The Cope Dealer: A Son Healing through Hip Hop

In this special episode of No Crystal Stair Podcast,  Habeebah pays tribute to her beloved brother, Hashim Rasheed, by welcoming the first male guest to the show. Habeebah sits down with Archie Green, widely known as The Cope Dealer, a remarkable individual who is a son, mental health advocate, hip-hop artist, and the founder of Peel Dem Layers Back—a non-profit organization with a mission to educate, empower, and equip Black men and boys with the essential tools needed to live mentally healthy lives through healing hang-outs and cultural artistic expression, all while representing the hip-hop culture.

During their conversation, Archie shares with listeners the challenges arising from the lack of available Black male therapists or therapists of color. He courageously opens up about his personal journey and shares how having access to a Black male mental health professional helped him begin to understand his mental health needs, allowing him ultimately to transform the pain of living with major depressive disorder into a purposeful song called "Layers," which quickly went viral.