Psychiatrists from the University of Cambridge sign a paper in which they insist on the effectiveness of hip-hop music in the fight against depression.
Who said rap was barbaric music? At the very prestigious University of Cambridge, we have proven precisely the opposite. For several years now, psychiatrists have been reducing depressive symptoms with hip-hop tunes. Researchers sign a paper in the Lancet Psychiatry, where they share this strange discovery: rap is good for morale.
Big cars and women-objects
Of course, hip-hop glorifies violence, crime, hate, drugs, big cars and women-objects. But in fact, this is precisely its strength. “Most of the artists come from backgrounds where there is great socioeconomic deprivation,” explains study director Akeem Sule. In the lyrics, we can identify many risk factors for developing mental illnesses, and the subject is tackled bluntly. Rappers use their talent not only to describe the world as they see it, but also to show how they plan to get out of it ”.
According to the researcher, “there is very often a message of hope in the lyrics, when the authors describe the place where they would like to be, the car they want, the top models they want…”. In the end, rap would allow depressed patients “to positively transform their life, to acquire a formidable sense of emancipation, resilience and self-healing”.
These psychiatrists are so convinced that they have launched, within the Psychology department of the British University, a program called ” Hip-Hop Psych “. It aims to bring together anecdotes and positive stories about psychic healing linked to rap, in places such as “prisons, amphitheatres, schools and nightclubs”. According to them, it makes it possible to reach populations that are difficult to reach, because they are far from the health system, and to introduce a form of diversity in the very closed environment of psychiatry.
“We sip champagne”
Thus, to fight against the blues, the authors recommend in particular to listen to Juicy by Notorious BIG, music “characterized by positive visual imagery,” according to Akeem Sule. Text excerpt: “Birthdays was the worst days / Now we sip champagne when we thirsty / Uh, damn right I like the life I live / Cause I went from negative to positive” we sip champagne when we are thirsty / Oh yes, I love the life I live / Because I went from negative to positive ”).
Another example of typically therapeutic rap … Tupac, Keep Ya Head Up (Keep your head up)
So … don’t we feel better?
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