100 from NJ Music Community Unite for Mental Health Song

In a powerful display of unity, nearly 100 members of New Jersey's music community have come together to release a song and video titled Jersey for Mental Health to raise money for the Mental Health Association in New Jersey.

The collaborative effort, spearheaded by 23-year-old Berkley Heights resident John Pullara, aims to break the stigma around mental illness and provide a message of hope and support to people who live with anxiety, depression and other emotional health challenges.

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The song  and video were released on May 1, kicking off Mental Health Month. It was composed by Pullara, along with Kyle McCarthy, Brian McCarthy of Mountainside and Nick Wallace of West Milford, and recorded, produced and engineered at MacBros Music in Union County.

"We want people coping with mental health or drug-related issues, and their loved ones, to know they are not alone and that help is available," said Pullara. "My contacts in the music world were eager to participate, and we want to show the world that despite our differences, we are a community of caring individuals."

Jersey for Mental Health features the diverse talents of 73 vocalists (singers and rappers) who each wrote their own lyrics, PLUS an additional 27 photographers, videographers and others who played supportive roles. Donations to the Mental Health Association in New Jersey can be made here .

"We commend John and his contacts in the Hip Hop community for stepping up and putting forth this remarkable project. Delivering the message of hope through the music and video of Jersey for Mental Health will inspire people who may not otherwise hear it and will resonate in powerful ways,” said Carolyn Beauchamp, president and CEO of the Mental Health Association in New Jersey.

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Wallace said he joined this project and helped compose it because mental is something that’s very close to him.

“I’ve had problems with drinking for a few years now,” Wallace said. “I’ve gone to therapy a couple of times but still even now it’s an everyday battle trying to get through the day and stay sober, which sometimes I still don’t always win. I want people to know they can share their problems with people and it’s okay to seek help.”

With poignant phrases and infectious beats, Jersey for Mental Health conveys a powerful message of resilience, reminding listeners they are not alone in their struggles and encouraging them to seek help.

Andrew James Phillips, III, a.k.a. Chiefy00, a 24-year-old New Brunswick resident and Saint Peter’s alumni, said he joined the project to make a positive impact.

“Mental health to me is a journey of self-discovery and it can be magnetic or contagious,” he said. “Though these battles may be unavoidable, they aren't meant to be fought alone.”

Chiefy00 said when he was 13, he didn't grasp the weight of what a friend meant when she shared her diagnosis of depression.

“Years later growing into adulthood is when I carried the full weight, incognito, participating in self-loathing activities,” he said. “Whether it was substance abuse during the pill epidemic or suicidal thoughts that turned into physical harm. Through various experiences at this tender stage, a person tends to trauma bond. Through rehabs and familiar connections, you come to realize more people than you once thought hide their agony and negatively cope, many going undiagnosed and without therapy.”

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