Children of Moses's experiment : youth, mental health, and hip-hop in the South Bronx

Abstract

Urban youth have developed ways to overcome trauma and promote wellness in their lives through the art and culture of hip-hop. This paper asks, "how is hip-hop music and culture being used as a tool for mental health promotion amongst urban youth, and are these methods effective?" In recent years, mental health professionals and social workers have begun to realize the therapeutic powers of hip-hop. Due to the diverse nature of hip-hop culture, many fields of thought intersect with the subject, such as psychology, music therapy, urban history, and youth development. This paper draws from literature on these topics and from interviews with leaders in many of these fields in order to develop a theoretical understanding of how hip-hop can be used therapeutically with urban youth. Using these theoretical discussions as a compass, this paper then delves into a hip-hop therapy program in the Bronx, NY called Beats, Rhymes, and Life (BRL). Interviews with youth, social workers, and youth workers at this program elucidate the strengths and challenges of the hip-hop therapy model. The piece concludes with specific lessons for practitioners of hip-hop therapy, and broader takeaways for urban planners and policymakers concerned with improving under resourced urban communities.