With at least one major rapper passing away recently, Lil Peep, and several rappers like Kid Cudi speaking openly about their battles with depression, some in the hip-hop world have been speaking openly about the importance of mental health and getting help.
The rapper Logic has spoken openly about his struggles with his mental health, and he had a hit this year with 1-800-273-8255, which is the suicide hotline number. Kid Cudi also spoke out on social media about his depression and how he was checking into a mental health treatment center to finally get help.
In addition, Kanye West has talked about having a nervous breakdown and checking in for treatment, as well as tackling depression after losing his mother. Rapper David Banner has also openly spoken out about depression, and therapy was the key to bring him back. “Therapy, transcendental meditation and clearing my life of toxic situations saved my life and helped me realize the core of my problems were inside of me.”
Having hip-hop artists speak out openly about seeking help for their mental health could go a long way to saving many lives. Statistics say that in 2015, 2,504 African American men committed suicide in the U.S., and 80.79 of them were men. As one doctor told NBC News, “In the black community we sweep those things under the rug because we just don’t know how to have those conversations.”