Dizzee helps Calm

Rapper raises awareness and money for charity

19 May 08 - Rapper Dizzee Rascal is fronting a new campaign to encourage anyone who is feeling suicidal to get help.

Charity Calm, which stands for Campaign Against Living Miserably, is using a Dizzee track he wrote about his school friend Dean Munroe who took his own life in 2003. All profits from the song will go to the charity.

The rapper said the song Dean, which can be downloaded as a music video from iTunes, was about "not being closer to him, not seeing it".

The charity runs a hotline and website aimed at young men with worries and it says about three young men take their own lives each day in the UK.

Talking about his old friend Dean, Dizzee told the BBC: "He was one of the first people I'd ever known to have died and how he died was a bit of a shock.

"I didn't quite know how to feel."

"If it's a way I can give back then it's my duty"
Dizzee

He went on: "I wrote the song ages ago, but I only worked on it when I was making my Maths and English album.

"It didn't quite make the album but Calm picked up the song so we ended up doing a video on it.

"If it's a way I can give back then it's my duty."

Director of Calm, Jane Powell, said: "The key for us is putting out the message that strong isn't silent and having someone like Dizzee get this message out is just fantastic.

"Young men listen, for the most part, to other young men rather than charities or government spokespeople."


Kelly Stooke