How Hip-Hop Therapy is Healing Communities

Credit: Aaron Weaver/ Midjourney

For many years, hip-hop was a divisive art form. In the ’90s, critics mainly associated it with gangster rap, calling it violent, misogynistic and detrimental to young people. Its supporters argued that it was a vital tool for expressing what’s actually happening in marginalized communities. But now it’s 2024, and we’ve mostly moved beyond this debate. Perhaps nothing proves that hip-hop has crossed the threshold as an undeniably positive force more than Hip-Hop Therapy.

What is Hip-Hop Therapy?

Hip-Hop Therapy combines elements of hip-hop culture — rap, beat-making, DJing and visual art — with therapeutic practices to engage individuals in self-expression and healing. Originally developed by Dr. Edgar Tyson, HHT leverages the intermodal nature of expressive arts therapy, which integrates music, movement, drama and visual art. J.C. Hall, mentored by Dr. Tyson, expanded this framework through his training as a social worker to fuse therapeutic processes with hip-hop.

HHT is not about achieving perfection in art but about offering individuals the freedom to express themselves openly and without judgment. This raw, unfiltered engagement allows participants to confront their emotions and articulate their struggles in ways that may have eluded them in traditional talk therapy.

Hip-Hop Therapy showcase 2023
Credit: Hip Hop Therapy/YouTube

How Hip-Hop Therapy Works

Since 2013, Hall has run the Hip-Hop Therapy Studio at Mott Haven Community High School in the South Bronx, the birthplace of hip-hop culture and one of the most economically disadvantaged areas in the country. The program provides students with access to a state-of-the-art recording studio equipped with beat-making gear, turntables and a soundproof booth. Participants write, record and perform original works, engaging in a therapeutic process that mirrors their cultural experiences and resonates with their identities.

This culturally reflective environment fosters trust, collaboration and a sense of community among students. By channeling their emotions into creative projects, they explore grief, trauma and resilience in a supportive setting. In some cases, the process surprises even the students themselves, uncovering talents and emotional depths they didn’t know they had. The fact that it’s mostly done in a group setting is also important.

According to book “The Body Keeps the Score” by Bessel van der Kolk, group activities are vital to healing from trauma because they provide a safe space for individuals to build trust, relearn healthy social interactions and feel a sense of belonging.

Hip-Hop has been therapeutic for artists and listeners for decades but HHT has taken that concept to a whole new level. It meets people where they’re at and coats the proverbial pill of therapy with layers of sugar. Hip-hop is more than just a way of life, it’s a lifeline.