OVERVIEW
Joseph Reyes (born November 26, 1995) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and musician. Joseph went to Southwest Baptist University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Computer Science and Mathematics degree with highest honors.
Having suffered from depression himself, Joseph performs songs that help other people understand and deal with depression.
EARLY LIFE
Joseph Reyes was born on Novermber 26, 1995, in West Plains, Missouri. His mother was a data processing technician while his father was a welder.
Reyes took interest in music at an early age. Reyes's father, a drummer, introduced him to many different heavy metal bands including System of a Down, Rammstein, and Disturbed. Most notably, Reyes's father introduced him to Linkin Park, a band that would become one of Reyes's greatest musical inspirations.
Reyes's parents separated when he was 10 years old. The situation affected Reyes so much that he felt the urge to run way. To comfort himself, he read books, played games, performed music, and wrote songs.
After the separation, his mother gained custody of him and the rest of his siblings. Reyes's mother struggled to support the family. Reyes was physically bullied and stigmatized in elementary school. He said that he was "made fun of for being poor" and that he "didn't have the chance to be a normal kid."
MUSICAL PURPOSE
With his situation at home, his being bullied at school, and his self-critical personality, Reyes developed depression. He said that he was "seriously sad, hopeless, and disinterested". The illness would dominate his life until after he graduated college.
Reyes's experience with depression lead him to see an even greater significance in music. When he felt alone and hopeless, Reyes said that he used music as "a way to communicate to people without having to speak to them." He said that music was "a way for me to creatively discover my feelings and express myself in a way that wasn't rejected by the rules of depression."
In depression, Reyes found that his childhood favorite band, Linkin Park, was best at describing exactly how he felt. He said that the band "knew my soul." He continued to embrace the band's music and used it to express his emotions to his friends and help deal with depression.
Reyes also discovered that rap and hip-hop were effective at dealing with depression. He believes that a lot of rap is "boastful and uplifting" and uses it to "fight the self-criticism."
Reyes now works to make songs that help people understand and cope with depression.