Christopher Reid, commonly referred as “Kid” from the popular 90s rap duo Kid ‘n Play, is speaking out and sharing a heartbreaking yet hopeful health update. And trust us when we tell you this news will truly come as a shock to you.
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Sitting down for a new interview with “Good Morning America’s” Michael Strahan on Thursday, Reid shared he started experiencing symptoms that something was wrong in the summer of 2025, sharing how he was feeling extreme fatigue, shortness of breath and began sleeping more than normal. After initially chalking it up to his age, he eventually decided to go to the hospital to get checked out.
After running some tests, his doctors surprisingly told him he had congestive heart failure, a diagnosis that was too surprising and incredulous for him to believe. Thankfully though, Reid took it seriously and began taking the proper medications. However, by the time his three week check-up appointment rolled around, things weren’t looking up.
“He came in very swollen again, and that is a little unusual in somebody who’s been started on treatment, for the swelling to come back that quickly,” Reid’s cardiologist Erika Jones told “GMA.”
Upon her observations, she urged him not to travel across the country for a performance he had previously scheduled and decided to run additional tests. And in another shocking twist, the results pointed to something even more serious than before.
“The blood work confirmed my suspicion. It showed that his heart was failing, and it was starting to affect his other organs,” Jones said.
Added Reid, “They called back a couple hours later and said ‘you know what, we got these other tests back. You need to come to the emergency room right now…I guess with these latest test results, they saw something that required that kind of immediacy.”
As a result of him coming back and immediately going into the ICU, he was told he needed a heart transplant and was subsequently put on the list, albeit high up due to the severity of his condition.
“They went straight to ‘let’s get a heart.’ So, I got evaluated physically, I got evaluated mentally,” Reid shared. “And also too, I wanted to let them know at the same time, ‘Hey, I am worthy of this.’ If I do get this gift, I intend to respect it and really live life to the fullest.”
A little over a week later, he finally got the call that they’d gotten a heart at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and penciled him in for the operation the very next night. Fast forward to February 2026 and the famed rapper and actor says that life with his new heart is going well and that it’s changed him for the better.
“I hope that I’m the same person, but that I’m a better version of myself. Because man, this thing, this is a beautiful life. It’s great. And I wanna be around for it,” Reid said.
He also shared that he hopes his story will inspire others—in particular people of color to go to the doctor and get their health in check.
“A lot of people be walking around with heart disease because they don’t go to the doctor,” Reid said. “You might not [get over it]. So I’m urging all of my fans, all of y’all’s loved ones too, get it checked out.”
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