A new study from researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill reveals a significant shift in rap and hip-hop lyrics over the past two decades: a growing number of chart-topping artists are opening up about mental health.
The researchers analyzed the lyrics of the 25 most popular rap and hip-hop songs in the U.S. from five specific years—1998, 2003, 2008, 2013, and 2018—totaling 125 songs. The findings are both eye-opening and timely, as they show a noticeable increase in references to depression, anxiety, and even suicide in the genre.
Key findings from the study include:
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28% of the songs referenced anxiety
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22% mentioned depression
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6% included suicide references
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21% used mental health metaphors, such as “fighting my demons” or “pushed to the edge”
Perhaps most striking: none of the top songs in 1998 referenced suicide, but by 2018, over 1 in 10 (12%) did. That same year, rap officially surpassed country as the best-selling music genre in the U.S.
Artists like Eminem, Lil Wayne, and others have increasingly addressed personal struggles with mental health, reflecting a wider cultural shift—and a rise in suicide rates among Black teenagers, a demographic that makes up a major portion of the genre’s audience.
While researchers can’t yet determine whether these songs directly influence mental health outcomes, they believe this lyrical openness could play a vital role in reducing stigma and encouraging young listeners to seek help or speak more openly about their emotions.
Over the 20-year period:
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References to depression doubled from 16% to 32%
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Use of mental health metaphors jumped from 8% to 44%
This trend marks a powerful transformation in rap music—from a genre once known for bravado and toughness, to one that now also makes space for vulnerability, emotional honesty, and real-life mental health struggles.
