Aylesbury rapper launches new project chronicling mental health and suicide experiences

A hip hop artist from Aylesbury has a new album out today (October 29), it chronicles his experiences with mental health and suicide.

Matty Lloyd from Aylesbury, has released 'Episode One' an album exploring mental health tragedies and suicide.

The album focuses on vulnerabilities and topics which are often taboo within the hip hop industry.

Episode One is produced by a DJ and rapper who has worked with Wretch 32 and Skepta in the past.

Matty discussed his motivation for making the album, he said: "I approached Nutty P to do a song commemorating the 10th anniversary of my brother committing suicide.

"It wasn’t a tribute song as I’d also lost another of my brothers to suicide in 2013, it was more to speak on the aftermath of going through that situation and how those around you act when dealing with it face to face.

"I went back to Nutty as we discussed making a full project, and he agreed. I didn’t know exactly what direction I wanted to go in, I just wanted to make a solid rap project."

As well as touching on personal tragedy the album also takes aim at the hip hop industry and details Matty's gripes with the music world.

Matty said: "The first song he put to me was 'Psycho'. He’d laid the hook and as I’d had some experience with battle rap, he said he wanted me to be a little bit braggadocio, so I aimed it at the industry and how they only push one narrative… it is a tongue-in cheek-song littered with elements of truth.

"We touch on numerous topics throughout, some being extremely serious and others just generally taking the piss.

"Me and Nutty P were introduced in 2006 and over the years we have been able to develop a friendship. We’re not too different when it comes to what we’re influenced by, so making beats tailored specifically to me wasn’t hard at all.

"On the tracks he’s featured on he’s just as open & personal and almost as ridiculous as me. We just had fun with it. There was no feeling of being competitive, trying to get one up on the other or trying to fit into whatever is deemed relevant by industry standards. They don’t make the music, we do!"

Episode One is available to stream on SoundCloud now.