If there is one thing I
absolutely love is music. And if you know me, you know that my musical taste is
wide ranging. Music is my lifeline. I have said more than once, “Music is my
salvation.”
When I look back at my early
life with bipolar disorder I would experience delusional thoughts associated with
the music I listened to. In the clinical world, this is called “ideas of
reference,” thinking that a song is about me. This isn’t something I openly
talk about. But hey, it’s part of my journey and I cannot deny what I’ve
experienced.
Over the years, I’ve prided
myself with staying on top of musical trends. When hip hop emerged, I followed
such artists as The Roots, A Tribe Called Quest, and Public Enemy, among
others. Now, rap is an integral part of the musical world.
And with that, art can
imitate life. There have been many hip hop artists that have written about
mental health, Kendrick Lamar, DMX, and Lil Wayne who says in the song, I FeelLike Dying:
I am a
prisoner, locked up behind Xanax bars...
I feel
like buying
And if
my dealer don’t have no more, then I feel like dying."
This is real.
Most recently, rapper Logic penned a track called
1-800-273-8255 (TALK). This is the telephone number for the National SuicidePrevention Lifeline. The song is on the concept album “Everybody” where he
confronts the issues of race, suicide, and mental Illness. He stole the show on this past weekend's MTV Video Music Awards with his soul stirring performance. It culminates with the stage lined with individuals who proudly stand together to declare that they do, in fact, want to live.
The simple fact that Logic takes on such a stigmatizing topic
as suicide is a credit to his desire to claim his independence and not be
afraid to talk about something that is often perceived by society as a moral
weakness.
Logic’s life was riddled with many barriers: a crack addicted
father who was not in his life, a mother who lived with bipolar disorder,
siblings who were engaged in drug dealing and he lacks a high school diploma.
These are all potential risk factors for mental illness
and/or suicide. Literally thousands of youth in the United States face similar
obstacles. The way that Logic shares his message of “Peace, Love and Positivity”
is a prime example of how one can develop protective factors and withstand all
the pressures that society places on us and not fall prey to those same risk
factors that so many have succumbed to.
In 1-800-273-8255, Logic expresses his despair:
All this other shit I’m talkin’ ’bout they think they know it
I’ve been praying for somebody to save me, no one’s heroic
And my life don’t even matter
I know it I know it I know I’m hurting deep down but can’t show it
I never had a place to call my own
I never had a home
Ain’t nobody callin’ my phone
Where you been? Where you at? What’s on your mind?
They say every life precious but nobody care about mine
I’ve been praying for somebody to save me, no one’s heroic
And my life don’t even matter
I know it I know it I know I’m hurting deep down but can’t show it
I never had a place to call my own
I never had a home
Ain’t nobody callin’ my phone
Where you been? Where you at? What’s on your mind?
They say every life precious but nobody care about mine
How many of us have felt this way before? I know I have. But
help is available. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255, is there
to help. No matter where you call from in the United States, you will be
directed to the crisis center in your area where you can get help. You’re not
alone.
But Logic sums up his feelings in a positive way by concluding:
I
finally wanna be alive
I
finally wanna be alive
I don’t
wanna die today
I
finally wanna be alive
I
finally wanna be alive
I don’t
wanna die
I don’t
wanna die
And that, my friends, is what it’s all about. There is hope
for the hurting and no matter how bad you may be feeling, it will get better.
Be well.
You can watch Logic's performance featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid here:
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