Last week, Men’s Health Hosted a panel focusing on health and awareness in the heart of Brooklyn NYC. The panel, Hip Hop Health: Mind Over Music featured Nick cannon, Doug E. Fresh, Dr. Olajide Williams, and Lute. The panel was moderated by Keith Nelson, Jr and covered a range of topics from mental health to why we all need therapy. In this candid chat, these men discussed hip hop’s relationship with mental health and the silent battles they’ve had to overcome over the years.
Rapper Doug E Fresh spoke about braggadocious lyrics and the results of speaking things into existence. The Harlem legend spoke so eloquently about mental health and taking the timeout for a ‘good cry’. He stated, “Hip Hop has the power of talking things into existence…When 50 Cent talked about Get Rich or Die Trying, He got rich! You know the album Paid in Full with Eric B and Rakim…They got paid and full! Now here’s the sad part is when you hear Ready to Die and what happened after that, hip hop has always been the power of talking things into existence. This is my favorite song from Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five it’s called Super Rappin’. Doug E then commenced to rap:
To the hip hop, a hip hop, a-don’t stop
A-don’t stop that body rock
A-just get up out your seat and get ready to clap
Because-a Melle Mel is starting to rap
And ever since I talked at my very first party
I felt I could make myself somebody
It was something in my heart from the very start
I could see myself at the top of the chart
Rapping on the mic, making cold, cold cash
With a jockey spinnin’ for me called DJ Flash
Signing autographs for the the young and old
Wearing big time silver and solid gold
My name on the radio and in the magazine
My picture on the TV screen
It’s ain’t like that yet, but, huh, you’ll see
I got potential and you will agree
I’m coming up and I got a step above the rest
‘Cause I’m using that ladder they call success
You say a-one, two, three, four, five, six, seven
Rap like hell and make it sound like heaven
A seven, six, five, four, three, two, one
A-come on, Rahiem, come and get some
He continued, “You have the ability to talk things into existence, good or bad.”
Watch the video below.
