Hip Hop, A Treatment for Grief
by Connor Adams
Grief is a disease that can spread to anyone close to a person who has experienced loss, like friends and family. The disease can bring someone to their lowest point, dragging them down and keeping them from getting back up. However, many treatments have been shown to help grieving people out of the hole they’re trapped in. One treatment has people sing about their issues using hip hop. There is always a way out of the darkness, and hip-hop music is one way for someone to show who they are and what’s on their mind right now.
What is Grief?
Before diving into how hip-hop music can help people through grief, one might ask, what is grief?
In its basic form, grief is defined as suffering, pain, or a burden that weighs a person down. Grief may also be inflicted on the person by others (Kastenbaum 349). There are many different ways that people deal with grief, for example, yearning for or thinking about past events with that person. The most extreme example of grief is having thoughts of suicide. These examples show how dangerous grief can be to a person and their way of life. Kastenbaum also talks about different types of grief. An example of acute grief, for instance, is expressing sadness by attending a funeral (351).
An interview gives perspective on how one person dealt with grief. In an interview with hip-hop artist Tedashii, he explains his struggles in fighting grief. He explains how he tried to keep everything together while grieving two of his close ones who died in a year. This did work for a while, but sooner rather than later, he began to crumble and lose hope in his life. He had constant panic attacks that hurt him. Tadashii tried drugs and alcohol to escape his prison and started to believe that his family and friends were going to betray him (Boost 1019). Tedashii talks about how he finally recovered from this grief, but that is another part of the story.
Another interview focused on grief is with Liam Neeson and his beloved wife. The interview goes on to describe how all parts of the family felt the pain of Natasha’s loss. Liam talks about the house that the two lived in for many years and says that he can still feel her presence there. Even Anderson Cooper, who interviewed him, felt this presence. Cooper also discusses how Liam processed the loss of a loved one so quickly and how Liam searched high and low for an answer to guide him through grief (60 Minutes).
Another common method for dealing with grief is Kubler-Ross’ “Five Stages of Grief” from her book On Death and Dying, which shows the process of someone who grieves. The stages are Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. At the beginning of grief, a person can deny that the loss happened. They often become angry then, lashing out at others. Another stage is to ask if there’s another way out of the situation, then depression and realizing the experience is inevitable. Finally, the person will accept the event and come to term with it (Ortiz-Hartman 1). These stages can happen both to a person about to die and to people close to them. This anticipation of loss is called anticipatory grief (Kastenbaun 354).
Hip Hop and Treatment
How does hip-hop music help people who carry grief on their shoulders? Well, the hip-hop community is often open to spreading awareness through their songs. Grief is a mental health challenge, and mental health has a lot of famous artists talking.
Hip-hop artist Logic created a song called “1–800–273–8255,” which dominated top music categories and won Grammys for him with its heartfelt lyrics. The title is the same number as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. This influence increased the calls for that hotline, which shows what one hip-hop artist can do (Brown 1).
Another way that hip-hop has helped people is through a school program called Hip Hop Therapy (Hu). This type of therapy has been used in many different schools. It’s a way to help kids and teens express how they are feeling and is used for students that do not prefer traditional counseling. When students participate, they start rapping about how to get rid of stress and any type of news that goes around the school, like classmates dying and what their household life is like (Hu).
More Information about Treating Grief
In addition to hip hop, other methods can help to treat grief and to move people on to the next phase of their life. The most recommended treatments are therapists and counselors.
Beyond hip hop, therapists and counselors can treat grief and help people to move on to the next phase of their lives. These professionals are strapped with different techniques and strategies to help those that suffer from grief to grow and heal (“Grief Counseling” 523). They have one goal in mind, which is to guide the afflicted person along the unpredictable road of their grief experience. They will listen to their patients anywhere, including private settings, schools, clinics, churches, etc. They can also form any shape of support group from one person to many (Wolfe 391). No matter what you choose, therapists and counselors are there to help.
A Playlist for Grief
“Six Feet Deep” by Geto Boys (1993)
The song “Six Feet Deep” talks about one of the crew members losing someone close to them. In an interview with Complex.com, Scarface said the song talked about a friend he lost, accidentally shot to the chest in a club (One).
But ain’t much that we can do
Except pour brew throughout the crew
To make sure we all remember you
And believe me it hurts…
A lotta homies die, a lotta mothers cry
I watch tears fall from their eyes
Everybody wants to go to Heaven (Scarface)
The rapper turned his darkness and sadness into art for others who are struggling with loss too (One).
“The Message” by Dr. Dre (1999)
Another song that talks about losing a loved one is “The Message” by Dr. Dre. It is Dre’s brother that he talks about, and he asks Royce da 5’9” to make lyrics about this personal experience (Beats).
This one is for my brother, Tyree, R.I.P
A message to God…
Since you finishin’ ’em early, what possessed you to start him?
We made a vow later we’ll regret ’til death do us part
Lord, I thought we was made for each other
You shouldn’t connect those, made to be taken away
from each other (Royce da 5’9”)
Dr. Dre turns his grief into something that can be shared.
“Flowers for the Dead” by Cuban Link (2000)
“Flowers for the Dead” talks about Cuban Link’s crew member passing away from a heart attack and respiratory failure.
Far from sensitive, but I’m shedding tears right now
Cause I’m watching you fight for your life and I can’t help out
Meanwhile, the doctor’s shocking your chest, checkin’ for breath|
I was with you from the stretcher to the hospital bed (Cuban Link)
Cuban Link talks about the doctors trying to save his friend, while Cuban watches it unfolds.
In my sleep, I hear you speaking to me and feel you reaching to me
Wish I could see you, though I know you with me spiritually
Physically, right here besides me is where I need you to be
Keeping me company and take over this whole industry
Memories of when we used to be too deep in the streets (Cuban Link)
In describing how he deals with the grief of a fallen friend, Cuban link creates something beautiful out of something negative.
“Mourn You Till I Join You” by Naughty By Nature (1998)
In 1996, famous rapper Tupac died and that damaged a lot of people, including his rap crew. So with his death, they created a song called “Mourn You Till I Join You” to talk about their grief for their famous friend.
I was sittin’ here lookin at your picture my nigga
Puttin’ hash with the weed wit’ a mixture of liquor
We can’t kick it you ain’t wit’ us is the shit I can’t figure
Nigga I miss ya this thug gonna miss ya till I’m wit; ya’…
This shit hurts cause we went from poor to rich
You’re supposed to see a lot more than this
They brought you up locked you up when you did above the rim
Tupac’s crew told others about their grief and helped others struggling with grief for Tupac as well.
“Life Goes On” by 2Pac (1996)
Before his death in 1996, Tupac released his album All Eyez On Me, and one of the songs talked about his grief over losing people. The song called “Life Goes On” discusses mourning someone’s death and struggling hard with it.
How many brothers fell victim to the streets?
Rest in peace, young nigga, there’s a heaven for a G
Be a lie If I told you that I never thought of death
My niggas, we the last ones left, but life goes on
How many brothers fell victim to the streets?
Rest in peace, young nigga, there’s a heaven for a G
Be a lie If I told you that I never thought of death
My niggas, we the last ones left, but life goes on (Tupac)
The song connects to my topic because grief can happen to anyone and any time. Tupac just wants to share the struggle with it.
I think that people use their grief as a message to send through music. This way of mourning can help heal the person with loss and spread healing to others who are suffering from the same pain. Different healing methods also support people who are not comfortable talking and would rather sing and write songs about it. I also feel that this method is underused and could be used in more places, like schools and mental hospitals, to heal those who are going through hard times in their lives.
I think that the reason why this topic is important is that many people are struggling with grief and are trying to find ways to heal from it. For most of my life, singing has been an outlet for letting go of sorrow and being proud. Hip Hop is also a good idea since you do not have to master anything to make a song with a good message in it. I think that COVID made everyone a bit quieter and less talkative to other people. I am this way. Singing can help heal someone of grief, or any similar issue.
In conclusion, I think that hip hop can help those who are dealing with grief. This method can spread your message to others who are also suffering from this type of pain and grief. Now, if people do use this treatment toward their grief, they can burn the darkness away from their hearts.
- Beats, Rhymes & Lists. “Royce Da 5'9’ Wrote ‘The Message’ for Dr. Dre.” Beats, Rhymes & Lists, 3 Aug. 2021, https://beats-rhymes-lists.com/facts/royce-da-5-9-wrote-dr-dre-the-message/.
- Boost1019, director. YouTube, YouTube, 10 Jan. 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LirefRkc7R0. Accessed 21 Sept. 2022.
- Brown, August. “Hip-Hop Music Raises Awareness about Mental Illness.” Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2022. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/AGHUHZ537303978/OVIC?u=mcc_chandler&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=94bf0549. Accessed 21 Sept. 2022.
- “Grief Counseling.” Mental Health and Mental Disorders: An Encyclopedia of Conditions, Treatments, and Well-Being, edited by Len Sperry, vol. 2, Greenwood, 2016, pp. 523–525. Gale eBooks, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX6403700385/GVRL?u=mcc_chandler&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=796c4a54. Accessed 30 Sept. 2022.
- Hu, Winnie. “Bronx School Embraces a New Tool in Counseling: Hip-Hop.”ProQuest, Jan 19, 2016,https://www.proquest.com/blogs-podcasts-websites/bronx-school-embraces-new-tool-counseling-hip-hop/docview/1758081782/se-2.
- Kastenbaum, Robert, et al. “Grief.” Macmillan Encyclopedia of Death and Dying, edited by Robert Kastenbaum, vol. 1, Macmillan Reference USA, 2002, pp. 349–382. Gale eBooks, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3407200126/GVRL?u=mcc_chandler&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=fdb8daed. Accessed 22 Sept. 2022.
- One, DJ Sav. “Geto Boys ‘Six Feet Deep’ (1993).” Hip, 2015, https://www.hiphopnostalgia.com/2015/05/geto-boys-six-feet-deep-1993.html.
- Ortiz-Hartman, Kimberly. “Grief & Bereavement.” Personal Relationships & Behavior, Salem Press/Grey House, 2018, pp. 527–532. Principles of Sociology. Gale eBooks, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX7744000100/GVRL?u=mcc_chandler&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=3055b945. Accessed 27 Sept. 2022.
- Wolfe, Ben. “Grief Counseling and Therapy.” Macmillan Encyclopedia of Death and Dying, edited by Robert Kastenbaum, vol. 1, Macmillan Reference USA, 2002, pp. 389–393. Gale eBooks, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3407200128/GVRL?u=mcc_chandler&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=32de86f2. Accessed 30 Sept. 2022.
- 60Minutes, director. Living with Grief: A Conversation between Men. YouTube, YouTube, 23 Feb. 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff7z6ujUB-A. Accessed 21 Sept. 2022
