OG Cuicide Talks Suicide, Social Media, and 20 Years of Hip-Hop

In 2016, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that Orange County had the highest rise in suicides of any major U.S. counties with a rate of almost 47%. While ignored by the general public, suicide has quickly become the second leading cause of death between the ages of 15 to 24 with reports of an average of one person dies by suicide every two hours in California. Longtime Suicide Activist OG Cuicide credits the spike in deaths to the rise of Social Media.

"Suicide is at an all-time high and a big part of it is social media," Cuicide says. "Not only is our youth, our generation of today, are being bullied in school more now than any time frame in history and then they're being bullied in the Cyber World. The world's dearest people are being bullied on the internet and people don't care what's going on."

The Compton-based rapper born Darnell Price has built an ongoing 20-year music career on addressing the seriousness of suicidal depression to the community thanks to his second chance at life as a suicide survivor himself. To-date, OG Cuicide continues to use his music to promote the cause, for example, promoting the social awareness of the leading cause of death in the powerful new music video, entitled, "Tragedy".

In the video directed by Angelo Deprater, OG walks us through the painful reality of what goes on in the mind of a suicide victim. As a known suicide survivor, the video and song hit very close to home for the recording artist. The visual also features up-and-coming Los Angeles singer Apryl Paige. Watch "Tragedy" music video below, courtesy of Vevo.

"My whole purpose of "Tragedy" is to show no matter what goes on in life around you. You can't stop living life, never give up. In the video, a guy contemplated suicide and is on his way up to the top of the building to jump off. When he gets to the top, as he looks down at the crowd, that's looking up at him with their phones out and recording shows an example of the social media life we live. but he started thinking about the good things in life and walks away from the ledge and continue on with his life that got better because he never gave up."

OC Weekly first covered OG Cuicide's story of survival originally in November 2013. He became a suicide activist shortly after recovering from his own suicide attempt 21-years-ago in December 1991. Cuicide discussed his road to redemption with OC Weekly back in 2013 and like "Tragedy", has openly spoken on the painful reality of contemplating suicide in his music with bodies of work like, "Medicated Motivated", "Life Iz".

As an activist, OG Cuicide routinely does public speaking events and open forums promoting suicide prevention throughout the community. He also provides his personal number, available to call anytime, to anyone in distress for someone to speak with and offer up the motivation to stay strong and never give up hope. OG Cuicicde recalls speaking with a therapist himself and how helpful it is.

"I used to see a therapist. We would sit and talk, I would explain my life, she writes it down in the book," Cuicide says. "Now my therapy is being a therapist for any and everyone I can, that cures me. Just knowing my past life and advice can inspire someone to want to continue on in life that is all the therapy I need."

Cuicide credits his ability to create music as a major stress reliever for depression. Being able to allow yourself to be creative and encourages others to use their creativity as an outlet rather it involves music or other avenues to uplift themselves.

"It's all about the music and creativity of the music. If the music you are listening to resembles violence," he says. "Then it's going to make you violent. If the music is music that uplifts you and inspires you, then that type of music will give positive energy and positive energy relieves depression. So best believe music plays a part in the moods of how people are feeling."

"Tragedy" is slated to be featured on OG Cuicide forthcoming new album, OGs are Forever, slated for an end of June release under CG Records.

"I put my heart into it and spent three years recording," Cuicide says. "Every song, every track, and every word is well structured and it speaks for itself. O.G.s, we're not going anywhere and we pave the way for the ones that came after us."

After watching the new music video, feel free to watch the behind-the-scenes interview with OG Cuicide on the making of the inspirational new video in the YouTube link below.

After 20-years in hip-hop, it would be questioned whether the OG is content with his contribution to the never-ending movement. He says its made him even more eager to crusade on and continue to promote the message through his music.

"More eager now then I was 20 years ago," he says. "Back then, I was still in the streets, I was still a part of the streets, and I was still in the street life activity. So I thought a different way than I think now. Now I have a desire to show people how I made it through the struggle how I succeeded after my suicide attempt."