Muni Long Details Double Lung Transplant & Lupus Battle

BY Erika Marie
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2025 Essence Festival Of Culture
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JULY 06: Muni Long performs during 2025 Essence Festival of Culture at Caesars Superdome on July 06, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images)
The singer was diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune disease, and she recently revealed a life-saving surgery that kept her out of hospice.

A recent interview offered fans a deeper look into the health battle Muni Long has largely kept out of the spotlight. While discussing her journey with lupus, the Grammy-winning singer revealed that the autoimmune disease became so severe that she ultimately underwent a double lung transplant in order to survive. The revelation stunned many listeners, particularly given the demanding performance schedule and career momentum she has maintained in recent years.

While visiting Good Morning America, the singer detailed having to leave The Boy is Mine Tour early. “I should have never taken that tour, but there was so much going on in my life that I had to do it,” said Long. “About midway through, we’re up in the north east, it’s really cold, and with autoimmune, the cold is really not your friend. I got really sick, I got pneumonia."

"I had to step away for a few dates. But I’m like, this is not it, I got to go back. I went back, and I think maybe about five or six dates in, I was like, this is not... I couldn’t even get out of bed to make my call time for the stage. And the last show, I just barely made it; I was only able to do two songs. My team and my family were like, you just need to come home and rest.”

Read More: Muni Long Essential Songs

The Surgery That Saved Muni Long's Life

Throughout the conversation, Long spoke candidly about the physical and emotional toll of living with lupus, a chronic condition that can affect multiple organs throughout the body. The singer says following a double lung transplant that saved her life, she's doing much better.

“[The doctors] were all like, you need a transplant,” she said. “I’m like, it sounds like you have a time. How long do I have to live? And they go, a week. One week. And my jaw dropped literally. I was like, ‘That’s rude.’ But they just wanted me to, hey, this is not a joke, you need to make a choice. You can either go to hospice, or you can get these lungs.”

Check out a clip of her interview below.

About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming the Co-Head of Original Content. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, and Amy Luciani—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

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