Overview

Using Hip Hop as a Catalyst

There are many misconceptions about Hip Hop. Many believe it breeds violent, misogynistic and materialistic values among today’s youth. But there are those that use Hip Hop as a tool for transformation. Based in Oakland, California, Beats Rhymes and Life, also known as BRL, grew in response to a critical need for more youth-centered, strength-based, culturally responsive therapeutic programs for youth of color – which experience some of the most troubling mental health outcomes.

In 2004, a social worker and BRL Founder Tomás Alvarez III, conceived an innovative Rap Therapy model that used the process of creating rap music to engage troubled teens in mental health services with the help of community artists. Tomás sought to create a therapeutic program that was grounded in the lives and worldview of the youth he was working with. The result was promising, youth in Tomás’ pilot Rap Therapy group reported tremendous gains in the areas of self-esteem, emotional regulation, and self-efficacy. Over the years, BRL has grown from a single Hip Hop Therapy program, into a community-based non-profit 501c3 organization comprised of social workers, artists, educators, activists, therapists, community members and youth – all dedicated to improving mental health and social outcomes among youth and young adults of color.

In 2011, Beats Rhymes and Life became the first Hip Hop-based organization to operate Rap Therapy programs in multiple cities. With programs in Oakland, San Francisco, and South Bronx (New York); Beats Rhymes and Life is blazing a trail, demonstrating what is possible when community-idetified strategies are used to promote individual and community wellness.

A New Era In Social Work

BRL represents a paradigm shift in how mental health services are designed and offered to Transitional Age Youth (youth age 16-24) in urban settings. BRL partners with youth to build a movement towards sustainable change. Our programs strive to foster resiliency, hope and connection. BRL aims to create culturally congruent opportunities for youth to identify and build upon their strengths, develop useful skills and become agents of change in their community and beyond. Over the last seven years, our efforts have inspired people all over the world to consider and use Hip Hop as a catalyst for healing, community change and youth development.