With all the mythologizing that goes on in hip-hop, it's easy to forget that the biggest names in rap are every bit as human as we are, and, as such, just as vulnerable to the perils of mental ailments like depression.

Sure, rappers have written songs about depression before, but the subtlety of their lyrics and those knocking drums can make the messages hard to discern for many fans. Often times, it's only when we hear rappers during interviews that we realize just how serious their depression can be -- even when they're successful.
Kendrick Lamar had pretty much conquered the world by the time he began recording sessions for To Pimp a Butterfly, but that didn't stop him from having suicidal thoughts. By his own admission, J. Cole had a ton of self-confidence before the release of his debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story. However, by the time he started working on Born Sinner, he had to find his way out of the negative mindset he'd avoided years before.

Without their interviews, it would have been hard to know why, exactly, K. Dot and Cole found themselves in such dark places. On the other hand, the circumstances surrounding Kanye West's battle with his emotions took place in front of the world, and it's been said that their impact resounded throughout his Auto-Tune-laced masterpiece, 808s & Heartbreak.

Depression comes in all different shapes and sizes, and today we're taking a look at rappers who are affected by it now or have been in the past. You can see for yourself in our gallery above.

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