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A Jersey rapper who uses music to help with his mental health has shared the five lessons that lockdown taught him.
Earlier this year, Matt ‘B-Eazy’ Lebouc released his debut album 'Dedicated', which recently reached #3 on Amazon's UK Hip-Hop album chart.
Matt, who first got into music as a way of dealing with poor mental health and a battle with addiction, previously told Express about the ways in which his art has helped him to open up about his emotions and the personal struggles that he has faced.
He hopes that his music can dismantle the idea that men should 'power through' their struggles, saying that “Men find it very difficult to express themselves and open up when dealing with any kind of mental health issues. For me personally, I fell into that bracket… the easiest way of dealing with it was to write about it.”
Pictured: B-Eazy's album, Dedicated, is available to stream or buy on Amazon and Spotify now.
The rapper says that the recent lockdown has led him to reflect on life and given him a new appreciation for certain things, which he shared with Express...
1. Creativity shines brightest through dark times
During lockdown my creative output was at an all-time high! I managed to put together a number of different musical projects.
Pictured: Matt says that lockdown inspired a creative burst that has led to numerous musical projects and creations.
I've released some of them already but still have enough to keep my name out there well into 2021.
If it wasn't for my wife and my two daughters, I would have crumbled during lockdown.
Pictured: The support that Matt's family provided helped the rapper through the lockdown experience.
Trying to balance work and home life under one roof was difficult and they helped me get through it. I also saw the things they get up to whilst I'm at work which meant at lot to me.
Not being able to see people from outside my family was not easy.
Pictured: Matt struggled with the lack of social interaction during lockdown, which is usually a central feature of his job.
Being a performer and interacting with people all the time, it was difficult having to shelter away from the world.
But, as things have eased down, I've managed to meet with friends and even managed to get a cheeky gig in recently, which felt amazing!
As someone who deals with mental health issues, the lockdown, at times, caused me problems in that department.
Pictured: Lockdown provided Matt with the opportunity to address his mental health issues and deal with them head-on.
However, it was also a real chance to put my hands up and say, "I'm not ok," and in turn has helped me even further in my understanding of the illness and how best to control it.
Yes, it sucks, but when life hands you lemons you just make a killer lemonade!
No matter who you are, what your background is, how much money you've got, how big your house is... lockdown taught me that we are all the same and we were all affected by the pandemic.
Pictured: Matt believes that lockdown has affected the ways in which everybody views their lives now.
Some people have come out with a more refreshed attitude towards life and some, unfortunately, have come out even worse than when they went in. For me, personally, I look at things a little differently nowadays.
