Feeling fed
up? Perhaps a blast of The Notorious BIG or Grandmaster Flash & The
Furious Five could help, Cambridge researchers say.
They say that listening to hip hop can actually be beneficial to those suffering with depression.
'There
is often a message of hope in amongst the lyrics, describing the place
where they want to be – the cars they want to own, the models they want
to date,' the researchers wrote.
Researchers recommend The Message by
Grandmaster Flash (pictured) & The Furious Five, released in 1982,
which includes the lyrics: 'I can't take the smell, can't take the noise
Got no money to move out, I guess I got no choice'
In
an article in The Lancet Psychiatry, the team claims that lyrics which
speak of overcoming hardships and struggles can offer refuge.
'Much
of hip-hop comes from areas of great socioeconomic deprivation, so it's
inevitable that its lyrics will reflect the issues faced by people
brought up in these areas, including poverty, marginalisation, crime and
drugs,' said Dr Akeem Sule, of the University of Cambridge.
'In fact, we can see in the lyrics many of the key risk factors for mental illness, from which it can be difficult to escape.
'Hip-hop artists use their skills and talents not only to describe the world they see, but also as a means of breaking free.
'We
believe that hip-hop, with its rich, visual narrative style, can be
used to make therapies that are more effective for specific populations
and can help patients with depression to create more positive images of
themselves, their situations and their future,' says Sule.
'It's
been about forty years since hip-hop first began in the ghettos of New
York City and it has come a long way since then, influencing areas as
diverse as politics and technology,' said co-author Dr Becky Inkster
Clinical Neuroscientist in the Department of Psychiatry, University of
Cambridge.
'Now we hope to add medicine to the list.'
Notorious B.I.G., whose real name was
Christopher Wallace, left, gestures as he and producer Sean "Puffy"
Combs leave a party at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles in
1997. Researchers now say his music could be the key to beating
depression.
The
team, hope to take their 'Hip Hop Psych' project into prisons, schools,
and hostels to promote positive self-esteem through engagement with
hip-hop artists.
'We've
had an enormous response from the global community, from patients,
prisoners, and parents to artists and fans alike,' says Inkster.
'We are overwhelmed and excited by requests from people around the world reaching out to us who want to help.
'It has been moving to see how honest and open people have been with us.
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