Picture

Picture Credit score

Christopher Polk / Contributor through Getty Photographs

Picture Measurement

landscape-medium

As Megan Thee Stallion as soon as mentioned, “A nasty b**ch can have dangerous days.” With mental health awareness turning into more and more necessary, particularly inside marginalized communities, quite a lot of rappers have stepped as much as launch initiatives that break stigmas and assist their followers.

Take, for instance, Doechii’s Nervousness Is Watching Me, a worldwide hub and assist group the place folks share ideas, recommendation and coping methods for nervousness. There’s additionally Large Sean’s “5 Weeks of Instruments to Assist Navigate Nervousness & Despair” video sequence, which presents tons of invaluable perception on how meditation, train and different habits influence your thoughts.

Whereas Could is designated as Psychological Well being Consciousness Month, psychological wellness deserves consideration year-round. So, Rap-Up compiled a listing of seven psychological well being initiatives began by rappers like Travis Scott, DaBaby and extra. Verify them out under!

1. Doechii’s Nervousness Is Watching Me

Impressed by her viral tune “Nervousness,” which she recorded in her bed room in 2019 earlier than it took off on social media a number of years later, Doechii’s Nervousness Is Watching Me prompts folks to share “hyperlinks to sources, coping mechanisms [or] phrases of recommendation [that] will help another person.” Along with customers with the ability to assist others anonymously, the hub additionally homes community-based sources for queer, Black, AAPI, Latinx communities, amongst others. “Thanks for the entire assist you’ve given my tune ‘Nervousness.’ Now, let me assist YOU,” the Florida rapper shared through Instagram.

2. DaBaby’s DaBaby Cares

In 2020, DaBaby’s brother, Glenn Johnson, tragically took his own life, abandoning three daughters and a son. Hoping to spare others from experiencing the identical ache, the KIRK creator launched DaBaby Cares, a psychological well being initiative in collaboration with Psychological Well being America of Central Carolinas, in 2024. With a particular emphasis on younger folks, this system’s Psychological Well being 101 Information presents steering on the best way to assist a struggling buddy, methods folks can become involved and sources to evaluate their very own psychological well being.

“I needed to make the most of my platform to supply the sources and create a protected area the place it’s actually wanted for those fighting psychological well being,” DaBaby shared in a statement on the time.

3. G Herbo’s Swervin’ By way of Stress

After pouring his ache into albums like PTSD and Survivor’s Regret: A Facet & B Facet, G Herbo expanded the dialog round psychological well being by beginning Swervin’ By way of Stress in 2023. The group goals to “destigmatize the dialog round psychological wellness” by providing free wellness providers, instructional sources and extra to BIPOC communities.

4. Megan Thee Stallion’s Dangerous B**ches Have Dangerous Days Too

Taking a cue from the “All I actually wanna hear is ‘It’ll be okay’ / Bounce again ‘trigger a foul b**ch can have dangerous days” strains from her tune “Nervousness,” Megan began Dangerous B**ches Have Dangerous Days Too with the intention of uplifting the Hotties. Its official web site comprises a listing of sources, together with Remedy for Black Women, Melanin and Psychological Well being and the Pricey Black Girls Challenge, to say a number of. It additionally homes quite a lot of hotlines and podcast spotlights targeted on emotional assist and therapeutic.

“I’ve a accountability to make use of my platform to make a significant influence within the lives of those that might not have entry to sources and assist providers,” the Texas native mentioned, per Billboard.

5. Likelihood the Rapper’s SocialWorks

SocialWorks is unquestionably one of many longest-running organizations on this listing. Likelihood the Rapper constructed an enormous a part of his identification round positivity, which clearly comes via in his non-profit. Although it debuted in 2016 with a mission to empower youth via schooling, tackle homelessness and promote Chicago’s inventive communities, psychological well being has additionally remained a core focus. In 2018, Likelihood pledged $1 million towards psychological well being providers within the Windy Metropolis, with six native organizations receiving $100,000 grants every. Alongside that, he launched the My State of Thoughts imitative, a straightforward means for folks to analysis, uncover and join with psychological wellness sources in Chicago.

6. Travis Scott’s Challenge HEAL

Particularly following the tragic occasions at Astroworld Competition in 2021, Scott stepped up in an enormous means with Challenge HEAL, which launched the next yr. Not solely did he decide to tackling security challenges related to large-scale stay exhibits, however the “goosebumps” rapper additionally pledged a beneficiant “seven figures” to the initiative’s psychological well being pillar. That funding, overseen by Dr. Janice Beal, was additional used to assist digital counseling and cellphone hotlines by the use of free providers from licensed counselors and social employees.

Positively not your typical initiative, Large Sean teamed up together with his mother, Myra Anderson, to have fun Psychological Well being Consciousness Month via their video sequence, “5 Weeks of Instruments to Assist Navigate Nervousness & Despair.” Because the title implies, the “Bounce Again” rapper mentioned a number of the extra sensible methods to handle anxiety and other emotions we’d rather avoid — together with methods like meditation, common train and, although it could appear apparent, getting sufficient sleep. Above every little thing else, it was genuinely good seeing celebrities acknowledge that they expertise on a regular basis challenges similar to the remainder of us.