“One good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain” were the wise words sang by Bob Marley in his 1975 hit single Trenchtown Rock. Well, the reggae legend had obviously never gotten trapped in a room with stereo speakers blasting death metal on loop before. But that’s beside the point. Music heals, and it’s a form of medication we can’t live without.
It is this novel approach that the UROK Foundation is banking on for its philanthropic cause. Founded by former NYLON chief-in-commander Marvin Scott Jarrett, and not to be confused with Project UROK, another charity initiative with a similar name, the UROK Foundation is all about raising mental health awareness through music and the arts.
Here’s the man who’s starting it all:
“This cause is very personal and important to me. I have experienced my own issues with depression and music has always helped me. I have a lot of relationships in the music industry, and my goal was to bring artists together to create music and concerts. Using that, we can help to destigmatize the attitudes surrounding mental health”, said Scott Jarrett.
And boy, the UROK Foundation is indeed big on music. So big, there have already been collaborations lined up on Apple Music and Spotify even before the foundation’s website has officially been launched. You can check out the EP below, which features the likes of Grammy award-winning rapper Sirah, singer-songwriter O’Neill Hudson, and Marvin’s band Visitor.
If you’d like to contribute to the cause, all you’ve got to do is spare a bit of cash and purchase the EP on iTunes. All proceeds will go to the UROK Foundation. More than that, you’ll also be raising awareness for a societal issue that has been ignored for far too long, while listening to great music at the same time. At the very least, you’ll help an upcoming charity initiative make its mark on the world.
What’s there to lose?
To purchase the UROK EP, visit itunes.apple.com.
Images: UROK Foundation
