North Bay rapper raising money for mental health supports through new song
A North Bay rapper is sharing his story of dealing with addiction and mental-health issues, while also releasing a new song aimed at supporting people who are facing similar issues.
Ryan Barager goes by his stage name, SixthSense. When Barager was growing up, he was in a dark place in an abusive household. As a teenager, he would often use drugs and alcohol to help with the pain.
“It was an escape from reality and an escape from what I feeling," he said.
At one point, he was on the verge of taking his life. What helped him get through his struggles was his passion for writing poetry and fiction stories to express his feelings. It was how he got into the music scene and found a love for rap music. He has been rapping for 14 years.
“It inspired me to push through it and it inspired me to never go back," said an emotional Barager.
Turned his life around
Barager has since turned his life around and has been clean for three years.
"I've gotten to see the growth in both his mental health and addiction recovery because he was able to use music as an outlet," said his girlfriend, Shae Tyers.
Barager now wants to be a beacon of light for others. His new single, called 'Suicide,' premiered Friday. The song is a story about his struggles growing up, highlighting that he’s not the only one going through tough times.
"If you just push through, you will love yourself in the end for it,” said Barager. “You can push past the drugs and alcohol abuse."
Barager plans to donate $1 for every 1,000 views on his YouTube video to local charities and non-profit organizations that support people dealing with mental health and substance abuse.
The organizations that would be receiving the money are Nipissing Mental Health Housing & Support Services, Community Counselling Centre of Nipissing and Amelia Rising Sexual Violence Support Centre
Tyers works at Amelia Rising and said the money will greatly benefit those in need.
"From working in non-profit organizations, it's going be so helpful in allowing them to continue to help them with their mental health and addiction recovery," she said.
Bararger said the COVID-19 pandemic has allowed alcohol and substance abuse to skyrocket in North Bay and that many people need access to help. He's encouraging those contemplating taking their life to seek professional help.
A link to the YouTube video can be found here. Viewer discretion is advised as there is some strong language in the song.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
'Tactical evacuations' underway near Fort Nelson, B.C., as wildfires encroach
The BC Wildfire Service says 'tactical evacuations' began Friday near Fort Nelson, B.C., due to an out-of-control wildfire that has grown rapidly since it was discovered earlier in the afternoon.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.