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DJ Envy
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Shanti Das
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Angela Yee
Wake that ass up early in the morning. The Breakfast Club.
DJ Envy
Morning everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious Charlamagne the guy we are the Breakfast Club. It is mental health awareness month and it is what we do each and every May, May 5th to be exact. Silence the shame day. And we have a very special guest, Shanti Das.
Shanti Das
Welcome back, Shanti.
Just Hilarious
How are you, boo?
DJ Envy
How you feeling?
Shanti Das
I'm feeling good actually. So 10 years ago I almost took my own life. Well, it'll be 10 years in September. So this is like my year of rebirth. That's what I'm calling it. And I'm in such a good place.
DJ Envy
Amen.
Shanti Das
And space. And I have really accepted being like this mental health advocate and doing this work and not being stressed about going back in the music industry. Even though I'm still proud of my boys like Outkast, I'm going To be inducted into the hall of Fame. And so it's just. It's good. I'm feeling really good, so thanks for asking.
Angela Yee
Before we get into silence, the shame day, and Mental health Awareness Month, I do want to ask you, what does outkast being inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of Fame mean to you? Because you was there from day one.
Shanti Das
It means everything.
Angela Yee
Day zero, actually.
Shanti Das
Yeah. Play as well was the first record I ever worked. And so shout out to Andre Big, the late Rico A organized noise. It's like the holy grail, right, of music. And so they finally achieved that. And I couldn't be more proud and just to have been there passing out, like, cassettes, doing freaknik and, you know, the southern playlistic cooking.
DJ Envy
Were you on the documentary, the free knit documentary? You was on there, right?
Angela Yee
Yeah.
DJ Envy
I did see you on there when they were talking about you were giving out, you had to go there, give out.
Shanti Das
And today, it's crazy. Like, whenever I see Too Short, he was like, yo, you gave me that cassette and was like, yo, check out my new group, Outkast. They're gonna be dope, and we laugh about it all the time.
Angela Yee
Did you know that outkast would become the global iconic superstars that they became?
Shanti Das
I mean, you never know, right? But I had the O on my chest, right? Right. The L on my chest. LaFace Outkast. And I just was really committed and dedicated because I knew that the A was gonna support them. It was a different sound. And like, you know, in Atlanta, we grew up supporting east coast rap, west coast rap, but we didn't really have our own. Even though we had people like Shaadee, they hadn't really received national attention. Right. And we will always wear, like, Dodgers hats or Yankees hats, But finally, we could wear, like, the Falcons, you know, logo gear and the brae gear, because big boy Andre made that cool. And they really brought, like, Atlanta to the. Like, Usher's doing now, his tour, right. He bringing the aid to the world. But outkast set that up initially and really transform hip hop.
Angela Yee
Absolutely.
Shanti Das
Now, I know they transformed southern hip hop, but look at, like, a lot of the artists that are still influential. They're still from the South. And so to have been at the forefront of that and been right there with them, like, I can't explain it. Like, it kind of solidified even just me and my journey and what I've been able to contribute to the music culture.
Angela Yee
Outkast is arguably the greatest hip hop group of all time, and one of the greatest Groups, period in music of all time. 100%. Yeah.
Shanti Das
100%. Yep.
DJ Envy
You know, so when you started the show, you were talking about your rebirth, right? You thought about committing suicide 10 years ago. Now with this day and age, what do you tell somebody that's possibly thinking the same thing? You know, it's stressful. You know, they looking at the price of everything going up. It's hard to get a job. They're looking at politics and they might feel left out. They might feel like there's no place for them. So what do you tell that person? Especially in this social media world where nobody wants to be your friend and it's a very evil place, what do you tell that person?
Shanti Das
That individual, first of all, it's like honor your feelings. If you're not feeling good, you gotta acknowledge that, right? I coined this new little acronym, rap. Rapping through your problems. The R is being able to recognize those unfamiliar feelings. The A in rap is acknowledging and accepting right that some ain't right. I don't feel like myself. And the P is being able to process through, through those feelings with a licensed professional counselor or someone you know, that can actually help you. Even if you call your pcp, your primary doctor, say, I'm not feeling like myself. So you got to be able to recognize, accept and acknowledge those feelings and understand that you got to protect your peace at all costs. You got to be unapologetic right now more so than ever because like you said, like, we're getting hit in a lot of different directions and people be like, oh yeah, we all in this together. Not really. We might be in the same storm, but we ain't in the same boat.
Angela Yee
That's real, right?
Shanti Das
And whether it's socioeconomic factors, lack of access to care, like, it's not the same. And we can't pretend that it's the same. And I know we have people that, you know, want to help and do more, but you gotta dig deep inside yourself. Because even when I was going through my suicidal ideation, I had to dig into my faith and my spirituality and I had to also talk to people, people and let people in. So that's truly important. And then I tell people, you got to remove things that aren't serving you anymore. You can't just be a people pleaser, like let go of the scrolling, the doom scrolling and all of that and really focus and be present with yourself. And sometimes therapy isn't for everyone, but doing like sound baths or getting out walking, immersing yourself in nature, like all of that really matters. And, like, for me now, if I'm not feeling good, because I still go through my moments, yeah, I'll just get up and go outside and take a walk or I'll tell people, like, hey, I need a minute, and it's okay. That's your time. That's your mind, that's your body, that's your spirit. So you got to really take ownership of your mental health and wellness, because every day, y'all is something different. Like, I'm like, am I in a movie? Like, did I get scripted into something I didn't sign up for? Because it's really scary. And then even seeing yesterday, I know you can't believe everything you see on social media, but I try to go to reputable outlets, right? Like the Breakfast Club. But I saw on one of the other outlets that the federal government is considering, like, canceling $1 billion of funding for mental health for students, being able to provide additional counselors and that sort of thing in school systems across the nation. And that's really scary. And we know how mental health is affecting young kids because of this little thing right here.
Angela Yee
That's right.
Shanti Das
Right. And I don't just only blame. I don't only blame social media, but it's a lot of pressure, and these kids need the support. So, y'all, we gotta fight back and fight back in terms of protecting your peace, getting the help you need, reaching out to organizations like Silence of Shame. There's a super dope lady I met last week at the accelerator conference in Miami. Her name is Ashante, and she does a lot of healing. And so she just talked about the importance of, like, really immersing yourself in these healing practices with everything that's going on. Right? And so I'm recommitting myself, right? To whatever I'm doing is giving time for Shanti. If I gotta set an appointment at 3 o'clock during the day for Shanti to, like, step away and take a moment and breathe or get a massage or do something like, you just gotta do it, y'all.
DJ Envy
What do you advise for people to find their happy place, Right? So I realized, like, my biggest happy place is my family, right? I could cut off. I enjoy watching my daughters dance. I enjoy watching my son play soccer. I enjoy talking to the kids cooking. So I found my happy place, right? How do you tell somebody to find their happy place? How do you do that? Because it has to be a place where they just let go and release 100%.
Shanti Das
But think about some of the most joyful times And I know everybody's life wasn't the same, so let me start with that. Some people did not have a happy upbringing. And I'm sorry for that. Right, if that was your truth in your journey. But if you did have fun when you were growing up, go back to when you were like 8 years old.
DJ Envy
Like, what, you want me to play with Legos?
Shanti Das
Whatever.
DJ Envy
GI Joe's.
Angela Yee
No, but you know what, to that.
Shanti Das
Point, I mean, what do you enjoy? What did you used to do to make you happy?
Angela Yee
Playing outside. That's why I love grounding so much. I tell adults that all the time. Take your shoes off, especially now that it's warm. Take your shoes off, take your socks off. Go walk around barefoot in the grass. Just run around the yard.
Shanti Das
Ride your bike.
Angela Yee
Ride your bike. Like, think about how joyous you felt as a kid when you simply played outside.
Shanti Das
I was over at my cousin's house the other day and I started playing with the Rubik's Cube and I was like, yo, I forgot how much I love this. And it had me going for like an hour. But just find things that used to bring you joy.
DJ Envy
Get your Barbie doll, Jesse.
Just Hilarious
Period. Oh, I'm already happy and overjoyed. So I don't need to go to.
Shanti Das
You gotta find that inner child that is so important.
Just Hilarious
Yeah, I'm glad that you are actually like somebody that can speak up, who has gone through the whole thoughts of suicide and everything like that, because you had to be going through some real things. It's this guy on social media who is documenting like he's planning to take his own life, you know, and he's documenting every day. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's on social media. And one of my. One of my people who I fixed their mess on, just with the mess, they sent this person to me. And so he's just. Every day he's leading up, so he's going around, like, spending time, spending his last moments with his friends and his loved ones and stuff. And then nobody stepped in or nothing. He's not telling them. He's not telling everybody what he's doing. But I'm like, how? Nobody's seeing. Because he's online. He documents this. He doesn't delete it. His lives and stuff, he posts them, right? And so he's going to dinner with his people, just talking about life, going around the world, talking to strangers about life and things like that. And then just last week, like, he went on this date, you know, with a guy or whatever. Then, you know, like, he had sex with the guy and everything. And, and he got online to say how great it was. So he's just doing things that like.
Shanti Das
He thinks will bring him joy.
Just Hilarious
Right. Like before he go. And then like he was on Live Happy just like a couple days ago. And I'm like, so are you doing this for, you know, the clout and some dick or you just, you know what I'm saying? Are you. You know what I mean?
Angela Yee
The dick might have gave him something.
Just Hilarious
To listen, but it's. Well, in that case, for real. But this is like his, he's like 30 days countdown and it's like he got like nine days left.
Shanti Das
I hope that someone is intervening.
Just Hilarious
Yeah.
Shanti Das
Because if it's out there like that, then somebody in his family or his friend circle should be intervening and having him call 988, which is the national crisis life.
Just Hilarious
Yes.
Shanti Das
Super important.
Just Hilarious
And that's the thing.
Shanti Das
I'm not being judgmental, but we. I hope he knows that his life is important and that help is available if he really is truly hurting that bad.
Just Hilarious
That's what I'm saying.
Shanti Das
Because all he's doing is putting Band Aids over the situation and what's going on. Or these happy moments could just be Band Aids if he's really in crisis.
Just Hilarious
Put the phone down though. Like, how are you documenting something that is. So that's leading up to sound like.
Angela Yee
A cry for help to me.
Shanti Das
It tragic.
Angela Yee
I want to ask you this, Shanti, about suicide. Like sometimes I'm sure you're familiar with the Mel Robbins let them theory, right? Which is basically let people make their own choices, like whatever it is they want to do. So sometimes you hear adults complaining, you know, nothing is ever going right for them. They all, they always telling you, you know, about all the bad that's happening in their world. They talk to you about wanting to commit suicide and you strangely start to understand where they, where they, where they're coming from.
Shanti Das
Oh yeah.
Angela Yee
You know, and you realize encouraging them to, to get help isn't working. So do you just let those people make their own choices?
Shanti Das
Like, that's a, that's a really great question. It's a tough question. At the same time, you know, the thing about it, the reason why with Silence of Shame, we try to provide as many resources as possible, but you can't make someone do something right that they don't want to do. But you can try to be a positive influence in their lives. And so I've talked to people, you know, who have been contemplating and I've shared my story that's why I think storytelling is so important, and people have to speak up and share their stories around it. I don't think you just kind of, like, relinquish everything and let it go, but you try to be there for them and keep encouraging them as much as possible and putting resources in front of them and showing them how other people have survived. Because, you know, the last thing you want to do is kind of wash your hands of it, and then, you know, a week or two later, something happens.
Angela Yee
But then, yes, you're right. But then we also got to protect.
Shanti Das
Our piece, oh, 100%.
Angela Yee
So it's just like.
Shanti Das
So you do it to the extent. To your point that you are kind of protecting your piece. Because, again, you know, people have choices, right? God. God gave man and woman choice, so you can only do so much. But. And then, you know, our faith comes into play. You know, I'm a woman of faith, and so I'll continue to pray for that person. So, yeah, do what you can as much as possible. Put the resources in front of them, and, you know, let's hope and pray for the best. But a lot of times when people are in crisis, they don't know how to get the help, right? Or they need somebody to say, hey, I'll go to the doctor with you, or I'll. I'll help y'all walk with you through this process. And you can only do what you can do.
Angela Yee
And you were right. So Trump administration did discontinue $1 billion in school mental health grants. And the grant supported hiring school psychologists and counselors. And it was funded by bipartisan legislation that was passed after the 2022 massacre at. You. You. What is it? Uvalde. Uvalde, Texas.
Shanti Das
Yeah. Cause, see, a lot of schools, sometimes they might have one counselor for, like, 10 schools. And it's like, the number of kids that are in crisis, like, that's just not enough help and support. And sometimes they're not licensed professional counselors. They just may be social workers, which. Social workers are great. But oftentimes, if these kids need to. To learn how to get through the crisis that they're in, they need someone that's licensed. Right. And more of a professional counselor. So, you know, y'all gotta call your, you know, your legislators, you know, talk to your senators, talk to your congressmen and women. And, you know, we. We gotta push back on this because we need that funding. Right? We need to keep pouring into our kids.
Angela Yee
And I was gonna ask, do you.
DJ Envy
See the suicide rates going up and depression going up, or do you see a stabilizer? Do you see it coming down? With all the mental health talk and all the, you know, platforms and places where people have to go now, what do you see?
Shanti Das
So from what I think the last study that I saw was, like, from 2021 or either 2022, and suicide rates, particularly for Black youth, were up 30%. You know, a lot of those studies, they. They don't happen every single year. Right. Those large pool of research studies. But there has been an intake. I mean, an uptick, rather, even just two weeks ago. There was a young man in Atlanta who happens to have gone to prom two years ago. And then some of my other friends, cousins, knew him. He took his own life. You know, so I still see. I'm still getting texts and comments about these young people, like, taking their own lives. And so it's still prevalent.
DJ Envy
Are they blaming it on social media? Is that what they're saying it is, or they're saying lack of resources in the school? Like, what are they saying? The reason is, I'm always curious because I just feel like, you know, when we were growing up, we were just as bad, but we just didn't have that social media element where people were constantly going at us.
Angela Yee
I don't think we had the language, nor do I think we had the safe spaces to even express those issues. Like, my dad was dealing with all types of mental health issues that he never talked to me about until I was, like, 40, 40 years old.
Shanti Das
And we didn't know how to name it or what to call it either. Right.
DJ Envy
But even with all that, it's getting worse. It feels like it should be getting better now that your dad could talk and that I can talk and be open and Jess could talk. But I feel like it should be getting better, but it doesn't seem like it is.
Shanti Das
Well, you know, I don't know if I can pinpoint it on one particular thing, envy. But I do think it is still a lack of resources in some areas because it's still in underserved communities. People know about it, but they aren't taking that next step. That's why I'm proud. I have an announcement. So we created this PSA campaign, and it was around black men's mental health, and it was called Healing the Spaces Between Us. And so it was a grandfather, a father, and a son. And we just got nominated for a Southeast Emmy, y'all.
Just Hilarious
Oh, nice.
Shanti Das
Congratulations. So shout out to Megan Shorjo Pringle, who is our creative director in Oak Films, who Put it together. But, you know, we're really trying to push that narrative, especially to, you know, young black men and their grandparents and their fathers. Y'all get together and talk about it. Nothing to be ashamed about, but you gotta put your cars out on the table and talk about it.
Angela Yee
And yesterday in Atlanta. Well, not yesterday. Last week was Black Children's Mental Health day, right?
Shanti Das
Yep.
Angela Yee
Yes.
Shanti Das
So two years ago, Senator Anderson in state of Georgia wrote a resolution designating May 1 as Black Children's Mental Health Day in Georgia on behalf of silence of shame. We'd love to do that in New York. So maybe we could partner with the Mental Wealth Alliance.
Angela Yee
Let's do it.
Shanti Das
And designate May 1st in New York State. Because, again, we're trying to just bring awareness to the problems that's going on. So we can try to, you know, cut off those. The numbers. Right. That keep increasing for suicides among black people. Absolutely.
Angela Yee
And, you know, this is Mental Health Awareness Month, and there's always a lot of focus on raising awareness. Right. But how do we move past just awareness and start, like, action steps for actual healing?
Shanti Das
Again, I think, you know, you got to meet people where they're at. Again, you talked about the uncertain times, like part of our. We have a mental health toolkit on silence, ashamed.com. a number of things that you can do to honor the month and to push resources out to the community. So one of the areas we're focusing on is fire and rescue, because, you know, we've seen all these natural disasters and things happening in the world. So we're pushing out resources that are targeted, you know, to the firefighters and to people that are out there on the front lines. Also, we did a toolkit for the federal workers. Right. A lot of people that have been let go. I think maybe half of the people that got let go were due to the cuts within this administration. And so we want to talk directly to those that are suffering from a federal employee perspective, letting them know to establish a routine. Even though you got let go, get your daily routine going, even if it's like looking for that next job, like, establish a routine so you can protect your peace and practice mindfulness and reach out if you need support. So we're trying to target specific subgroups and people within the community. And so you just gotta. You gotta be forceful in a way about it so that we are unapologetic about healing and getting help that we need, but looking at specific groups of people, because we can all say, we're all in this together. Mental health is important. We know we got to take care of it, but when you talk directly at a specific group of people, I think that's when you start moving the needle and getting people to listen.
Angela Yee
Absolutely.
DJ Envy
Well, how can people, if they want to tap in and they want to hear or more information or they want to help, how can they get involved?
Shanti Das
First of all, Visit our website, silenceashame.com Again, today is national Silence of Shame Day, and we have a campaign. It's May 5th. We just want people to get $5, you know, $5. I will say if it's too difficult for you, please save your money, pay your rent. You do whatever you got to do. But if you can spare $5 or more, you can text the word silence. 707-070. Also understand that 988 is a free resources out there. We recently partnered with the city of Atlanta, Shout out to Mayor Dickens and Courtney English, who came together with us, and we're pushing 988 out to everybody that's in, you know, the city of Atlanta and beyond. And, you know, just really trying to make sure that we're pushing as many resources to the community as possible. So please support us. Y'all talk about it. Don't just, you know, if you're a young person and you listen to the Breakfast Club and you are, you know, going through something with a friend, talk about it. Don't just, like, throw some foul stuff on social media about that person. You know, be the bigger person. You know, be unapologetic about healing and letting go the things that don't serve you anymore.
DJ Envy
All right?
Angela Yee
Absolutely. And one more question, Shanti. There's nobody that protects their Peace more than Andre 3000. Do you think he's even going to come to the Rock and Roll hall of Fame?
DJ Envy
What's the under over ceremony? I say he going to be there.
Shanti Das
I think he's coming. I will say I called both Big and Dre after, you know, the announcement came out, and Andre, both of them were so. Dre was really excited. Okay, so we gonna. We gonna keep hope alive.
DJ Envy
Ashanti Dallas. Ladies and gentlemen, today is Silence the Shame Day, Mental Health Awareness Month, of course. And we appreciate you for joining us.
Shanti Das
Thank y'all.
DJ Envy
It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning.
Angela Yee
Wake that ass up early in the morning. The Breakfast Club.
Shanti Das
Time is precious, and so are our pets. So time with our pets is extra precious. That's why we started Dutch. Dutch provides 24. 7 access to licensed vets with unlimited virtual visits and follow ups for up to five pets you can message a vet at any time and schedule a video visit the same day. Our vets can even prescribe medication for many ailments and shipping is always free. With Dutch, you'll get more time with your pets and year round peace of mind when it comes to their vet care.
Podcast Title: The Breakfast Club
Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts
Episode: INTERVIEW: Shanti Das On Mental Health Education, Finding Your 'Happy' Place, Outkast's Cultural Impact + More🦋
Release Date: May 5, 2025
The episode kicks off with DJ Envy welcoming listeners and highlighting that May is Mental Health Awareness Month, specifically designating May 5th as "Silence the Shame Day." The hosts—DJ Envy, Just Hilarious, and Angela Yee—introduce Shanti Das as the special guest, setting the stage for a deep dive into mental health topics and cultural discussions.
Notable Quote:
Shanti Das shares her poignant personal story, revealing that ten years ago she contemplated taking her own life. This year marks her "year of rebirth," a period of healing and acceptance as a mental health advocate. She expresses pride in her journey and her contributions to the music industry, particularly her association with the legendary group Outkast.
Notable Quotes:
The conversation shifts to the cultural impact of Outkast's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Shanti Das reminisces about her early days with the group, emphasizing their role in transforming Southern hip-hop and elevating Atlanta's music scene to global prominence.
Notable Quotes:
DJ Envy engages Shanti Das in a critical discussion about mental health, particularly focusing on suicidal thoughts and the stressors of modern life. Shanti introduces the acronym R.A.P. (Recognize, Accept, Process) as a framework for individuals to honor and address their feelings.
Notable Quotes:
The hosts and Shanti Das explore the detrimental effects of social media on mental health, discussing cases where individuals document their suicidal intentions online. Shanti emphasizes the importance of intervention and the role of friends and family in encouraging those in crisis to seek professional help.
Notable Quotes:
Shanti Das shares alarming statistics indicating a 30% increase in suicide rates among Black youth as of studies from 2021 and 2022. She recounts personal anecdotes of losing young lives to suicide, highlighting the urgent need for increased mental health resources and support systems.
Notable Quotes:
Shanti announces her organization's new PSA campaign titled "Healing the Spaces Between Us," focused on Black men's mental health. The campaign, which features generational dialogue between a grandfather, father, and son, has been nominated for a Southeast Emmy, underscoring its impact and importance.
Notable Quotes:
Building on her advocacy, Shanti discusses efforts to designate May 1st as Black Children's Mental Health Day in New York State. This initiative aims to raise awareness and provide targeted support for young Black children facing mental health challenges.
Notable Quotes:
Shanti outlines actionable steps beyond raising awareness, including the development of mental health toolkits tailored to specific communities such as firefighters, federal workers, and those affected by recent administrative cuts to mental health funding. She stresses the importance of meeting people where they are and providing practical resources to facilitate healing.
Notable Quotes:
In the concluding segments, Shanti Das provides listeners with ways to support her initiatives and access mental health resources. She emphasizes the significance of the 988 crisis hotline and encourages community engagement through donations and spreading awareness.
Notable Quotes:
The episode wraps up with light-hearted banter about Andre 3000's potential attendance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, symbolizing hope and continued legacy. DJ Envy reiterates the importance of Mental Health Awareness Month, thanking Shanti Das for her impactful contributions.
Notable Quotes:
This episode of The Breakfast Club offers a profound exploration of mental health, particularly within the Black community, intertwined with cultural reflections on Outkast's legacy. Shanti Das's candid conversation provides valuable insights, actionable steps, and a hopeful outlook for ongoing mental health advocacy and support.
Resources Mentioned:
Note: The timestamps referenced correspond to the provided transcript and serve to anchor the notable quotes within the conversation.