Rapper Lupe Fiasco has blamed the stresses of the music industry for damaging his health.

The Superstar hitmaker, real name Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, reveals he has been hospitalized several times for an undisclosed illness over the last few months, because he has been working so hard to carve out a successful career in the hip-hop industry.

His health problems even prevented him from attending the Grammy Awards earlier this year (Feb08), where he was nominated for four prizes.

He tells MTV.com, "When I got to the pivotal moment where you get the accolades for it (music), I found myself in the hospital and the doctor telling me I can't even go.

"I had a long conversation with the doctor, and he doesn't know me from Adam. He just came in and said, 'This is your life. This is how hard you're going. What happens when there's nothing there, and you drop down again?'"

And the lyricist insists there is little to prevent him from fulfilling his previous promise to quit music after his next album.

He adds, "I don't want to say I'm 100 per cent sure (of quitting), like, 'Yeah, this is it.' But 85 per cent.

"That 15 percent is the X factor. That could be bills. Like, 'Lupe, you got to pay the bills.' 'Oh, man, I got to put out another album'."