Content warning: This article on Misanthropik discusses mental illness and suicide.
Confined to a wheelchair, ridden with suicidal depression and substance abuse; meet Misanthropik, the Western Sydney rapper with a severe physical disability who overcame the odds to make an album alongside the likes of Fortay At Large and DJ Izm.
Born with a crippling neurological condition called Cerebral Palsy, Misanthropik (real name Justin Lampson) barely survived at birth. Unable to breathe, separated from his mother and rushed to an incubator, doctors were certain that Justin was to spend the rest of his life in a vegetative state. No one could have anticipated that one day he would become an accomplished musician, social worker and psychology student working towards a Phd.
However, this journey is not without its dark corridors.
Growing up with Cerebral Palsy, Justin was confined to a wheelchair at the age of 10 when his ability to walk deteriorated beyond redemption. Other symptoms included a permanently crippled hand and a speech impediment that would follow him the rest of his life. The latter symptom stung in an acutely cruel way as Justin developed a passion very early on for the art of rapping; the very thing that served as an escape was made near impossible due to his disability. He was becoming increasingly aware that he wasn’t able to do many of the same things his peers could, he was different.
This took a huge toll on his mental health. At the age of 14 he was first diagnosed with clinical depression – one of the alarming signs of this internal battle were the cuts his mother discovered on his arms. His Cerebral Palsy made life much harder than he could have ever imagined, both physically and emotionally, and suicide seemed the only way out.
Fortunately his mother took him immediately to see various therapists where Justin began to learn how to accept and deal with his afflictions. At this time Justin also began to explore the spiritual dimensions of his life, joining a local church youth group, which provided a sense of connection to others and the divine. The person of Jesus in particular fascinated him to the point of doing independent research into biblical history and theology:
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“Jesus’ vision of God was a benevolent and healing presence that gave me a sense of peace in a time where I most needed it.”
A few years went by and Justin gained the confidence to throw himself into the blossoming hip hop culture of Western Sydney. He found a regular hub of creativity at Lopez Records in St Mary’s where he made connections with Australian Hip Hop mainstays such as Fortay At Large, Kerser, Mitchos da Menace and Kearve.
Although Justin found a new accepting home in the world of Western Sydney Hip Hop, it also came with its own challenges. Drugs and alcohol were readily available for whoever wanted to indulge, and that Justin did.
He developed a daily cannabis habit and his alcohol intake sky-rocketed, triggering his mental health issues.
However, this dangerous trajectory was soon to be curbed when he met producer Jon Reichardt and began to focus his energy on a new creative pursuit instead; the making of Cognitive Dissonance, an album unlike any previous musical project he had endeavoured upon.
Stream Cognitive Dissonance:
Reichardt encouraged him to take formerly untrodden paths in his sound, resulting with a diverse offering of Boombap, Trap, Nu-Metal and Soul coupled with more multi-faceted, sophisticated lyrics:
“Coming from a purely traditional Boombap background, I was initially not open to experimenting with different contemporary styles of Hip hop, however Jon encouraged me to give these styles a chance and to my surprise these tracks turned out to be some of my favourites. He also encouraged me with trying new flows that I wasn’t accustomed to.”
Angels & Demons – Misanthropik ft Fortay at Large & Noemme
Another characteristic of the album is the amount of collaboration involved; Justin reached across the continent to find feature artists far and wide. The album includes guest artists such as Sydney heavyweights Fortay at Large and DJ Izm (Bliss n Eso), up and coming Perth native JohniePee, and the dynamic duo Losty and Big Red Cap amongst several others, providing diversity that Justin hadn’t foreseen.
Thematically, the album is just as varied, covering topics such as mental health, spirituality, love and everything in between, providing a candid view into the mind of a man with cerebral palsy.
Stream Goliath (Feat. JohniePee & DJ Izm):
In “Wake up” Lampson uses esoteric, poetic language to discuss some of his spiritual experiences:
I’m digging deeper now
For a truth that’s so profound
The question now is how
I heard the deepest sound
Humming mystic melodies
Drumming through the galaxies
“Stones”, however, is a raw, rage-filled allegory of his daily burden of living with Cerebral Palsy.
Walk this road In my shoes
What the fuck would I choose?
There are Stones in my boots,
Weighing down my every move
“Sonnet”, on the other hand, is a heartfelt ballad detailing heights of a first love experience:
Whether quick spark or slow dance
That Nick Sparks romance
Tell you like a grown man
Providing you a safe haven
Stream Valley of Death (Feat. Losty & Big Red Cap):
Ultimately, Lampson hopes that this album gives insight into the unique perspective of a person living with a physical disability while they wrestle with many of the same universal feelings and questions as we all do:
“As the songs from this album span a five year period of experiences and writing, there’s a large diversity of subject matter that I feel paints an adequate picture of the realities of living with cerebral palsy (it’s a cunt), and I wanted to share this authentically through the medium that I know and love – hip hop.”
If you or somebody you care for needs help or information about depression, suicide, anxiety, or mental health issues, contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
