A Conversation with Cool Boy Bobby on Hip-Hop and His Mental Health Struggles

It’s not so easy for a lot of men to talk about the real state of their mental health, especially for those whose situations require a great deal of resilience. This has been the case for record producer Cool Boy Bobby, whose production work in hip-hop has become his bridge to tell his story of survival, has inspired many to give themselves a fighting chance.

Cool Boy Bobby’s exposure to the grim realities of racial injustice led him to make what he has always thought to be the best use for hip-hop to convey his mental health challenges. With the aim of conveying that people like him are not alone in their struggles, Cool Boy Bobby has sought to inspire those who are on the same boat as his to talk more about their experiences.

“Hip-hop, the language of the streets I grew up in, is a unifying force. It’s the best tool for self-expression I have – the one legacy I hope to help build through the shared experiences of my brothers and sisters who struggled the same way I did. By inspiring many like me to gather round in a celebration of our shared heritage, I aim to make the best use of my own experiences in mental health problems to communicate the importance of opening-up and seeking help.”

By no means does Cool Boy Bobby claim that he already has everything figured out. But through his work in hip-hop, he hopes to narrow the gap on mental health among African Americans and bring greater awareness to the socioeconomic realities that have caused this to burgeon in recent years. 

Follow his Instagram @yapcampaign