Hip Hop Therapy is an avenue which we use hip-hop music as a platform to discuss and educate the youth on the various aspects of mental health and mental health awareness. The topics include anxiety, depression, suicide, etc. Through the use of Hip-Hop lyrics and content, the stage is set to provide valuable material which creates a dialogue with students. This exchange yields a deeper understanding of the importance of mental wellness and how to appropriately address mental issues when they arise.
Our purpose was to create a platform to open up the dialogue with the youth in the community. Our dialogue explores such questions as:
We use the hip-hop industry as a platform to open up discussion with students about mental illness/ wellness issues that are often in media. By using these songs that have coded messages, we provide clarity and understanding to identify mental health issues through songs.
