The Art of the Mental Breakdown
Ye’s artistically publicized mental health crisis
Ava McNarney, Fashion Staff Writer
Over the past decade, Atlanta-born and Chicago-raised rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has become a household name. Many revere him as a musical genius thanks to his catchy lyrics and mind-blowing use of samples. However, his music is certainly not his only garner of the world's attention.
The artist's recently published Netflix docu-series, "Jeen-yuhs", gives us a glimpse into Ye's incredibly public mental spiral of the past several years. From Twitter rants to unsuccessful presidential campaigns, the world has never been able to get enough of Ye. Despite this, he is probably not looking for fame in celebrity gossip websites' clickbait links (Ludy, 2020).
"Jeen-yuhs" is Ye's reminder to the world that he is an artistic genius and always has been, regardless of the toll his mental illness is taking on him. (Desta, 2022). Beyond its extremity, what is unique about the rapper's public mental decline is his choice of artistic expression.
In recent years, Ye has come out as having bipolar disorder and attempted to express his experiences with the illness through a range of creative endeavors (Berman, 2016). His eighth studio album, "Ye," is a glaring example; album art featuring the phrase "I Hate Being Bipolar, It's Awesome" explains itself. Ye's psychiatric state is much more than a label, despite what the public may think. The rapper has amassed tens of millions of fans through his unique creative expressions throughout the last decade.
As far as an uneducated public is concerned, Ye might define bipolar disorder. It may be easy for those with limited exposure to the illness to characterize it according to what they read in the media (e.g., all people with mental illnesses behave impulsively), especially when it concerns one of their favorite celebrities (Alptraum 2018).
Bipolar disorder is a mental illness with recognizable symptoms that news sources sensationalize for the public's entertainment in a world of tabloids and social media. Realistically, these symptoms lead to challenging and unique life experiences for each individual. The mental illness is far from the tokenized idea that pop culture maintains, which is a filter that completely changes our view of his art (Berman and Boguski, 2020).
Saying Ye's musical work is "acclaimed" is an understatement. When we can ignore stigmas perpetuated by the media, we worship him. Last year, the rapper took home his 22nd Grammy award ("Kanye West," n.d.). His genius may be related to a stereotype that science backs up with much more evidence than those surrounding his impulsivity.
Ye falls under the long-held trope of the "tortured artist," who produces their best work when in a state of suffering, such as a mental illness. The "tortured artist" idea has some scientific basis in connections between brain parts involved in manic depression and creativity. Still, it can be incredibly harmful to an artist, encouraging them to remain in despair in the hopes of cranking out a masterpiece.
Large record labels are not afraid to exploit artists by using the stereotype with selfish intent, "egging… on" artists with drugs and other vices to put out a new hit (Gee, 2021). The trope does have basal biological proof, yet it represents bipolar disorder in its double-sided nature. While it is scientifically accurate in its artistic ability, its perpetuation can be limiting. Many artists experience improved mental wellbeing and higher productivity levels after receiving help for their mental issues (Ross, 2016).
The way we look at Ye's status as an artist with bipolar disorder is a highly controversial issue, whether it comes to the mental illness's impact on his public presence or his music. It could be best to leave this judgment to those with firsthand experience. Kiana Fitzgerald, a DJ and Complex staff writer with bipolar disorder, refers to the illness as a "slightly damaged gift" and relates to his troubles (2018).
Although we cannot assume that Fitzgerald's acceptance of Ye's artistic expression represents the entire bipolar community, we can conclude that his artwork has the potential to change the way the world views his mental illness. Just like Fitzgerald, Ye wouldn't be Ye without his bipolar disorder. If he chooses to publicize this through his artwork, so be it—it is his illness.
Nonetheless, teams working with artists like Ye could have questionable motives. Netflix, the streaming service responsible for publishing "Jeen-yuhs," has a manipulative history (Schiffer, 2021). Major companies such as Netflix have a significant impact on the issue of mental illness in the media, and we must monitor them. Artists and especially their producing teams must respect the pressing responsibilities of this type of work. The impact the media has on overall societal wellbeing is enormous.
If this impact escalates further, is the artist at fault? Maybe, but it might not be intentional. In cases like Ye's, it's not everyone's turn to judge. Ye juggles his artistic prowess with a complicated personal life as an ex-husband and father. While he has responsibilities of political correctness as an influential artist, the decision of how to express his family issues is ultimately up to him.
It may be best for fans of Ye to replace judgments of these expressions with an understanding and respect of the complexity of his mental illness. His art thrives when we view it purely as art—detached from harmful stigmas.
Sources:
Alptraum, L. (2018, October 11). Kanye West and the damaging way we talk about celebrities and mental health. Vox.
Berman, M. and Boguski, M. (2020, July 15). Understanding Kanye West’s Bipolar Disorder. Medpage Today.
Desta, Y. (2022, March 2). Jeen-yuhs and the Depiction of Kanye West’s Mental Health Struggles. Vanity Fair.
Fitzgerald, K. (2018, June 3). Kanye’s Right: Being Bipolar Sucks, But It Can Be Awesome. Complex.
Gee, A. (2021, April 1). There Is Some Mental Health Care Support in the Music Industry, But Not Nearly Enough. Complex.
Ludy, Y. (2020, August 10). A Breakdown of Kanye’s Mental Breakdown. Study Breaks.
Marcadia, J. (2020, November 21). The Tortured Artist: Kanye West and Bipolar Disorder. The Talon.
Ross, M. (2016, December 1). Kanye West, mental illness and the myth of the tortured artist. The Mercury News.
Schiffer, Z. (2021, October 26). Netflix Scrambled Internally to Suppress a Controversial Movie From Search Results. The Verge.