British-Asian rapper Hyphen, opens up about his mental health and turns pain into positivity on his new EP ‘Smiles In A Storm’.
Since leaving his corporate job to pursue a career in rap, Hyphen has passionately used his voice to speak out about matters close to his heart. Having lost two friends to suicide, as well as being suicidal himself, he uses his music to help those who are yet to find their reason for optimism. On ‘Be Proud’ he radiates positivity, combining a dancefloor-ready beat with vibrant flutes whilst crooning, “We made it out, light shines through dark clouds, young us would be proud.” Although a heavy subject matter, the EP acts as a sonic reminder that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.
Hyphen explains, “To me, it’s a fact that so much of the world is incomprehensibly terrible. But despite what’s happened in my life, I’m now genuinely happy. There are pockets of optimism, in everything I try to do, whether that’s with my music or the work I do in the mental health space.”
Hyphen’s heritage plays a huge role in his music. In 2020 he was tipped as ‘The Future Of British Asian Hip Hop’ by BBC Asian Network and his social media freestyle about his experience of racism and the lack of representation in music was cosigned by both Yungblud and Jay Sean. He has been featured in The Evening Standard, performed at Reading & Leeds and has secured support from The Chillest Show on BBC Radio 1. Previous singles have also received editorial support from Spotify including New Music Friday.
Away from music, the rapper aims to positively impact his community by speaking at schools across the UK about his struggles, which have been covered by BBC News, and he is also a mental health representative for Formula E.
