T.O. Lestat "MEntal HELLth Despondent" Full album review

T.O. Lestat’s MEntal HELLth Despondent isn’t just another underground hip-hop project—it’s a therapy session laid over Boom Bap. This concept LP plays like an autobiographical movie, documenting one of the darkest seasons of his life. With production from Imminent Productions and CrackeRican, mixing by KC Jones, and raw emotion driving every bar, I'm excited to check this album out.

Track 1 – Dr. Feelgood (Intro)

The intro sets the entire tone. Through a skit of Lestat waiting to meet “Dr. Feelgood,” listeners are thrown directly into the world of therapy and reflection. It’s humorous, and real. This was a creative way to start the LP, and now I know this will be a journey, not just an album.

Track 2 – Hard Times

The first full song dives straight into despair and survival. Lestat unpacks the stress of parole, broken family dynamics, and daily grind pressure over a gritty Boom Bap beat. These are the type of bars that feel handwritten in a notebook stained by life.

Track 3 – No More

Dark, hopeless, and brutally honest. Lestat vents about suicidal thoughts, frustration, and trying to find light amid chaos. The rhyme schemes are complex and emotional. This is survival poetry.

Track 4 – Dear Diary

Perhaps the most vulnerable record here. The pen becomes his therapist as he writes directly to his diary, spilling unfiltered emotion about heartbreak, alienation from his child, and the weight of depression. It’s painfully honest, and that’s what makes it powerful. T.O. Lestat empties his soul on this one.

Track 5 – Dr. Feelgood Interview 2

A second interlude brings us back into the therapy office, this time spiraling deeper into self-medication and resentment. It’s unsettling, real, and humanizing. lThe interlude helps with maintaining the cinematic thread that runs through the album.

Track 6 – Giving Up & In

This is the emotional centerpiece. A confession and a cry for help wrapped in dopelyricism. Lestat confronts despair while still searching for faith. “I’m all f***ed up and I ain’t got much more to give” hits like a gut punch. The hook, delivery, and pain make this one unforgettable. I'm pretty sure this is my favorite track on the album.

Track 7 – Internal Fight

Here Lestat explores the duality of success and emptiness. Even when things seem to go right creatively, life can still crumble around you. His self-awareness cuts deep: “I hate everything about me / sometimes I doubt me.” It’s an honest depiction of depression and mental stress.

Track 8 – Mental Break Down

Musical meltdown in real-time. Lestat is now spiraling thoughts through dizzying wordplay and flow. His repetition of “peace/piece” is genius wordplay. It’s chaotic, creative, and somehow beautiful in its madness.

Track 9 – Is This Death?

The atmosphere turns eerie and introspective. Following the breakdown, Lestat drifts into a surreal headspace questioning his existence. The production gets darker, mirroring the mental decline, yet the bars stay sharp. It’s an effective bridge into the final act of the album.

Track 10 – Dark Hole

A descent into full-blown darkness. Lestat sounds like he’s rapping from the bottom of a pit—conflicted, numb, and still fighting to survive. The beat feels heavy and suffocating, matching the theme perfectly.

Track 11 – MEntal HELLth

The title track is an exhale of self-awareness. There’s a spark of redemption here, it's almost like like he’s identifying the illness so he can finally treat it.

Track 12 – Dr. Feelgood (Outro)

The doctor returns, closing the session. Symbolically, it feels like Lestat’s walked through the storm and is ready to leave the chair. He's not fully healed but he's willing to face the world anyway.. The outro ties the narrative full circle.

Track 13 – We All Die

Death is indeed inevitable. Instead of hopelessness, the lyrics on this come across as acceptance. Lestat is now embracing truth and closure after all he’s endured.

Closing Thoughts

MEntal HELLth Despondent is a fearless look into the mind of a man facing himself head-on. The concept is cohesive, the storytelling cinematic, I'm sure many will relate to this art.. It’s both a cautionary tale and a mirror for anyone battling inner demons.

Rap Nerd Rating: 9 / 10

This project is raw therapy through rhyme.

Follow T.O. Lestat

📱 Instagram / Threads / TikTok – @to_lestat📘 Facebook – @TO Lestat | @TO Lestat TheWize🐦 X – @TO_Lestat🎮 Twitch – @TOLestat3📺 YouTube – TO Lestat The Wise💿 Bandcamp – TO Lestat🎧 Available on all DSPs (now), soon exclusive on Own Ln.