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
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.