Hip Hop Meets Mental Health
With the rise of social media and tech, mental health problems have increased. Music has significant effects in positively affecting people’s moods, as well as aiding with mental health. Hip hop has been shown to improve mood, and can be used as a platform to raise awareness about depression and suicide. It can also be a way for people to relate and know that they are not alone. Other individuals are going through the same thing. In an article by Merry J. Sleigh and Jordan Mcelroy, they explain that “music and mood are highly interconnected in general, listeners experience an emotional response that matches the emotions conveyed in the music.” When a person is listening to uplifting music, that generally is how the song would make them feel. The same is true for listening to sad music.
Artists understand that their music can be very influential among their fans. Their platform reaches a massive audience. So they discuss these issues with their fans in their music. In the article “Breaking Hip Hops’ Silence,” hip-hop artist Kid Cudi explains, “As a genre that reflects the black community’s long history of silence and stigmatization surrounding mental illness, mainstream hip-hop has a long way to go in mental health advocacy. Still, there has always been a rebellious strand within hip-hop, boldly telling stories of psychological warfare and ways to combat it.” The role of hip hop positively affecting mental health advocacy has more room to grow and has not yet reached its full potential. Another artist who has used his platform for positive change is Logic. His 2017 album “Everybody” topped charts with his most notable song on the track being his single “1–800–273–8255.” In his biography, “He said he was inspired to write the song based on many fans’ comments that he had changed and improved their lives, and he felt the need to do more to help others.” Many artists have mentioned this topic in their songs but none have done it in the way that Logic has. He’s had a huge impact in the suicide prevention community, as well as the mental health community. Hip-hop music has positively impacted mental health. By referencing it in their music in metaphors and other writing methods, it has encouraged fans to seek help from friends and family. In her article, Nikki Rickard explains that “previous research has shown that celebrity mental health disclosures can diminish stigma and encourage fans to get help.” These artists have a huge influence on youth, helping them get through their mental health struggles.
“1–800–273–8255” (2017) Logic
This song has had huge success in raising awareness about mental health, creed, and sexual orientation. The artist Logic explains how fans have expressed to him that his music has saved their lives and helped them through tough times. At the time, Logic had no clue that his music would have this much impact on his fans. He simply wondered what would happen if he actually tried to use his music to save someone’s life.
“How To Save a Life” (2005) The Fray
The Fray write about a friend who committed suicide. The singer believes that if he stayed up all night and talked to him, he could have saved his life. This song also expresses how he couldn’t save his friend because he didn’t know how to. So many people can relate in one way or another. Whether it is saving someone from a bad relationship or death. The artist explains he wrote this song because of his experience working as a mentor at a camp for troubled teens and talks about someone he knew that had mental health problems and people around him didn’t know how to help.
“XO TOUR Lif3” (2017) Lil Uzi Vert
In this song, Uzi explains how he struggled with suicidal thoughts, relationship issues, and betrayal after a bad breakup. This song also brings up a side of mental health that is not expressed enough, which is what happens to a person after a bad breakup. This could lead to someone being angry at the world, leading them to be closed off and anxious about trusting or meeting new people. This type of situation is relatable, which is why it could break mental health barriers and allow listeners to be more open about their own feelings.
“Lucid Dreams” (2018) Juice Wrld
In this song, Juice Wrld talks about how he went through a breakup and the girl found someone else. Now he takes prescription drugs to heal his pain and depression. He has lucid dreams about a life with this girl, but it was all in his head, and he has been left heartbroken. Juice explains experiences from his life and how these events made him feel depressed, which led him to use various drugs. This drug usage eventually led to his death in 2019 from an overdose of juice. He describes that his depression is what made him use drugs, but only made the issues worse.
“Alone” (2016) Marshmello
The music video really explains the meaning of this song, which is that following passions and pursuing goals can help fight the feeling of being alone. And it may be that these passions can help one find a group of friends that share the same interests. Marshmello explains that after he moved away from friends and family, he felt alone and homesick, which led him to write this song. Listeners can relate to feeling alone when moving to a new place where everyone’s a stranger. This song has had a very positive impact for mental health and gives a message that following passions and remaining confident can improve a person’s life.
“Self Care” (2018) Mac Miller
In this song, Mac Miller talks about his drug usage. He is on a journey filled with pain, addiction, mental illness, and heartbreak that tragically would be the force that ends his life. His breakup with Ariana Grande is believed to be the reason that made him feel this way and is what led him to use drugs. Mac used drugs heavily until the point leading up to his death. Mac was open about his feelings as an artist and much admired by his listeners.
In my opinion, music has had a huge impact on mental health in a positive way. It has given artists a platform to express their past struggles and be relatable to their fans. I believe we as listeners can take things from these artists’ lives and relate them to our own, as well as learn from their mistakes and not repeat them in our lives. I believe this topic is something that holds a lot of importance in our society, especially with innovation in social media platforms and technology in general. It is too easy to compare ourselves negatively to others and put ourselves down. I believe some truly talented and unique people have fallen victim to poor mental health. A couple of actions that can be taken to combat these feelings are to reach out to friends and family or to seek professional help. It is also important to educate individuals to eat healthily and exercise, leading a healthy life. and exercising is the best tool in combating mental health issues in my opinion. Everyone has gone through or been in a state of depression. Whilst some can get through these times alone, many cannot handle the pain and pressure they feel. It is important that we check up on our friends and loved ones from time to time, as well as take care of our own needs.
- “Logic.” Gale Biography Online Collection, Gale, 2017. Gale In Context: Biography, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1650010873/BIC?u=mcc_chandler&sid=bookmark-BIC&xid=e23605bf. Accessed 3 Oct. 2021.
- Rickard, Nikki. “Mental Health.” Music in the Social and Behavioral Sciences: An Encyclopedia, edited by William Forde Thompson, et al., vol. 2, SAGE Reference, 2014, pp. 694–699. Gale eBooks, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX6592100244/GVRL?u=mcc_chandler&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=93f4679b. Accessed 3 Oct. 2021.
- Sleigh, Merry J., and Jordan McElroy. “The Effect of Music Listening Versus Written Reframing on Mood Management.” Music Perception: An Interdisciplinary Journal, vol. 31, no. 4, University of California Press, 2014, pp. 303–15, https://doi.org/10.1525/mp.2014.31.4.303. Accessed 3 Oct. 2021.
- Tesfamariam, R. (2013). Breaking hip-hop silence: Kid Cudi speaks on mental health (posted 2013–01–17 15:14:26): The rapper discusses his battle with antidepressant medication for the February/March issue of Complex Magazine. Accessed 3 Oct. 2021.
