10 Rappers Who Aren’t Afraid to Talk About Their Mental Health Issues
/It can be hard for anyone to talk about their own mental health, but it must be even harder for someone in the spotlight to do so. The 10 rappers below, though, have been unafraid to share—which probably isn’t so surprising when you consider how open some of them are about their lives in their music, too.
1. Chance the Rapper
In an interview with Complex, Chance the Rapper discusses anxiety:
“I think anxiety is also something that I’m just now being exposed to. A really big conversation and idea that I’m getting introduced to right now is black mental health. ‘Cause for a long time that wasn’t a thing we talked about.”
2. DMX
According to BET, DMX discussed having bipolar disorder, “I used to be really clear on who was what and what characteristics each personality had. But I don’t know at this point. I’m not even sure there is a difference.”
3. Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott’s interview with Billboard is an in-depth look at her life, complete with past struggles, a “full-blown panic attack” that she said led to, “IVs in my arm, everything…Nobody knew.” It’s an honest and eye-opening interview about one of the most influential rappers of the past few decades.
4. JAY-Z
In a discussion with the actor Michael B. Jordan, Pitchfork quoted JAY-Z, discussing the importance of talk therapy, as saying, “Three of your brothers are dead and your mother used to beat you. You need help. Someone needs to talk you through why you're feeling these feelings.”
5. Queen Latifah
In an interview with Better Homes & Gardens, Queen Latifah discussed mental health:
“I realize that my mental health is very important. I make sure to relax my mind and do things to decrease my own stress regularly. Going for walks and listening to music helps keep me even-keeled. Making music also really helps me de-stress.”
6. Lauryn Hill
In an interview with NPR, Lauryn Hill discusses why she stopped putting out music, touching on the importance of self-care:
“The support system that I needed was not necessarily in place. There were things about myself, personal-growth things, that I had to go through in order to feel like it was worth it. In fact, as musicians and artists, it's important we have an environment — and I guess when I say environment, I really mean the [music] industry, that really nurtures these gifts.”
7. Kendrick Lamar
In this MTV interview, Kendrick Lamar is completely open about depression and suicidal thoughts:
“My release therapy is writing music.”
8. Kid Cudi
In a Facebook post from 2016, Kid Cudi opened up about anxiety and depression:
"My anxiety and depression have ruled my life for as long as I can remember and I never leave the house because of it. I can’t make new friends because of it. I don’t trust anyone because of it and I’m tired of being held back in my life. I deserve to have peace."
9. Logic
In an interview for the Grammy Awards, Logic discusses how mental health is “taboo,” but hits on how it’s also crucial to discuss:
“I just got this tattoo that says ‘balance yourself,’ because that’s what you have to do.”
10. Vic Mensa
InStyle.com discussed mental health with Vic Mensa, who opened up about his past:
“Mental health issues run in my family. I've been seeing therapists and psychiatrists since I was 15 years old. When I started taking psychoactive substances, it made it so much easier for me to slip into a dark place. I fell deeper into a depressive and suicidal mindset. Once I started experimenting with drugs, it became a dependence that I felt was necessary for me to be creative, but in actuality, it was the opposite—it was stifling my creativity and restricting my honesty and taking me everywhere but where I needed to be.”