Logic clip:

“I’ve been on the low. Ive been taking my time. I feel like im outta my mind. It feels like my life ain’t mine. Who can relate.” 

News Clip:

“A graphic, traumatizing suicide video circulating on social media tonight”

News clip 2:

“14 year old teenage committed suicide after after the release of an embarrassing video.”

News Clip 3:

“Since the year 2000, the suicide rate for teens is up 28% with an average of 5 deaths a day. Suicide rate for girls and young women ages 15 to 19 has reached a 40 year high.”

RIDINGS (Narrator):

Im Matt Ridings, and you’re listening to the “1-800’273-8255” Podcast where ill be talking about the song “1-800-273-8255” or “1-800” for short”. Songs have so many different powerful messages and even further messages hidden inside of the bigger picture. What would a song like that sound like? Try 1-800-273-8255 by rapper Logic from his 2017 album “Everybody”. This track in particular

deals with the stress of adolescent and ultimately suicidal thoughts and actions. “1-800-273-8255” uncoincidentally is also the number for the national suicide hotline. After the release of the song the hotline, received the second most calls on record. Only to be shattered a few weeks later by Logic’s VMA performance of the song.

Logic clip:

“I don’t wanna be alive. I don’t wanna be alive. I just wanna die today. I just wanna die.”

RIDINGS (narrator):

 Logic’s album “Everybody” received big attention after its release as it sat on the number 1 listened to album of the year for a week straight and ending the year with “1-800” landing 31st on the most played songs of the year. Success was only a secondary concern for the rapper at the time as he was more focused on spreading the socially conscious messages he put forth on the album. As seen on interviews, talk shows and his appearance performances of “1-800-273-8255” at the 2017 Grammys and VMA’s. The message came first for logic.

Logic Clip VMA’s performance:

RIDINGS (narrator):

Like so many people in this country, or more justly this world we all go through periods of self doubt, self hate, and overall weakness of self. But it’s moments like these where people band together to try and make change, try and show someone listening out on their tvs it’s not their fault or heres 100 plus other people going through the same things. Seeing this performance live in 2018, and seeing all these people who have somehow been afflicted by suicide personally, I don’t know but was just so powerful, like the personification of you are not alone.

Logic Clip:

RIDINGS (narrator):

I mean I personally have never heard of an artist before going straight to peoples home to interact with fans. To their homes! Spend time getting to know people, and intentionally going to people’s homes. Logic is one of those celebrities that to me never really seemed like a typical celebrity, he openly talks about his own internal dilemmas and the shit that he goes through. He’s actively going the extra mile to talk about the things society doesn’t talk about. 

I don’t know with the rates that teen and adolescent suicide attempts are rising at is just astonishing. Suicide is the second leading cause of death of people ages 15-24, the second leading cause. More teens are dying from social pressures and their own fears than from cancer, stds, birth defects, heart diseases. 

And for someone to actively go  the extra mile to put their message out there is such an uplifting thing to see really. I feel like time and time again we see these artists trying to put out socially conscious messages to the masses but end up just kinda letting it float there. Nothing really comes about from just releasing a song. I feel like you have to follow up on that and strike while the iron is hot. Or else with our 24 hour news cycle, after a few hours or a few days maybe you last a few weeks hopefully, but after your window is closed. The people are on to the next big thing they are hearing about on the news that night. SO to see him actively push the message on the album, push the message in through performances and speeches, working with the national suicide  prevention hotline, going to peoples houses, it makes a difference it really does.

Logic 1-800 plays in full:

Full list of clips used In order: