The Hip Hop African

Throughout this semester, a major theme covered was the use of Hip Hop for social issues and change. A major social issue in Africa is mental health, more specifically the lack of awareness of it. This mixtape is a compilation of songs in which artists speak about their mental health. Featured songs include: Sanctum by Boogey, Human Being by M.I. Abaga, Changed by Nasty C, Joe Spazm SZN by Terry Tha Rapman, and Suffer by M.anifest. Specific themes discussed in these songs concerning mental health are self-reflection, vulnerability, persistence, endurance, and the creative expression of pain. Ernest Jansen reported that self-reflection is a powerful tool used to impact the mental well-being of individuals (2023). Additionally, it was reported that creative expressions through music can be incorporated into mental health practices to give individuals a powerful medium to express themselves. Alongside self-reflection and creativity, vulnerability is a step forward to a successful recovery and better improved mental health (2022). Aside from practicing being vulnerable, another notable exercise that is linked with improved mental health is endurance (Oswald et al., 2020).  These are all important skills that the artists in this mixtape incorporate into their music to talk about their struggles and give others a chance to know it is okay not to be okay.

In an article, Clarke reports that black men and boys feel unable to be vulnerable and express their feelings publicly (2024). These reports have been very personal and truly show what black men experience. More specifically in Africa, mental health is a social issue that is receiving more traction in recent years. A study revealed that between 2000 and 2015, the number of years lost to disability because of mental disorders increased by 52% (Sankoh, Sevaile, & Weston, 2018). This number of African lives lost is alarmingly high and emphasizes an underlying issue, the lack of awareness of mental health disorders. 

Furthermore, music has always had a positive impact on both artists and the public. It was reported that music-making activities “facilitate emotional release, promote self-reflection, and create a sense of community” (Reynolds, 2023). For African Hip-Hop artists such as the ones featured in this mixtape, this is important because it gives them a way to break free from stereotypes and truly raise awareness for mental health. Moreover, Omole reported that 84% of Nigerians in this study indicated that music reduces their stress levels (2023). It is particularly interesting to note that the creation of music that speaks on mental health concerns is important for both artists and listeners as it provides them a way to submerge themselves in music that speaks about what they are going through and makes them happier. 

The first theme this mixtape touches on is self-reflection. To begin, Joe Spazm SZN by Terry Tha Rapman talks about his life and his journey as an artist in comparison to Nas, Picasso, Papa Ajasco, and J. Cole. Throughout this song, he drops little hints about past trauma that has scarred him and issues that constantly negatively impact him. He states, “I’m really a nice guy, just emotionally damaged. Got serious trust issues. Gimme a plain sandwich! They used 2 bully me, secondary school, called me a fool now it’s my turn to bully all of you, yes!” Through this, he is being expressive revealing personal struggles and internal conflicts. The beginning of this verse indicates his view on how the trust issues he experienced damaged him. As well as the scar that being bullied in the past has left him with. I believe these lyrics relate to mental health as they highlight the importance of acknowledging emotional wounds to promote healing by speaking up on the effects of past trauma and emotional struggles. 

Furthermore, a theme of mental health that Human Being by M.I. Abaga addresses is vulnerability. This song highlights the struggles of being a human and the continuous judgment he receives from the outside world. He sings, “Sometimes you might see me looking dope. But there’s nothing in my bank account. The boy is broke. Trying to meet demand, I swear it’s hard to cope.” Through these lyrics, it is evident that M.I. Abaga is being very transparent and open about his financial struggles which for many people is a delicate subject. Besides that, his lyrics on meeting the demands of others and the difficulties in coping with that shows the emotional toll this financial stress has on him, making it even harder to cope. These lyrics show vulnerability by openly addressing his financial challenges and the emotional turmoil he is going through to make ends meet. As stated earlier, vulnerability is a step in the right direction to better mental health and M.I. Abaga’s vulnerability in his song encourages his listeners to mirror this.  

Moving on, a major theme concerning mental health is persistence and endurance. This is shown through Sanctum by Boogey. Sanctum is a very spiritual song in which Boogey talks about needing to be saved, endurance, and God all while attacking those who do not support his musical career. Concerning persistence and endurance he raps, “I’m flipping through Bible Pages. I’m Looking for something Inside to save me. Anything about endurance. And having faith in a deity.” Specifically mentioning looking for Bible pages about endurance shows that he is looking for encouraging verses or words to persist through a difficult situation that he may be going through. For a lot of people, faith is a safe and comfortable place, so Boogey seeking endurance in his Bible shows his belief in spiritual guidance during challenging times. This shows his commitment and urge to endure and persevere in a time of difficulty in life. Furthermore, in a study, it was revealed that there is a strong correlation between religion and a positive impact on mental health (2016). Boogey’s reference to his faith shows that he believes that it will improve his overall well-being which includes his mental health. 

Lastly, another important theme of mental health is one’s expression of pain and coping. These artists go about expression in a creative manner which is even more impressive. In Suffer, M.anifest goes about creatively expressing the universal suffering that Ghanaians go through regardless of their socio-economic status. He raps, “Jesus Christ I’m so nice I shouldn’t suffer. You’ve never known joy if you’ve never had to suffer.” These lyrics show he believes that being nice should void his suffering. Additionally, his bringing up Jesus Christ, a religious being, emphasizes his creative way of expressing his need not to suffer due to his kindness. These lyrics also imply that joy or happiness can be more appreciated after enduring pain and as a mechanism to cope. This song further goes to discuss resilience in the face of challenges. Next, Nasty C uses his song, Changed to creatively express the pain of how people expect him not to grow or change. In addition, he talks about the internal battles he fights with himself. He sings, “I get no rest from my brain (yeah). I can’t sleep at night, can’t sleep at night. Voices in my head say I’m doomed. I don’t know what the fuck I should do. I toss and I. Turn and I. Sweat and I. Might just end up sleeping with the cross tonight.” This shows the negative impact the lack of sleep is having on his mental health. Nasty C talks about how he is constantly not getting any sleep due to his intrusive thoughts negatively speaking to him. A report revealed that there is a strong correlation between sleep deprivation and depression (Nutt et al., 2008). Through Changed, we see how Nasty C is raising awareness for the negative impacts of depression which is a mental health disorder. 

In conclusion, the featured songs in this mixtape speak to the greater social issue of mental health in Africa specifically highlighting self-reflection, vulnerability, endurance, persistence, and the creative expression of pain.