EarthGang Finds a New Way Past Old Ideas of Masculinity

You’ll often hear hip hop duo EarthGang repeat a simple mantra: “EarthGang is one word.” Sure, the tagline is a way to make sure people remember the name. But the statement is, in a way, metaphoric: For the duo, their music and activism operate as a singular entity under a singular name.

The noted hip hop duo, comprised of Olu and Doctur Dot aka WowGr8, are also of one mind when it comes to many vital issues—from the challenges facing Black men in America to environmental conservation to modern masculinity's shortcomings. And they aren’t afraid to share their most raw and unfiltered thoughts.

“If I was scared of opinion, I probably wouldn’t do what I do for a living,” Doctur Dot recently told Men’s Health. “I surrender my innermost secrets and emotions for randos to just judge me every day. Stigma is nothing to me.”

In a recent episode of the Men’s Health Instagram Live series Friday Sessions , EarthGang peeled back the layers on all things masculinity and men’s mental health. In conversation with host and psychiatrist Drew Ramsey, MD, the Atlanta-based hip hop duo shared how they manage expectations of masculinity, the importance of human connection, and the value of vulnerability and therapy.

When reflecting on modern masculinity, Olu said he believes one of the hardest parts about being a man is not being “allowed” to make mistakes. The hip hop star said the pressure to have it all figured out is a major hurdle preventing men from being better.

“If you surround yourself with people who don't allow you to make mistakes, or if you're extremely hard on yourself when you do make mistakes, all it does is stunt your growth,” Olu said.

Under modern masculinity’s tight hold, the inability to make mistakes is tightly wound with another pressure: status.

“Everything is metrics. Whether it's your job, the amount of money that you make, how accomplished you are, how many letters after your name or how many plaques you have on the wall,” Olu added. “These are attributes that we measure men by—and none of these things point to the human being within us or the person growing within us. And it's kind of dehumanizing in a sense.”

All of this constant pressure is bound to get to a man, and can lead to adverse mental health effects. In 2021, 18 percent of men reported experiencing a mental illness in the past year, but only 40 percent of those men received treatment. Unfortunately, Doctur Dot has seen first-hand the tragedy that can come if men don’t take their mental well-being seriously.

“My grandfather took his own life when I was a teenager,” he shared. “And I've also had other members of my family that are men that took their own lives. I feel like I was a sounding board for as many people as I could be in my family, but I wasn't enough, you know what I'm saying?”

It’s a harrowing reality. To address men’s mental health, both members of EarthGang said there need to be “more safe spaces for men” to encourage free conversation and support—especially in their communities.

“It don't have to be necessarily like groundbreaking philosophy,” Doctur Dot said. “Just regular, free space.”

Yet, it’s also important to give your vulnerability to those who can truly support you in the best way. That’s why Olu said he’s a believer in “selective vulnerability.”

“I'm learning to be selective with my vulnerability with the men in my life—men who I think have the heart posture and aren't bitter about situations that they've been through in the past,” he said. “They're able to help me move forward.”

While community support is vital, the duo also emphasized the importance of embracing therapy. In fact, both regularly use therapy as a tool to thrive in their own lives.

“All stigmas around therapy need to just go ahead and go,” Doctur Dot said. “Because the alternative to the stigma is death.”

Watch the entire conversation below, and connect with EarthGang via social media or their environmental organization, The EarthGang Foundation :