Jay-Z dropped by the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge to perform “Numb/Encore” from his groundbreaking crossover Collision Course album with Linkin Park recently, dedicating his performance to the memory of the band’s late frontman, Chester Bennington.
Bennington committed suicide earlier this year, leaving a gap in rock music that was nevertheless felt in hip-hop as well.
The “4:44” rapper also used his BBC Radio 1 appearance to shed light on mental health awareness, saying that he hoped that the tragedy would open more minds to getting care.
“Money or fame, that doesn’t mean anything if you’re not happy inside”, he told host Clara Amfo, “I really think that hopefully his death serves as a wake up call that mental health is a real thing. You never know that people are going through. You think that because they’re performers and he’s sold millions of records… that doesn’t equate to happiness… Hopefully his death wakes a lot of people up and a lot of people start taking care of themselves.”
He also broke down his interpretation of the original “Numb,” saying, “A lot of people, we don’t deal with what’s happening to us, we just keep going. Especially for a performer like that, you just start numbing yourself. You become numb. He’s singing it, he’s telling you become numb.”
Jay also performed “Family Feud” from his recent album, 4:44, backed by a choir, and addressed the rise of racism in the era of Trump, recording 4:44 with his daughter Blue, and how he buried the hatchet with onetime rival Nas.
