“The Breakfast Club” host Charlamagne tha God praised Jay-Z on Monday for speaking out about mental health, but said the rapper needs to do more when it comes to addressing the issue.
“Not enough — not to me,” Charlamagne told “Rising” Hill.TV correspondent Jamal Simmons in response to how Jay-Z has addressed mental health, opening up about going to therapy himself.
“I want Jay to talk about it more, cause’ especially with him and B — Beyoncé — because after ‘Lemonade’ and the ‘4:44’ like we know that Jay cheated and they got back together but I think it’s good to show that process,” he added.
Still, Charlamagne, whose real name is Lenard Larry McKelvey, praised Jay-Z and his efforts when it comes for advocating for mental health, citing the rapper’s interviews with The New York Times and his appearance on “The Van Jones Show.”
In an interview with the Times last November, the Grammy-award winning artist discussed his own positive experiences with going to see a therapist, saying he “grew so much from the experience.”
The 21-time Grammy Award winner also sat down with CNN’s Van Jones in January to address the stigma when it comes to mental health, particularly within the black community. Black Americans are 20 percent more likely to suffer from mental health issues than the general population, according to a 2017 report from Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health.
Charlamagne said the impact that therapy had on Ja- Z was immediately clear.
“Even in those interviews, I could tell he was being more vulnerable than usual – he’s always been somewhat transparent but then he’s always been kind of reserved for certain things,” the radio host told Hill.TV.
Charlamagne is currently promoting his latest book, “Shook One: Anxiety Playing Tricks on Me,” which provides steps on how to overcome fear and anxiety.
Even though the bestselling author has long discussed his personal struggles with anxiety, he says he never planned on writing a book about mental health, saying inspiration for the new book was organic.
“I never started this saying, ‘I’m going to write a book about mental health’ – all I was doing was talking about my experiences.”
— Tess Bonn
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