Rumors are swirling that D4L’s Shawty Lo has HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Every week, there’ s at least one email in my Inbox inquiring about Shawty Lo’s HIV status.

Shawty has admitted in interviews that he has Diabetes. It is also evident from photos that Shawty has a skin disorder like seborrhoeic dermatitis or Tinea Versicolor (a fungal infection that discolors the skin).

I reached out to Theda, Shawty’s publicist (ThedaDotCom) to clear the air and set the rumor mongers straight. “He definitely does NOT have AIDS!,” Theda said adamantly. Theda shared that Shawty is aware of the persistent rumors, but he prefers not to address the rumors directly because, according to Theda, “it won’t change anything. People are going to say what they want to say anyway.”