In recent years mental health has become more popularly spoken about. It has become a topic in main stream media, talked about by everyone in all walks of life. If we were to go back even 10 years ago, mental health had a stigma surrounding it. The stigma revolved around, one not being spoken about because it wasn’t fully understood, or two because the person who was suffering was worried they would be looked at as a pariah. As more research has been done about the different aspects of mental health, and the different degrees of mental health issues, the stigma has faded and talk around mental health has changed.
Mental health can be anything that has to do with ones mental state or mental well being. Most of us know mental health to be depression, anxiety, and stress, but it can be so much more. Bipolar (1 and 2), OCD, racing thoughts, suicidal thoughts, split personality, the list goes on. For someone who may not know all the information surrounding these topics, when you hear these diagnoses mentioned, what comes to mind are the extreme cases portrayed on television and films. Shows such as Criminal Minds, NCIS, and Law and Order show “victims” and perpetrators with these illnesses in the most extreme cases. They portray the people with mental illnesses as being unable to function, or having extreme difficulties when trying to function. These mental health illnesses are dramatized for entertainment purposes, and to create a better more intriguing story lines. While these are aspects to mental health illness, for most people this is not how their mental health issues manifest.
Speaking as someone who suffers from Bipolar type 2 (meaning that I tend to think and act irrationally or make quick hasty decisions on a whim) racing thoughts (meaning my mind doesn’t stop, all day my mind is overthinking and constantly thinking of everything and every scenario I have ever dealt with or could possibly deal with in the future) along with depression (to the point of suicidal thoughts) and anxiety, what is shown on television and in movies is not the whole story. For most people suffering with these mental health issues its a daily struggle that is not seen by anyone else until the person reaches a breaking point or reaches out for help. It’s an internal battle that rarely manifests outwards. For me there were days where I would sit in my bed in the dark because getting out of bed was to much of a struggle, or because the thoughts in my head were so nonstop that it was hard to function. Sometimes I was just quiet all day because speaking would mean I would have to interact with other people and the effort it would take to hold a conversation was too much. Anyone outside of myself wouldn’t know any of these symptoms were happening unless I said anything. In most cases even when I did say something to some people how I was explaining it was coherent making it hard for my friends and family to help, so I continued to suffer in silence.
As it pertains to music and musicians, mental health has been a topic that hasn’t been spoken about much (until recently) but has been an issue for decades. Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin and Charlie Parker are some well known “older” examples. Each battled with some sort of mental health issues resulting in drug abuse, suicide and/or a drug overdoes. Most recently Mac Miller passed away from a drug overdoes, but was known to be battling with some sort of mental health issue as well. You can hear references to artist battling with mental health issues in most of their music. If you think of all the songs that speak on drug use, dark parts of their lives, and what they go through it isn’t hard to see the signs. Most prevalent in hip-hop music, you can hear artists speak about excessive drug use, addictive behavior, and struggles with mental health. Dating back to some of the first recorded rap songs, “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash was all about the struggles he was going through, they may not have all been mental health related but they were all societally related. In todays music you can hear artists speak about popping percs, sipping lean, and using cocaine. One of The Weeknds’ most notable singles is about using cocaine and not being able to feel his face. A majority of Futures lyrics are pertaining to drugs. Lil Wayne has spoken about publicly and lyrically about drinking lean and the seizures he has experienced from using too much.
Artists such as Eminem, Joe Budden, Mac Miller, Tech Nine, and Royce da 5’9 to name a few have entire albums (and even main stream singles) that speak on their battles with drug abuse and mental health issues.
“Encore I was on drugs, Relapse I was flushing them out.” – Eminem “Talkin’ 2 Myself”
“Tired of being strong, please let me be weak for a minute, Kinda thought my disease tried to kill your man first, it was easy to get my hands on 30 milligram percs…I ain’t tell her just the other day that gun was in my lap and I was writing a note.” – Joe Budden “Only Human”
“My name is Ryan Daniel Montgomery Recovering alcoholic I grew up on 9 mile.” – Royce da 5’9 “Tabernacle”
“I’m sinkin’ again, I’m drinking’ again, Drownin’ and wildin’, you’re breathin’ again, It’s easy to sin when you’re bleeding within.” – Tech Nine “So Low”
“Yeah, I been reading them signs, I been losing my, losing my, I been losing my mind, get the guck out the way, must be this high to play, it must be nice up above the lights, and what a lovely life that I made, yeah, I know the feeling like it’s in my family tree, yeah, that Mercedes drove me crazy I was speeding, somebody save me from myself, yeah.” – Mac Miller “Self Care”
These are some of the many examples you can find in these artists songs (and many others) that revolve around battling with mental health problems or speaking about their substance abuse issues.
Rolling Stone said in their article “How the music industry is fight the mental health crisis,” “In a 2018 study from the Music Industry Research Association, 50 percent of musicians reported battling symptoms of depression, compared with less than 25 percent of the general adult population. Nearly 12 percent reported having suicidal thoughts, nearly four times the general population. 73 percent of independent musicians have battle stress, anxiety and depression.” In the past few years alone, we have lost some of great musicians and great people to these mental health issues. As mentioned above, Mac Miller passed of an accidental drug overdose, where DJ Avicii, Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell, and Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington all passed from suicide.
The newer, younger generation of artists (especially in hip-hop) are close to (and in some cases are) suffering the same fate. We all have heard stories about the drugs artists have taken over the years. The 1970s were known for their psychedelics (The Beatles saying some of their greatest hit were written while the entire band was tripping on something). The 1980s and the rock n’ roll era saw cocaine as the go too (along with alcohol) to keep the bands up and moving, not only due to their partying lifestyle, but also because of their hectic touring and studio schedules. For them cocaine was a way to stay up for long periods of time with little to no sleep. The 1990s saw the introduction of crack cocaine. The 2000s and the rise of the “Dirty South” saw the rise in popularity of “lean” which is mixing cough syrup with sprite (known as dirty sprite). 2010s saw the legalization of weed, rise of prescription pills and vaping.
Everyone knows how crack cocaine destroyed the inner cities. This led to a generation of “crack babies” being born addicted to the drug. You can hear multiple songs, and in some cases entire albums centered on the aspect of selling drugs (specifically crack) as a means to survive and make money, but also the toll it was and is currently taking on communities. News reports over the last few years have shown the intense side effects of vaping on the lungs of high schoolers. A condition known as “popcorn lung” has become an increasing more widespread issue in kids who are vaping. Vaping became popular due to the relative ease of teenagers being able to access these devices. Many rappers have had seizures, been hospitalized and almost died from drinking too much lean (Lil Wayne being the most prevalent as he has had multiple seizures due to his intake of lean). Recently we have seen young promising artists, such as Juice Wrld, pass from pill overdoses, while Eminem was hospitalized for the same thing.
You would be surprised at how many of your favorite artists have spoken about their bouts with different mental health disorders. Adele and Alanis Morissette have both suffered from postpartum depression. Ariana Grande battles with PTSD and anxiety. Bebe Rexha and Demi Lovato have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Billie Eilish has said her new found fame led to bouts of depression and suicidal thoughts. Bruce Springsteen, Camila Cabello, Charli XCX, Ed Sheeran, Ellie Goulding, Halsey, James Blake, Janet Jackson, Julie Andrews, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Katy Perry, Kendrick Lamar, Kid Cudi, Kristen Bell, Lady Gaga, Lizzo, Logic, Mariah Carey, Michelle Williams, Miley Cyrus, Naomi Judd, Noah Cyrus, Pete Wentz, Pink, Rachel Bloom, Rick Springfield, Ryan Tedder, Selena Gomez, Shawn Mendes, Sinead O’Connor, Zayn Malik and Zendaya have all spoken about their battles with different mental health issues, either from their fame or that they have battled their entire lives. The list goes on as some (most likely most) artists, especially those in the hip-hop genre (although it is becoming more spoken about in that field as well) hide or don’t speak about what they are going through, either because they feel as though speaking about it shows weakness, or because they simply do not know that they are going through it.
As a teenager, around the age of 18, I began to show symptoms of depression. I became closed off (even more than I already was) I stopped speaking (unless it was absolutely necessary), I began having suicidal thoughts, and I lost the ability to sleep and eat (sometimes eating one meal a day, and sometime taking one bite of something, throwing the rest away and that was all I ate for a day or two). It wasn’t until years later that I realized the signs I was showing that something was wrong. I began therapy, began speaking to different people just to get a grip on what was going on in my mind. Last year I was diagnosed as bipolar type 2 along with the already diagnosed depression and anxiety. This diagnosis lead to the prescription of a few medications, which I have been on for a few months, and they have completely changed my perspective and done a 180 on my life.
It is unclear as to why the music industry hasn’t done much to combat this problem in the artists they hold so dear. There has been a few things done in the past, such as the Recording Academy launching MusiCares in 1989 to provide medical and financial help to artists. The Sweet Relief Musicians Fund was founded in 1993 to assist artists in paying for living expenses. HAAM has operated in Austin, Texas for about 15 years helping artists access affordable health care. However, it hasn’t been until recently that the music industry has begun to provide more outlets for its artist. Backline was launched back in October 2019 to assist in connecting musicians (or anyone associated with them such as roadies, engineers, agents or family members) and in that first month alone had upwards of 70 submissions. Live Nation partnered with a nonprofit, Tour Support, which gives artists and their teams 24/7 access to therapists via phone or online. In December 2019, ASCAP launched a program called TuneUp as a response to a survey that found 31 percent of musicians are more likely than the general population to say their mental health had a great impact on their careers. Along with this, ASCAP is also launching recovery support groups and offering discounts to fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness services to its 725,000 members. While this is a great start, more still needs to be done to support all artists and working members in the music and entertainment industries. While we all focus on the artists because they are in the forefront of the industry, and the most effected by their fame and success, the people working with the artist on daily basis (whether on tour, in the studio or in the office) are all susceptible to mental health issues as well. While the artist is the center of attention, the team supporting them is doing a ton of work and under pressure just like the artist. This pressure to make sure everything is set up perfectly for the artist so they have to worry about nothing except being an artist, can take a toll physically and mentally. The mental health of the team around the artist is just as important as the mental health of the artist. If the team isn’t at full strength, some of the things the artist needs may not get done or get done properly which will lead to enhanced stress on the artist.
They say fame comes with a price, for artists that price is giving up their privacy. I believe entertainers should have their privacy, but in the same token because you as an artist are an inspiration and outlet to so many people, you have become the center of their attention and they want to be around you. This is turn also creates a target on you from the public and paparazzi to catch you doing anything they can create a story from. I am in no way saying that this is right (because no matter who you are, you are entitled to your private life) it is something that comes with the territory. Because of this you have to be prepared both mentally and physically for the toll a life of fame is going to take. Preparing yourself mentally to bare the burden your career will take is a strength most people are not ready for. Nothing can prepare you for this lifestyle and all it entails. Unless you have gone through it you can know what to expect. Industry professionals will always say that new artists have to be ready for this life. They have to be prepared mentally for the toll it will take on them. Aside from just the fame and constant attention that is on them, the crazy schedule that this life entails is never something you can get used to. I remember times that I was up for 72 straight hours because of the tight schedule we were on for shows in three different cities in three different states. There were times when I was up for two to three straight days due to scheduling and making sure everything was in place and ready for the artist. It wasn’t easy but it was necessary. In most of theses situations as part of the team you are not the main concern, as long as the artist feels comfortable, and is ready to perform, ready to go and prepared to work or complete their engagements, the team is overlooked until everything is done. It is your job to do the best job possible for the artist, your condition and mental and physical state doesn’t matter as long as your job is done and the artist is successful.
All of these scenarios create the question, why are the labels these artists are signed to not creating these outlets to help their artists, much less the teams surrounding the artists? You would think for labels who rely on these artists to generate music sales, and an income stream to stay alive, would invest in the well being of the artists they sign. It’s sad to see the little regard the music industry has for its artists. As long as the artist is fulfilling their obligations and creating that constant revenue stream for the label, everything is good in their eyes. In a day and age where we are seeing more artists shy away from the limelight, be introverted, cancel show dates, and cancel tours in the middle because they are having anxiety attacks, mental breakdowns and/or being overwhelmed, labels should adhere to the signs and warning and take better care of their artist.
The pressures of being an artist in music has led to drastic and terrible outcomes for some of the most revered artists. Mental health is something that needs to be spoken about more, and more needs to be done to help support our artists, both those that have spoken out about their mental health, and even more so those who are suffering in silence. Mental health as a whole, but especially in music, needs to be a wider and more spoken about topic of conversion. As a friend of mine non-profit “Ricky’s Compass” Motto is “Break the Stigma.”
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