Mental Health in Hip Hop: Minneapolis Rapper Farr Well Advocates For Change on New "Hard Pill to Swallow" EP
Straight from the heart of Minneapolis, artist, rapper, activist and community leader Farr Well is nothing less than a man with a mission on new EP. Art doesn't get more urgent or necessary than this.
Hip-Hop artist and mental health advocate Farr Well (aka Farrington Llewellyn) is creating a mental health awareness initiative around his new album release, Hard Pill To Swallow.
Hard Pill to Swallow, shows Llewellyn sharing his personal experiences with drug misuse, gun violence, trauma, and mental illness.
From the Artist:
Hard Pill to Swallow is my new album but it's also my new blog, podcast and conversation series about things that are hard to accept. Coming to terms with my bipolar Diagnosis in 2018, I'm opening the door for discussions around mental illness & generational trauma. It seemed like all I'd ever done was say Farewell to realities and parts of myself that don't serve me anymore. I had been exposed to a lot of realities, subcultures, and identities; it became clear that my persona was something that's forever evolving, says Llewellyn about the creation of his stage name.
Hard Pill To Swallow sees Farr Well coming to terms with his Bipolar diagnosis and opening the door for conversations on mental illness and generational trauma. Talking about a tough subject is never easy but with the power of music behind it, Hard Pill To Swallow becomes a meditative listen that sparks an inner dialogue and reflection in every listener.
I think that by being vulnerable about my experience with bipolar and depression, I can help normalize it; especially in black communities and other places around the world with little to no awareness. My hope is to encourage those who can't speak about it. A lot of people who manage mental illness don't feel comfortable talking about it publicly...This album is bigger than me; it has the potential to stimulate the conversation around mental illness and trauma in communities where it's stigmatized. It's a 'hard pill to swallow' but working through our hard life experiences is the path to healing and building resilience." This album is bigger than me," says Llewellyn, " it has the potential to stimulate the conversation around mental illness and trauma in communities where it's stigmatized. It's a 'hard pill to swallow' but working through our hard life experiences is the path to healing and building resilience."
Check out Farr Well's new music video for his "Questar" collaboration ft Manny Phesto on Youtube.
