In 2023, MusiCares launched Humans of Hip Hop, a flagship initiative to increase MusiCares reach and support to the hip-hop community. While a nationwide program, H3's three-year initiative has prioritized on-the-ground efforts in eight cities catalytic in growing reach to hip-hop professionals.
In its first year, the H3 programming focused on connecting with hip-hop communities across the United States, with seven co-creation events bringing together artists, advocates and mental health professionals to share personal stories and break down the barriers often surrounding these topics. From Killer Mike's call for community connection in Atlanta to MC Lyte's celebration of women's leadership in Los Angeles, the first year of Humans of Hip Hop made a profound impact. Not only did the co-creation events bring together a total of nearly 700 people nationwide, but they also helped determine how MusiCares can tailor its support to meet the needs of hip-hop professionals.
As MusiCares prepares for H3's second year — with plans for in-person preventive care clinics and deeper support — revisit the initiative's reach over its inaugural year, insights from the likes of Common, David Banner and Lupe Fiasco, and goals for year two.
Locations & Themes
The initiative is focusing on eight key cities: Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, Oakland, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. In its first year, Humans of Hip Hop celebrated co-creation launches in seven of those eight, with plans for a New York co-creation event in year two.
Here's a brief look at each of the co-creation events from H3's first year, as well as the topics discussed in each city.
Atlanta: Breaking the Mental Health Stigma — October 23, 2023
Panelists: Killer Mike, Young Dro, David Banner, Shanti Das, Phylicia Fant
The inaugural event in Atlanta, titled "Healing a Culture," tackled the stigma of mental health in the hip-hop community. Moderated by Phylicia Fant, Head of Music Industry and Culture Collaborations at Amazon Music, the panelists shared deeply personal stories about their mental health struggles.
Washington, D.C.: The Impact of Gun Violence & Trauma — November 14, 2023
Panelists: Deetranada, Kokayi, Steph Lova, Joe Clair, Tuma Basa
The second H3 event in Washington, D.C. focused on gun violence and trauma within the DMV's hip-hop community. Moderated by Tuma Basa, YouTube's Director of Black Music & Culture, the panelists explored mental health challenges and the importance of mentorship for younger generations.
Philadelphia: Overcoming Loss & Mental Health — November 20, 2023
Panelists: Wallo267, Freeway, Ms. Jade, Dr. Monica Campbell, Lady B
In Philadelphia, "Voices of Hope and Resilience" brought local hip-hop legends together to discuss trauma and loss, moderated by West Philadelphia-native and female emcee, Lady B.
Chicago: Supporting Young Creatives — April 22, 2024
Panelists: Common, Lupe Fiasco, Chris "Classick" Innumerable, Christopher Crater, Add-2
In Chicago, "Generation Next" focused on supporting young artists in the hip-hop community, moderated by Chicago hip-hop artist and mentor Add-2.
Los Angeles: Celebrating Women in Hip Hop — June 18, 2024
Panelists: MC Lyte, Saweetie, Big Lez, Sierra Lever, Laiya St. Clair
The Los Angeles edition of MusiCares' Humans of Hip-Hop (H3) initiative, titled "She's Iconic: A Salute To Women In Hip Hop," was held on June 18 at Amazon Studios in Culver City. The event brought together a powerhouse panel moderated by Laiya St. Clair, radio personality and producer for Questlove Supreme, to discuss the impact of women in hip-hop, mental health, and self-care.
Oakland: Expanding the Bay Area's Influence — June 24, 2024
Panelists: Bobby Brackins, Mani Draper, Karina Flonnoy, Megan "Lil MC" Correa, Prentice Powell
The Oakland event, titled "Celebrating the Influence and Evolution of Bay Area Hip-Hop," featured local creatives and was moderated by GRAMMY-nominated poet Prentice Powell.
Detroit: Navigating Identity & Mental Health — July 23, 2024
Panelists: Ellie Sandiego, Rico Love, Nasaan, Bryce the Third
In Detroit, the Humans of Hip-Hop event, titled "Celebrating Detroit's Legacy in Hip Hop," brought together local artists to discuss the intersection of identity, mental health, and the therapeutic power of music. The event was moderated by Bryce the Third, artist and mental health advocate.
Important Insights From Panelists
"Just because we are able to do things at a high level doesn't make it healthy." — David Banner
"Who are your friends, who are the people you know, what do they need, what do you need?" — Killer Mike
"Teach the next generation, they are looking up to us. We can't talk about healing unless we talk about the issue at hand." — Deetranada
"Don't put a time limit on your grief." — Steph Lova
"Black men out there, don't be afraid to take therapy, man. It really helped a lot." — Freeway
"My life can't be dependent on if my record sells or if they respond." — Common
"Forget being competitive. Do the basics, master the pre-reqs of your art." — Lupe Fiasco
"What's the point of having a platform if you're not inspiring others?" — Saweetie
"You have to worry about protecting your reputation because, you know, 'Oh, she must have got that job because she got down on her knees, or she did this…' So you have to really work hard to protect your image." — Big Lez
"As an artist, you gotta draw a line between when you're being authentic and when you're following someone else's path." — Bobby Brackins
"I think just having the right people around you and having a great support group is very helpful." — Nasaan
Takeaways & Goals For Year 2
The co-creation launches throughout Humans of Hip Hop's first year provided opportunities to learn about how MusiCares can better serve music people within the hip-hop community. One of the first priorities for year two of H3 will be in-person, one-stop preventive care clinics in the eight key cities, starting with a collaboration with Kingmakers of Oakland on Dec. 7.
Below, see some of the most important takeaways from H3's inaugural year, and how MusiCares plans to improve upon those facets as Humans of Hip Hop continues:
Mental health is increasingly destigmatized, but we still need more ways to meet people where they are with tailored resources, inclusive providers and sensitive vocabulary. Especially for hip-hop professionals, trauma support is needed to manage the substantial loss that many have felt in recent years, with the loss of beloved artists and friends to gun violence. This was part of the impetus for partnering with LCSW Gary T. Taylor to bring Goodfellaz, mental health support for Black men, to MusiCares clients.
One of the most frequent comments was that "hip-hop doesn't have a 401k." Hip-hop professionals can use more tools and resources to effectively manage money from early career through late career. MusiCares is building out its financial coaching and financial resources portfolio, specifically with partners and coaches who get a life in music.
Access to preventive care remains a significant issue for Black and Brown music professionals, especially for routine cancer prevention screenings. In year two, the H3 initiative will aim to further build out MusiCares' provider network across the eight key cities — so that the impact of Humans of Hip Hop will be felt for decades to come.
