Grammy-Nominated Singer Reveals Brain Cancer Diagnosis: ‘I’m So Grateful to God’

Musician Nivea Hamilton recently revealed that she was diagnosed with leukemia.

The 44-year-old, who is known throughout the industry as simply Nivea, went public with her cancer diagnosis during an interview on Cadillac Chronicles. It was when she was asked what she was grateful for that she opened up about her health.

” … first of all, I was diagnosed with leukemia earlier this year,” the singer told Cadillac Chronicles. “I’m so grateful to God; I’ve been going through treatment and everything is going great so far, and I expect it to continue, amen, amen, amen!”

Nivea, 44, shared the update on her health at a time when she is re-entering the music game after some time away. The Atlanta native burst onto the R&B scene in the early 2000’s with her hit single “Don’t Mess With My Man,” which peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 music charts. The song earned her a Grammy nomination for “Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.”

Two years later, her song “Okay,” featuring YoungbloodZ, reached number 40 on Billboard’s Top 100 and number 14 on the Hot R&B charts. Her solo career was partially made possibly because of her appearance on Mystikal’s hit single, “Danger (Been So Long).” She has not released a solo album since 2019’s “Mirrors.”

After revealing her leukemia diagnosis, Nivea released a statement to People providing more information about her cancer: “I was diagnosed with CML (Chronic Myeloid Leukemia) in early 2026. As incredibly surprised as I was to have the diagnosis confirmed after [two] (because the [first] one wasn’t successful), bone marrow biopsy procedures, I was profoundly thankful that it wasn’t Blast [blastoma]. Which would have meant chemotherapy as part of the treatment,” Nivea shared in a statement.

Her statement continued: “Also learning CML isn’t hereditary nor something ‘I did’ to cause it, was a relief yet still a bit puzzling.. Life for me has changed in various ways but treatment thus far is working. Taking it day by day with a positive mindset [and] a heart full of gratitude! I’m blessed with the ability to still do what I love—music, continue to mother my children, and learn new skills that fuel me! I am and have been very blessed in this life and won’t ever take it for granted.”

“A tremendous thank you to everyone for the love [and] prayers.”

Nivea is a mother to four children, including a son whom she shares with rapper Lil Wayne.