Sean Kingston almost lost his life when he was involved in a jet ski accident, but that wasn’t his only close call. In a sit-down interview with MTV News at his home in Miami, the “Beautiful Girls” singer spoke out for the first time about the crash and undergoing open heart surgery.

On how he’s doing now: “I’m doing good. I’m feeling great. I’m excited. I’m happy.”
On his open heart surgery: “A lot of people don’t know it was a deeper situation. I had open heart surgery and I had two other surgeries; it was a life-or-death situation.”
On what the doctors told him: “The surgery doctor told me 20 percent [of patients] make it. He said a guardian angel is with me. He couldn’t tell me why I lived.”
On the ex-Marine who saved his life: “It was just like an angel in this guy. It was really meant to be. Everything happened at a perfect timing. He was a hero.”
On support from his peers including Rihanna and Chris Brown: “When I look at this stuff, it’s really like, OK, people do care about me, people love me, people accept me.”
On what he learned: “In life, you basically got to count your blessings, you got to be humble, and stay focused and know that anything can happen at any moment. You just gotta keep God first at all times.”
On his next album, which he will be working on with Epic Records’ newly appointed chairman L.A. Reid: “I’m going back in with my producer J.R. [Rotem]. I’m going back to that, the whole reggae, island, pop thing, doing that type of feel. I’m going back to my roots.”

Since the surgeries, Kingston has shed 45 pounds and plans to lose 20 more. Watch him speak about the life-altering experience, performing with Nicki Minaj, and his recovery in the clips below.