A post shared by @lilpeep on Nov 15, 2017 at 5:39am PST

The rapper Lil Peep (born Gustav Åhr), known for his unique talent and “emo” rap, died of suspected drug overdose at the age of 21.

But the drugs are not the point. They’re not what we need to talk about right now. 

The point is the loneliness we all feel, the loneliness that is tucked into our being. What was tucked into his being.

And how much relevance there is when we share it.

I found the news on Instagram (where else) on his account where his whole life, was exposed and shared. He documented even the hours before his overdose, leaving thousands of strangers talking to each other and trying to understand the loss. This profound article, published on Noisey, articulates the “whys” much better than I dare to try.

Instead, I want to remind us, all of us, to share the pain we feel, the pain that we carry, through our lifetime—some of us perhaps more intensely than others.

I feel it in me, I see it around me, everywhere, all the time. We might be lonelier than ever, despite this day and age of constant “liking.” Being liked and surrounded by people does not mean we don’t feel lonely. 

I’m out of further wise words at this stage, but I know that the only thing that makes sense is sharing our vulnerabilities, those raw feelings. We all have our dark sides, dark places in our minds. Instead of glorifying self-destructive behavior, we should be able to be ourselves—happy or sad. And instead of identifying ourselves with the pain, we should feel it, not numb it.

RIP, Lil Peep.

“Behind every beautiful thing, there’s some kind of pain.” ~ Bob Dylan

Relephant:

How to get rid of Loneliness.

Author: Sara Kärpänen
Image: @lilpeep Instagram / YouTube

Copy editor: Callie Rushton