“It’s Bare Rhymes getting us through these hard times.”

Rappers have always reflected on their realities.  The communities in which hip-hop emerges most intensely are those which have often confronted extensive personal and collective trauma.  Rap is a way of documenting life and expressing difficult thoughts:  organically using creativity to integrate trauma and transcend despair, and to make meaning of the systems which officially sanction the racial discrimination and economic marginalisation experienced by many in society.

Though hip-hop centres otherwise marginalised voices – black, young, poor, minority – the therapeutic possibilities of rapping are open to all: the inclusiveness of hip-hop stands in sharp contrast to the alienating and competitive tendencies of modern capitalist society more generally.

Rapping has innately therapeutic qualities: it provides a structure to express and contain problematic thoughts; an imperative to ‘keep it real’;  a model of hope that it is possible to ‘make something out of nothing’.

During Bare Rhymes programmes raps are co-constructed by facilitators and participants. Lived experiences –  identities, neighbourhoods, families, fears, routines, passions, vulnerabilities, institutions, comedies, tragedies, traumas, romances – are made into stories.

The process begins with a conversation around a theme, leading into a structured approach to create rap lyrics in response.  Sometimes participants write the entire piece on their own; sometimes it is a collaborative process between participants and facilitator;  sometimes the facilitator takes the participants’ words and ideas and puts them into the form of rap, checking after each line to ensure it authentically represents what they want to say.

The co-creation of raps mediates trauma-informed relationships. The shared process provides validation for the experiences and words of participants. It may help them to reflect upon their own narratives and situations, or to celebrate achievements and things that are important to them.  Or simply help them organise their thoughts.

The final tracks produced may also be a powerful source of inspiration and comfort to others – connecting to their experiences, stimulating curiosity and empathy, motivating them to action, or simply providing entertainment.

It is in this spirit that I share here pieces of writing and recordings from work in the last two decades. As I revisit these pieces – along with my memories of connecting and collaborating with the co-authors (and the authors of the many other stories which were told, but not captured) – it provides me with renewed inspiration and confidence in the power of rapping, and in the purpose of helping others to rap. I hope all those I have met along the way are continuing to find their own rhymes in the world.