Cambridge Psychiatry Society, Cambridge University
Kings College London & South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
Pint of Science Festival, Cambridge
Latest review: http://www.maudsleylearning.com/review-hip-hop-psych-event/
"At our online event, you really engaged with the audience and demonstrated how hip hop can bring additional insights into how we understand key issues such as social justice and inequalities and the relationship to mental health. We received extremely positive feedback from participants who joined the conversation from around the world including colleagues from our sister Thrive cities in NYC and London. Your teaching, experiences and creative delivery clearly resonated with people."
Hip Hop Psych contribution to Thrive Edinburgh: Dr Linda Irvine
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"I think what you're doing is great. Hip Hop provided a vocal expression to my inner feelings when I was unable to formulate the words. Not only did it help describe my experience but it also made me feel like I was not alone in my experience...someone else has been through what I have been through." Gender: Male, Country: USA
"I congratulate and salute you for the work you are doing in the field as well as the attention you are bringing to the powerful uses of Hip Hop music/culture in clinical mental health work and psychology." Oct 2014, male, North Carolina, USA
"Twenty years later, Big's, "you never thought hip-hop would take it this far" lyric continues to know no boundaries. The genre is as effervescent as ever. Rappers are out here owning sports teams, designing fashion lines, building technology companies, and so much more. Medicine might be the next great field for advancement within hip-hop" - Complex
"There are thousands of hours of music for Dr. Inkster to establish a foundation to work with. And for her purposes in treating a mental health patient, connection through hip-hop and rap writing seems like a direct and creative path into a person's state of mind. " - Complex
"There was something totally satisfying and gripping about rubbing the hip-hop standards in scientific lingo like this, and I came away feeling like I’d learnt a billion things. More PSHE lessons should probably be like that." - Hew Oliver, Vice, at Cambridge Festival of Ideas, 20th October 2014
"We really loved your event last year in Cambridge. It was one of our highlights." Pint of Science, Cambridge. 22nd March 2014.
"My discussion with you [HIP HOP PSYCHTM] was one of the most refreshing discussions I have had in ages. The fact that you are focussing on a real world problem and using your understanding of that to define the right solution is absolutely the correct approach." - Technology Manager & MBA, Cambridge, 27th January 2014.
"I think HIP HOP PSYCHTM is an exciting and innovative venture that bridges youth culture with the medical community. The model is based on empowerment and self-knowledge, which puts the power back in the individuals' hands to take responsibility of their life and health. Hearing about some of the stories and reactions attendees of the programme have had gave me goosebumps (in a good way!), as it illustrated the potential impact that this approach can have for the future of medicine and preventative strategies." - Student, University of Cambridge, 25th January 2014.
"I know it has been over a month since your HIP HOP PSYCHTM event, but I have to say that it was the most memorable evening I had last year. You guys educated me in a relaxed and fun-filled manner and I am sure it was the same for other attendees. I believe that you guys have started something that can go global within a short period." - Banker, London, 2nd January 2014.
"It was great seeing you guys in action and getting an introduction to HIP HOP PSYCHTM. I can't remember an event I've done with Key Changes that has provoked as much interest and debate amongst our service users (and staff)! Would be great to maintain a link and collaborate on future events - keep me posted." - Key Changes, 4th December 2013.
"I think you definitely reduced the stigma surrounding mental health and your talk would be useful in the UK and elsewhere as you utilise the interests of young people to reveal important issues, which I think if done on a widespread level by medical experts would certainly improve communication. I think the beauty of hip-hop is that anything whatsoever can be expressed, I believe as a genre it is very aware and reflective of surroundings/situations and I think you communicated that really well through your analysis of the lyrics and their relation to mental health." - Male, youth, Exeter, 25th November 2013.
"@MaudsleyLearn @hiphopsych would be good to see this included in the next series #Bedlam which I hope will be made @MaudsleyNHS & it's work." - Bipolar Gran @bipolargran, tweeted on 21st November 2013.
"@hiphopsych @MaudsleyNHS I think using new & relevant mediums such as yours to raise awareness & teach about mental health gr8.A video yet?". - Bipolar Gran @bipolargran, tweeted on 21st November 2013.
"Hip Hop’s frank portrayal of urban life often earns it a bad rap in the press, but two mental health professionals have found that the raw and honest lyrics of many Hip Hop artists are a powerful vehicle to explore and raise awareness of psychiatric illnesses. HIP HOP PSYCHTM is the brainchild of Dr Becky Inkster from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge and Dr Akeem Sule, a consultant psychiatrist from South Essex Partnership Trust. On 17th October 2013, Dr Alison Haggett and Professor Mark Jackson from the Centre of Medical History at the University of Exeter introduced HIP HOP PSYCHTM to a packed out crowd at Mama Stones, Exeter. In their lecture, which included a performance from local breaking (breakdance) crew Just 4 Funk, Dr Sule and Dr Inkster “diagnosed” Eminem’s fictional alter-ego, Stan, with a number of potential psychiatric conditions and noted that 2pac is expressing feelings linked with paranoia, depression and drug dependency in Death Around the Corner. In fact, Dr Sule and Dr Inkster argue, mental health issues are represented in the work of many influential Hip Hop artists. They suggest that this is because the under-privileged urban areas from which many of these artists come are a hotbed for problems such as drug use, domestic violence, and heavy financial pressures - all of which are strongly connected with the occurrence of psychiatric illnesses. By using the work of these artists as a starting place, Dr Inkster and Dr Sule are able to explore and raise awareness of mental health issues in a totally different language that they hope will be particularly accessible to young people in urban areas. They hope this will help to remove stigma around mental health and about Hip Hop." - Just 4 Funk Productions, Exeter, 11th November 2013.
“HIP HOP PSYCHTM was a really interesting concept for me and my students to attend. Though most of us love Hip Hop and are aware it carries much more complex messages than those usually attributed to it in the media, none of us had looked in such detail at the mental health issues in hip-hop music. After listening to Dr Inkster and Dr Sule speak it was clear to us that mental health issues are undeniably present in hip-hop and even the central focus of many of the most raw and honest tracks. I hope that this will help my students to have a better understanding of psychiatric illnesses as they go through life, whether this is meeting people who suffer from mental health issues or (hopefully not) going through it themselves.” - Just 4 Funk Productions, 8th November 2013.
"Just wanted to tell you how fascinating I found your presentation in Exeter tonight. Your delivery was very good and I really enjoyed your analysis, especially as I'm big fans of the artists you used! If you're at all interested I use hip-hop to express myself and this is my latest track: https://soundcloud.com/ciaranaustin/the-act-of-balance-ft-enxo
(the lyrics are here: http://rapgenius.com/Ciaran-austin-the-act-of-balance-lyrics) I hope to hear you talk again soon!" - Male, youth, Exeter, 17th October 2013.