Mental Health and Music
By: Zac Paquette
Tags: Mental Health, Music, Hip Hop

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Music today is filled with different genres stretching from country, hip hop, rap, EDM, R&B, alternative, jazz, and more, but what song truly makes you realize more about yourself? We find ourselves consumed by the music we play, and without noticing we listen to the same songs on repeat in our everyday lives. The way these songs illustrate our views of ourselves in the specific situation we are in our life at that moment can give a listener a relation point that maybe they could not find before. Mental health can be a difficult topic to talk about, but when it comes to music, it makes people feel more comfortable expressing themself. Music is seen to be freeing towards the listener when someone struggles to communicate about how they are feeling, music can be an aid in this matter. From experiences with mental health, I found myself listening more to music than I ever had before in my life. This could have been because I was in my room more or not really talking to anybody, but I believe it was because I could relate to what the artist was expressing through their lyrics. Artists like Kid Cudi, Mac Miller, Kendric Lamar, Logic, give a voice to their listeners because they are not afraid to talk about mental health and what they are thinking in their own head. This is why I believe Hip Hop/Rap can be a vital source when helping people that suffer from mental health issues. It can pave a way for them to seek help for their problems instead of doing it alone.

Music nowadays is so diversified with new genres, lyrics, stand points, and the overall messages that a viewer can perceive. But for others hip hop can be a vocal point to where they take a stand and really let their true feelings fly. In this article by Adam J Kruse, he tells a specific story about a young, black, and gay rapper, that uses his rapping skills to portray his true emotions. “While JJ faced challenges based on their many complex and intersecting identities, JJ’s story describes hip-hop as a space in which they experienced multiple elements of resilience, including expressing themselves, feeling protected, and experiencing persistence. JJ’s experiences and perceptions defy monolithic notions of identity and also confront limited conceptions of hip-hop’s relationship to gender and sexuality” (Kruse,1). We see JJ using hip hop as a way to use his voice in a way that he cannot say on his own. JJ struggled with mental health and how to express himself how he wanted. Being gay and being a rapper are two spectrums that do not really have a popular impact on the hip hop/rap game, but JJ changed that in his own way. Hip Hop can be a source of gratitude that can help someone say how they feel or listen to someone else who is going through the same thing. This story exemplifies how it is just not something to listen to, it can help amplify a voice that has been blocked before which leads me to my next point, hip hop raises awareness about mental illness.

Previously, we talked about a less popular UK rapper and how he used his voice to talk about his own mental health story. To move forward, we take our attention towards bigger named rappers in which who talk about mental health. Rap is filled with well appointed rappers who really stray away from talking about their own mental health problems due to how the game is moving towards more lyrics about drugs, money, and jewelry. Although, rappers could use their voice and make an impact about how they are truly feeling. In an article written by August Brown, Brown talks about big name rappers like Kendric Lamar, Jay Z, Lil Peep, and most importantly Logic. Back in 2018 Logic released a song called “1–800–273–8255” In an interview, Logic stated that he wanted to create a positive impact through his music, and he wanted to shine a light on mental health. His ability to reach his audience on a deeper level worked in his favor. “After the song’s music video went viral, calls to the lifeline went up between 30% and 50%, said John Draper, the suicide prevention line’s director. “That’s thousands of callers who otherwise wouldn’t have called,” he said. “Messages like Logic’s, where he says, ‘I’m thinking about suicide, but I want to get help’ and he got it, are a a very positive model”( Brown, 4). The impact that famous music artists have on their listeners is actually insane to think about. A 20% increase of suicide hotline calls after this song hit the public and landed on the radio which is a great sight to see. People who are having issues with their own mental state can go through these phases where they feel alone. When a famous rapper releases a song about their own specific feelings regarding their mental health, it can have a monumental impact like we see here. Music is not just music nowadays, it’s a way to create a narrative that your listeners can portray in their own mind. We see here that this is a prime example of that.

The hip hop/rap game can be a very lonely place, sadly with the robust rise sense of masculinity and fame, the struggles of an African American rapper whose fame has skyrocketed can really take a toll on their mental state. We saw Logic talk about depression and his own mental health issues and how he wanted to shine a positive light on the rap game, but what about the rappers who have been on top for most of their lives? In this article by Elahe Izadi, Izadi explains about how Kanye West, Kendric Lamar, and Kid Cudi all have discussed their own struggles of being black and having these mental health issues that everyone thought they would be invulnerable to. “The genre has long been characterized by notions of hyper-masculinity that allow little room for vulnerability, and of black and brown men putting forward a tough, adversarial persona… In recent years, we’ve seen more artists opening up about their emotional and mental struggles in the public eye and on albums”(Izadi, 2) Sometimes actions speak louder than words and music, a person like Kid Cudi who has released countless songs and albums about dark depressing stages in his own life finally checked into rehab for his mental health and drug abuse. He felt like it was time he sought help and got to where he wanted to be in life, happy as he once was. “But much of the response to Kid Cudi was positive. A hashtag, #YouGoodMan, gained momentum as a conversation around masculinity, race and mental health took place on social media” (Izadi, 7) Personally, the action of Cudi going into rehab gave me a feeling of understanding and realization that one of my favorite artists is actually human as well. Sometimes we think that these famous artists are like robots and do not struggle with the same stuff we do since they have the money and fame to forget about these worries. Seeing the positive impact he had on social media and other famous rappers by just checking into rehab shined light on the way we should not be afraid of seeking help. There is no better way to tackle your own mental health issues by getting the help and support from people. If there was anything you could take away from this, it would be that sometimes doing it on your own is not the right answer, and the fact famous hip hop artists struggle with mental health too and can check into rehab centers should show how they are like us too.

Continuing on from the last paragraph, Kid Cudi released a dark themed song about how he wants to kill himself but also takes pride in who he is. Me being an eight year old boy who really did not understand the lyrics being said into my ears did not relate to this song at all. Eight years later when I was going through a family divorce, I found myself back listening to this song and realizing the message in it. Cudi says, “My mind runs, I could never catch it, even if I got a head start, god please help me, I am feeling so alone, wait, I don’t need to worry, cause I know the world’ll feel this” (“The Prayer.”Youtube”, uploaded by Kid Cudi”). These lyrics jumped out at me and made me realize that music can be a savior. Rappers can say these things in their songs, and can really have an impact on how we see ourselves. Making me realize that I do not feel alone with these thoughts in my head and that I am surrounded by people who love me and can help me.

Lastly, we have Zane Lowe who has won countless awards for his glamorous talk show and radio show and who works with the well known company known as “Beats by Dre”. Famous rappers and hip hop artists come on his show and talk about the un -normal things that normal radio shows do not talk about. “Sitting in a studio in Culver City, Calif., opposite Zane Lowe, the grey-stubbled Beats 1 host and Apple Music honcho, musicians tend to unspool, even shed a tear. They talk about their albums, but also their divorces and regrets, their influences and coping mechanisms. It’s therapy, but for an audience of millions, and with a propulsive, ever-enthusiastic host who also helps shape the narrative, and the placement, of the songs we hear”( Ryzik, 1). WIth this, we see a famous radio host using his power to help these artists, not to demean them with questions that are “hot” or questions that will get more views. He uses his platform to truly help people talk about their feelings and situations currently going on with them, which is why people see him as an unofficial therapist of hip hop. We can learn something from him, to not shun feelings that people around us are going through, to use our power to help and heal while keeping them sane with positivity.

Through the rise of music, hip hop has been a focal point of many different views and characters that portray different messages and purposes. The diversity of this new generation of Hip Hop, which somewhat got influenced by the older age, is mixed with so many artists that mention mental health. Whether it is in their own music, quotes, interviews, or social media, artists nowadays have been more vocal about their own mental health and I believe it is for the better. Having Kanye West, Mac Miller, Kid Cudi, Logic, Kedric Lamar, Jay Z, coming out with music about their own personal experiences with mental health shows that they are actually human and have emotions like us as listeners. Not only does this open the stage for new listeners to come in, it allows them to have a light on a tunnel that seems to be dark for them. Having someone else put into words how they are feeling in music can help build up courage to talk to someone or feel like they are not alone. Music can be a pathway to clarity for some people, and this is why I believe music can help mental health victims seek help and not feel alone in this world.

This whole paper means a lot to me because I have never had the actual chance to speak out about how it can be like this. I have always been so passionate about music and the craft of how songs are made, written, and sung or rapped on. This life we have is so precious, and I know personally how tough it is to feel alone in this world. Coming across the right music can help you through it and help you push yourself to be better in your own mind. The overall message of this blog/paper is pretty self explanatory in my opinion as I tried to make it known but not to have too much of it. The actions that can be taken to relieve these issues of not being able to have a voice is to be more open as a person and check up on friends, family members, etc. We can talk to someone who may be battling their own mental self but showing no signs of it, a simple check up can create a willingness to tell you or someone about how they are feeling and can potentially save them! And for the music industry, like I said earlier, artists talking about their own struggles and own personal stories can go a long way… How do you guys feel about the topic of mental health in hip hop today? And do you think Hip Hop can be a focal point for mental health victims?