Chicago Rapper G Herbo Talks Impact of Trauma With Gary Youth

About 70 kids in neon orange shirts eagerly awaited rapper G Herbo’s arrival at a youth center in Gary. When the “PTSD” lyricist appeared, the crowd erupted in cheers, with every phone out and aimed his way.

Herbo joined local activist Aaliyah Stewart on Thursday to discuss his mental health struggles from gun violence, how he channels trauma through his work, and how he navigates life after hardships.

“Everybody in this room has goals,” G Herbo told the kids. “You know what you want to do or where you want to be; you probably don’t know what it’s going to take to get there, but … that’s the start. If you can see it, obtain it, touch it, you can do it.”
During the hourlong event, Herbo — whose full name is Herbert Wright III — and Stewart connected over their past while stressing the importance of self-belief, vision, and faith in processing difficult circumstances.

Stewart, 23, founded the nonprofit I AM Them Foundation with the guiding principle of “transforming adversity into opportunity.” After losing her brothers to gun violence when she was 7 and 13, she wanted to help other young people in Gary with similar experiences achieve their full potential.

Nearly every kid in the center had been affected by gun violence, and Stewart believed they would benefit from hearing how someone they admired achieved success in spite of his background. 

Herbo has been transparent about his past, sharing that he’s been shot, lost friends and family members in shootings, and was arrested over gun charges. But he wasn’t always this open.

On the insistence of an attorney, he started therapy and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 2019, which inspired his 2020 album and hit single of the same name. Herbo said he wanted to use his platform to de-stigmatize receiving help for mental health issues and spread that awareness among his audience.

“I felt like it was just a time where I should speak out and just help anybody that was willing to listen,” he said.

To some, there remains a perception of rap glorifying violence. However, Herbo, who has experienced “both sides of the fence” — being a rapper and dealing with the effects of violence — sees the issue from a more nuanced perspective. He explained that a lack of outlets forces people to use whatever means they have to tell their stories, which often includes references to violence.

“Yes, people do rap … heavy on gun violence, but that’s the life that they live, and these labels … will put millions of dollars into you because you rap about negativity and they know it sells,” he said.

For him, the way to prevent violence is by pouring resources into communities such as Gary and those in his hometown of Chicago. Herbo applauded Stewart and her nonprofit for giving young people advocates and outlets to communicate both their dreams and their fears.

After the discussion, every kid in attendance was able to take pictures with the rapper, and Stewart said she hoped they left energized and understood that violence is preventable.

College students Mykera Jones and Jade Bailey took away a lot from the event, with Bailey learning new things about Herbo, while Jones felt comforted by the talk.

“I really enjoyed hearing about experiences that we all share, and I did not feel so alone after today,” Jones said.

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