Rapper Shawty Lo has pledged his support to a diabetes charity - because he has lived with the illness for seven years.
The Bankhead rapper - real name Carlos Walker - will participate in the American Diabetes Association's Step Out and Walk to Fight Diabetes event on Saturday (20Sep08).
Lo was diagnosed with the condition in 2001 and admits he often struggles to keep on top of the ailment - but vows to raise awareness of the disease in the African-American and Latino communities.
He tells AllHipHop.com, "Anything I can do to help raise awareness about diabetes, I will be there.
"Everybody knows at least one person that has it, so it's like when we participate in events, walks and things of that nature, we're really helping somebody we care about, as well as ourselves because you never know when or how it can affect you."