Very few rappers openly talk about mental health and Joe Budden is an exception perhaps because he personally dealt with it.
The often very vocal rapper can be found on the daily hip hop show Everyday Struggle on Complex where he is one of the co-hosts. You can always expect Budden to speak his mind on any rapper or any song whether he likes it or not. This time he is not talking about music, but something that affected everyone directly or indirectly, mental health. In his interview with Grass Routes Podcast, the Slaughterhouse rapper delve into his past struggles with depression and even revealed that at one point he contemplated suicide. Fortunately, he was able to find fame and fight those demons that almost claimed his life.
Joe Budden told hosts Erin Ashley Simon and Brandon Hall that he has attempted suicide at least five times in his life. “For me, there have been less than five times where I’ve actually attempted suicide,” the rapper said. “That wasn’t in ’03, ’04, ‘Pump it Up’ was out then. But that didn’t mean that the days weren’t dark. That didn’t mean that the suicidal thoughts weren’t there… When I say ’04, that’s when I didn’t really have those thoughts anymore.”
This revelation by Joe Budden just proves that not even gangster rappers are immune to mental illnesses which is a major problem globally. Joe Budden admitted that it wasn’t until after he retired from rap that he became open about his past demons. He said that his openness now would have never happened if he was still signed to Shady Records because he then had a brand to protect. This could perhaps explain why more celebrities, particularly rappers, are not more open about their struggles with mental illness and drug abuse. Watch the full interview below.
