What was the greatest moment of your life?

• Was it your wedding day?
• Graduating college?
• Maybe it was the birth of your first child?

Now what was the worst moment?

• A divorce?
• A family member’s death?
• A car accident?

It’s safe to assume those two moments – those two extremes in your life happened at different intervals in your life, and not in a 48-hour period. Joe Roberts, AKA Dirrrty Joe, is one of the only people to go from the absolute top to the absolute bottom whilst riding the hellish roller coaster known as fate…

The Hostile Takeover Tour of 2012, besides being a world-record setting hip-hop tour, also showcased many local artists who opened for the Strange machine on every stop. When the tour hit up Blackfoot, Idaho on May 11, fans got a heavy dose of Dirrrty Joe – something that almost didn’t happen:

At first, [the promoter] told me there were no spots for locals, so I decided to let it go. The next day he called me and asked me if I wanted to do a 20-minute set at the show. I couldn’t refuse the offer! Two weeks later, I’m in Blackfoot playing in front of a good 1300-1400 people, and everybody was moving. I even had my friends and fellow local artists Kazmere and MC Kado join me on stage for collaborations and backup vocals. I had a lot of fun that night – so many people enjoyed me and the talent I brought to the stage.

Though he didn’t get a chance to meet up with Tech and Kaliko, he was still on cloud N9ne just for being able to be a part of the tour and see everybody perform. That kind of good feeling could last quite a while – unless something were to interfere…

[That night] I began to cough badly. Then another coughing fit, this time I coughed up blood. I had thought nothing of it at the time. The next day I’m coughing my lungs out again with more blood. So I went to the emergency room to find out what was going on. The next day, I was diagnosed with Level 1 Gastric Cancer (stomach cancer). Doctors told me with chemotherapy I would have maybe 3-5 years, 8-10 months without any treatment.

Strangers, take a moment to think about that – this man has gone from the highest of highs to the deepest pits of Hell in a 48 hour period – both best and worst moments in life happening almost simultaneously.

Since being diagnosed, Joe has undergone chemo treatments until recently, as the cost is so high –

With the staggering costs of my treatments plus my bills here at home, I have been forced to change the release date of my first album over six times in the past two months because I couldn’t get the funds to press it. I can’t get shirts or other merch made. I can’t get shows booked. I’m barely able to put food in my fridge. Right now I’m fighting to survive while also staying loyal and dedicated to my career. Since my diagnosis, I have worked double time on my album and it is near completion. I also released a music video with Kazmere for one song from the album that pulled in 2,000 views on its first day on YouTube. I have set up a donation page to help pay for my chemo treatments and get my album pressed; only praying to God that there are people out there who do care about me and are there to support me. Here in East Idaho, I have a lot of fans, but not many good friends. I have to be at home half the time after my treatment visits confined to my bed, walking around with a cane, and puking my brains out every five minutes. I’m also facing this battle alone – family ain’t so close to me anymore, and I’ve been single since my daughter passed away. I don’t get a lot of visitors. It makes me feel better when I’m talking to a fan or a close friend on Facebook or on the phone, but that physical need is missing. My home feels like a jail cell.

Despite a constant cloud that seems to hover over Dirrrty Joe, he keeps letting sunshine pierce through:

Even if my time in this world is short, I would still want my fans and even the world to see me perform more often and be able to do more shows and to release more albums and such.

I’m only 23 years old and I don’t want cancer to delay or destroy my dreams.

Technicians and Strangers, let’s show Dirrrty Joe what family is all about.

Donate to his chemo therapy and album release.

Shoot him a message on his Facebook

Dirrrty Joe Featuring Kazmere “Never Coming Home” music video

Show some love to Joe in the comments section below.