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Rapper fights Opioid epidemic with music

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It’s a journey many people face and struggle with daily, the road to recovery. A local rapper is using his music to speak out about his battle with Opioids in hopes to inspire others in their journey to recovery.

“To be able to be of service with my music, I felt like that’s not something that everybody gets the opportunity to do,” said Brian McCall, also known as B-RAiN. “I wanted that to be my focus.”

He uses his home studio in Westminster to write and produce music. Every lyric contains a message. He raps stories about his own struggle with addiction that started in the fourth grade.

“The only thing I knew how to do was get high and get locked up,” said McCall. “It was just a vicious cycle.”

A vicious cycle he says was fueled by struggles in his life.

“I don’t have to focus on the world wind of insanity that goes on in my head,” said McCall. “The thoughts of being less than or I’m not worthy because I don’t have a family, I don’t have a brother or sister. It was just me and my mom had no idea what to do with me. “

His addiction to drugs spiraled out of control. McCall ended up kicked out of high school and in and out of jail on several occasions. Despite all of that, McCall says he had no intentions of stopping.

“I didn’t really feel like I was worth anything except for being a criminal, being in jail, so I was content with it,” said McCall. “I didn’t have any dreams or aspirations that even seemed remotely close to actually happening. “

That was until he completed a job readiness program when he got out of treatment. The program he says was a mandatory requirement after he was released from jail. It was the first time he says he was ever able to complete something.  

“When I completed that, it gave me the confidence like ok I can complete this,” said McCall. “I wondered what else I can complete. I finally had just a sprinkle of hope that there might be something different.”

That’s all he needed to turn his life around. Now he’s been clean for 11 years and he’s using his music to help inspire others to do the same.

“He presented his recovery in a way that I wanted what he had. I saw it and it was attractive to me,” said Aaon Wiest, McCall’s audio recording engineer and producer. “That’s pretty much how he inspired me at first and how he continues to inspire me.”

“He talks about the real-life struggles and just the motivation that we need to stay clean one day at a time,” said McCall’s manager, Jesse Tomlin. “Being an advocate, letting people know that we do recover and that we do change our lives. If you’re struggling there is a way out. “

No longer focused on drugs, McCall is now challenging his energy into his recovery and helping others through his music.

“The people around me have been instrumental in my life,” said McCall. “If I didn’t have these people around me, there’s absolutely no chance that I would be clean today, let alone doing the things that I’m doing”

McCall doesn’t just help others through his music. He also uses the money he gets from his shows to put recovering addicts in treatment. He also works as a sponsor and helps gives others the help they need on their journey to recovery.

McCall is currently working on putting together a MusicFest on July 7th for addiction and recovery awareness. All ticket sales go to local nonprofits like Push HOPE Project& Up & Out Foundation & Rising Above Addiction.