Less than a week after undergoing heart surgery, hip-hop pioneer Kurtis Blow is unfortunately headed back under the knife, according to Russell Simmons. Simmons, a close friend of the Harlem rapper, shared the devastating news on Instagram this Wednesday (May 8).

The media mogul took to Instagram to share that the hip-hop icon was undergoing an emergency open heart surgery.

Simmons later updated the post to share further news from Blow's wife, Shirley Stewart.

“Kurtis’s heart is beating on its own,” Simmons wrote. “They are closing should [be] finished closing in less than 2 hours.”

Blow — whose real name is Kurtis Walker — was currently completing physical therapy and occupational therapy after he had previously underwent surgery to stabilize his condition last week. On Sunday (May 2), Blow called the initial operation a "tremendous success," noting that he was on his "way to full recovery 100%."

But between Monday and Wednesday, it seems his health took a turn for the worse. 

The rap icon revealed last Wednesday (May 1) that he had been hospitalized at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center after discovering he had developed hematoma during a recent trip to China. A further diagnosis revealed he would need surgery to "stop further damage" to the arteries around his heart. 

Hematoma is mass of clotted blood that forms in blood tissue or an organ as a result of a broken blood vessel, according to RX List.

This news feels particularly harrowing in the wake of celebrated filmmaker John Singleton passing away at the age of 51 after suffering a mild stroke. Heart problems, particularly heart failure, disproportionately impacts African-Americans more than any other ethnic group. 

BET lifts Kurtis Blow in our prayers during this time with hopes for a safe surgery and recovery.