Dizzee raises suicide awareness

Rapper Dizzee Rascal is releasing a song about a friend who took his own life to raise awareness of the problem of suicide among 15 to 35-year-old men.

The rapper said the song Dean, which can be downloaded as a music video from iTunes, was about "not being closer to him, not seeing it".

All profits from the song, about Dean Munroe who took his life in 2003, go to the Campaign Against Living Miserably.

The charity runs a hotline and website aimed at young men with worries.

He was one of the first people I'd ever known to have died and how he died was a bit of a shock Dizzee on Dean

The Campaign Against Living Miserably (Calm) says its website and hotline are "for guys to chill out a little, sort stuff out, and go places".

It says about three young men take their own lives each day in the UK.

School friends Dizzee and Dean lived close to each other in Bow, east London.

The rapper told Newsbeat: "He was one of the first people I'd ever known to have died and how he died was a bit of a shock.

CALM HOTLINE 0800 58 58 58 Sat to Tues - 1700 to midnight

"I didn't quite know how to feel."

He says one of the first things he did when he heard the news was write a rap dedicated to his friend.

"I wrote the song ages ago, but I only worked on it when I was making my Maths and English album.

"It didn't quite make the album but Calm picked up the song so we ended up doing a video on it."

'My duty'

Dizzee said charity work was important to him, particularly with an issue so close to home.

The key for us is putting out the message that strong isn't silent and having someone like Dizzee get this message out is just fantastic Jane Powell Calm

"If it's a way I can give back then it's my duty," he added.

While all profits will go towards running the Calm hotline, director Jane Powell said the release was more about raising awareness.

"The key for us is putting out the message that strong isn't silent and having someone like Dizzee get this message out is just fantastic.

"Young men listen, for the most part, to other young men rather than charities or government spokespeople."

Dizzee added: "Everyone's talking about gun crime and knife crime and a lot of people are suffering because of it.

"But people are doing more harm to themselves, killing themselves.

"With things like Calm, you can talk to them 'cos that is the main thing - talking."