Over the years, discussions of mental health have become increasingly common in hip hop music. Artists have become more comfortable expressing vulnerabilities without feeling it detracts from their sound or image. Rising memphis rapper NLE Choppa just expressed his goal of using his platform to speak on these issues and make his struggling fans feel less alone. 

In a heartbreaking series of tweets on Saturday (Mar. 7), NLE Choppa opened up about how he suffers from depression, which he largely attributes to the trauma he has been exposed throughout his brief 17 years. After revealing that he has trouble sleeping due to things he’s seen, he wrote, “I just wanna be understood it’s hard tho I got problems.” He will do his best to make his fans feel understood in their struggles by offering a song on his next album that validates low points. “Everybody go through depression I suffer from that I think in the blacc community that shit ignored… on my album i got a song for everybody who suffer from bipolar depression, mental health issues man anything I hope it touch u, let u know u not alone I’m with you.”

He then went on to explain how it’s hard for him to get candid about his struggles because people doubt his tough upbringing. “And fore all you pussy ass n****s steady speaking on me ‘he from the burbs’ BITCH IM FROM 3687 COTTONWOOD My momma still doing taxes out that bitch til this day u need yo taxes done hit ma deuce my baby pics inner too she lost customers being my manager sorry momma.” 

Choppa jokes that he’s even willing to undergo a lie detector test to prove that he’s been through a lot. “Y’all don’t know me mentally I’m throwed I’m only 17 and done seen trauma and I done did trauma to others. They quicc To say choppa ain’t this chop ain’t that next tattoo session I’m getting a lie detector test we gone see do I rap cap or not.”

Later in the day, the rapper provided a reassuring message that he has to “protect [his] happiness” for . Read all the referenced tweets below.