Logic sent a powerful message of solidarity to women at the Grammy Awards on Sunday.
Alessia Cara and Khalid appeared on stage with the rapper to perform “1-800-273-8255,” which gets its name from the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The single was nominated for Song of the Year and Best Music Video.
At the end of the performance, Logic spoke to the audience and touched upon the themes of the “Time’s Up” anti-harassment initiative.
“Black is beautiful, hate is ugly,” he said. “Women are as precious as they are stronger than any man I have ever met. And unto them, I say stand tall and crush all predators under the weight of your heart that is full of the love they will never take away from you. Be not scared to use your voice, especially in instances like these when you have the opportunity.”
The performance of “1-800-273-8255” came after the Grammy’s in memoriam segment ended with a photo of Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington, who died by suicide in July. People who had either lost loves ones to suicide or had attempted suicide themselves joined the three artists on stage, and wore shirts featuring the phrase “You are not alone” and the phone number of the suicide prevention lifeline.
Logic, who was born Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, told music site Genius in April that conversations with fans had inspired him to write a song about suicide prevention.
“[Fans had] said things like, ‘Yo, your music has saved my life. You’ve saved my life,’” the artist said. “And I was always like, ‘Aw, so nice of you. Thanks.’ And I’d give them a hug and shit but in my mind, I’m like, ‘What the fuck?’ And they’re really serious. ... I was like, ‘Man, I wasn’t even trying to save nobody’s life.’”
“And then it hit me, the power that I have as an artist with a voice,” he added. “I wasn’t even trying to save your life. Now what can happen if I actually did?”
The rapper also said the song’s first hook and verse is sung from the perspective of someone calling the suicide prevention hotline.
It appears the lyrics have motivated some people seek help.
The day the song was released in April, the lifeline received what was then its second-highest number of calls ― over 4,573. The day after Logic performed the song at the MTV Video Music Awards in August, the lifeline received 5,041 calls. That performance also featured people wearing T-shirts with the hotline number on them.
The song’s Grammy-nominated music video, which tells the story of a black teen coming to terms with his sexuality while being rejected by his family and peers, also made a significant impact. Calls to the lifeline went up between 30 percent and 50 percent after the video went viral in August, according to the suicide prevention line’s director, John Draper.
“That’s thousands of callers who otherwise wouldn’t have called,” Draper told the Los Angeles Times earlier this month. “Messages like Logic’s, where he says, ‘I’m thinking about suicide, but I want to get help’ ... are a very positive model.”
In November, Logic tweeted statistics from the lifeline on the song’s impact.
Logic performed “1-800-273-8255” at the Latin Grammys in November with Cara and Colombian singer Juanes. The three artists sang a bilingual rendition of the single and promoted the lifeline’s Spanish-language hotline: 1-888-628-9454.
If you or someone you know needs help, call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also text HELLO to 741-741 for free, 24-hour support from the Crisis Text Line. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources.