His introduction to therapy may have been unconventional—an appearance in 2017 on Vice series “The Therapist” that filmed musicians in session with a psychologist—but Joey Bada$$ is all in for using it as a vehicle for self-discovery. He’s also all in for using his platform to elevate others on their journey.
The latest power move for the rapper and star of Starz series “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” is the establishment of a program that pairs men of color with mentors from across a variety of disciplines who commit to engaging in monthly meetings—virtual or IRL—with their mentees for one year.
Producer, rapper and songwriter Swizz Beatz, Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics, and James Beard-winning chef Kwame Onwuachi are among the mentors Bada$$ has brought together for ImpactMENtorship.
“Giving back to the community I come from has always been extremely important to me. I’m trying to create a program that can give people access who would otherwise not have it. Access to resources, access to a wealth of knowledge, accountability partners. When we talk about mental health we know how important it is to have somebody to look up to, somebody to bounce ideas off of, to give you feedback and guidance,” he says.
“In my experience I’ve had a lot of five-minute, super impactful conversations with people—kids who look up to me and just peers in the industry. But with this mentorship program I’m taking it a step further. It really allows people to commit to an individual’s development and growth process.”
Bada$$’ own growth process has been a steadfast dedication to self-improvement. While he didn’t immediately continue with therapy after that first experience he returned a few years later, to the same therapist.
“It’s just about me maturing and wanting to bring myself closer to my best version. And how do I do that? I can go to the gym and work on my physical, I can be a little more frugal and work on my financial. But when it came to my mental, my emotional, my spiritual outlets—and also specifically with that therapist, that was someone who is very spiritual and that resonated with me because I’m also very spiritual—it made sense,” he says.
“Growing up in the community I came from, therapy was something that was kind of a taboo subject; it just wasn’t a widespread thing. But when I had that experience and sat down with that therapist, it opened up some new doors in my mind.”
Rather than alienate fans, Bada$$ believes speaking openly about therapy and mental health has drawn them closer.
“I’m always super enthusiastic about my own growth and development and so when I find things that I feel like contribute to my success, I’m eager to share. This is another example of it; this works for me,” he says.
“To this day I get messages from my fans about the ‘Therapy’ episode and how much they resonated with my vulnerability. And something that I realized early is that the more specific you are, the more relatable it is. So me detailing my journey and experience, that can make them relate to me more.”
A decade after his close friend Capital Steez died by suicide in 2012, Bada$$ unflinching detailed his experience grappling with the death as his own star was rising. His song “Survivors Guilt,” on the 2022 album “2000,” is a heartrending ode that samples Steez’s voice.
“Writing that song lifted a huge a weight from my shoulders because this guilt is something I felt for a long time. To have it all in the mix of my initial rise to fame, there was always just this void in my heart. That’s something that when you’re dealing with it a young age you don’t know how to really reconcile with yourself,” he says.
“I was finally able to detail what I felt, to reflect, and I can honestly say after putting out that song a lot of the guilt went away. I still am definitely grieving but not in the way I was for years. I could’ve just written that song and never shared it with the world. To me, just writing it and getting it outside of my body was enough for me. But seeing how people resonate and relate—that’s a whole nother feeling. People saying how that was their favorite song on the last album and how much it resonated because they had a similar experience. I just thought that was so beautiful, something that’s so deeply personal to me.”
Music as catharsis? Bada$$ is all about that, too.
“That’s the main reason why I do it. Sometimes I put pressure on myself and I feel like I’m supposed to be writing a song every day and working on my rap craft every day like a sports player would. But what connects with me the deepest is writing when I feel moved,” he says.
“It always gives me an outlet. Rather than trying to force myself to do it just for the sake of the skill aspect of it, what I try to navigate most of all is the rawness. How can I be the most pure with my pen rather than the most technical? Sometimes I feel some intense emotions and I write it out and it makes me feel 80 times better.”
Bada$$, who recently started engaging in daily meditation, is also encouraged by the shifting culture in which people of influence speak more openly about their mental and emotional health. “It’s allowing people to no longer have any shame or fear about expressing themselves and seeking help because once they see their role models are going through the same thing, that can only inspire them to want to correct themselves or improve themselves.”
Noting “the communication game is interesting,” he clarifies being open doesn’t mean he’s sharing his innermost thoughts with just anyone.
“There’s just certain people I’m willing to have a conversation with and certain people I’m not willing to have a conversation with. If the time and place presents itself, then I’m willing to express. But if not, then I’m also cool with keeping things in. I’m not just going around, ‘Hey this is what’s going on in my mind and my feelings and my heart and my emotions right now.’ But I will say it’s easier for me to talk about 10 years later versus the 18-year-old version of myself.”
And there’s one more thing. “Not everyone is equipped. Not everyone is a therapist and neither should everyone volunteer to be a therapist. Some people need to seek professional help,” he says. “I do want to make that clear.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
Mind Reading (formerly Hollywood & Mind) is a recurring column that lives at the intersection of entertainment and wellbeing, and features interviews with musicians, actor, creators and other culture influencers who are elevating the conversation around mental health.
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