New York City, call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis advice. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can call the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.