Rapper and filmmaker Professor Green today opened up to KISS about his personal struggles with his mental health and how he has sought solace in music to get his thoughts out. The frank discussion comes as he pledges his support to Where’s Your Head At? – KISS’s campaign that aims to drive a vital mission: break the stigma attached to talking about mental health and make it a legal requirement for every work place or college in the UK to have a mental health first aider.
On the hardest battle he’s fought emotionally: -
“Probably the internal dialogue. Things tend to manifest and when you keep things in they get bigger and bigger. But I was lucky enough to find a form of expression in writing music so I was able to get what was inside out and that made things a hell of a lot easier to process. When you have stuff swimming around in your head it can all become a bit much.”
On the “bravado” of rap: -
“There’s a lot of bravado in rap but when you listen to the music of many artists there’s a lot of emotion. You can’t write music without being an emotional person. I just think there’s a misconception with how macho it is.”
On the impact of social media:
“Social media is both good and bad. It depends what you take from it and put into it, it also depends what you take out of it. It’s not a very good outlet. If you’re in a bad mood don’t go anywhere near your phone. There is good out there - it just depends on what and who you follow.”
On his methods for distressing:-
“For me to destress I have to do something that enables me to think about things, so I’ll walk my dogs. Or if I’m over thinking I need to do something that stops me from thinking about things - so exercise. Then I have no choice but to concentrate on what I’m doing.”
KISS’s ‘Where’s Your Head At?’ campaign aims to drive signatures for a petition to get a mental health first aider in every workplace or college. The campaign has garnered support from a number of celebrities including: Jeremy Corbyn, Jamie Laing, Charlotte Crosby, Megan McKenna and Kem Cetinay who have all spoken openly about their personal struggles with mental health.
Speaking about the campaign, Professor Green commented:
“I think it’s quite difficult for men to be open - you’re taught as boys ‘come on be a man!’ But what is it to be a man? That’s really the question. Being a man now is very different to what it was thousands of years ago. Maybe as men we haven’t quite caught up yet though.”
For more information on ‘Where’s Your Head At? and to add your signature to the petition, go to www.wheresyourheadat.org
#wheresyourheadat
Professor Green has new music coming out later this year.
