Focused on Mental Health, Breion Dixon Is Stronger Than Ever
In 2019, fans of Nashville rapper Breion Dixon, better known as 2’Live Bre, might have imagined he was on top of the world. He was on tour, building on national recognition for his appearance on Netflix’s Rhythm + Flow, an American Idol-style competition show for rising hip-hop talent. But he wasn’t feeling fulfilled.
He posted a video on Instagram, which has since been deleted, in which he opened up about his struggle with depression.
He credits one of his professors at Tennessee State University for encouraging him to seek therapy, while inspiring him to use his voice to shed light on an illness that people often don’t feel comfortable talking about. He has made it his mission to speak about his experiences through music, aiming to normalize mental illness and lead his listeners to find healthy ways to cope.
Follow @2livebre on Instagram for updates
“A lot of people don’t like to claim depression, and instead they like to claim, ‘I’m going through something,’ ” Dixon says. “So many people are dealing with this in a secretive way. I’m like, ‘Let me be the voice and give them music they can relate to.’ It doesn’t matter if it’s a million people or 10 people.”
The road to addressing his mental health hasn’t been easy. Dixon began writing at age 13 while dealing with family issues and looking for an outlet.
“Being raised in two different environments — with my dad and my mom — journaling was the only thing that kept me sane,” he says. “I felt I couldn’t talk about the heavy stuff that was going on at home. Honestly, I was afraid to put my family in a position where people felt we’re not a happy family compared to all the other kids in the neighborhood. One of my friends stole my journal book — he called it a diary. But he read it and then told me, ‘You can rap.’ ”
That spark lit a fire in Dixon. As he chased his dream of becoming an MC throughout high school and college, he worked at building an audience, releasing several independent records, using the name Lil Bre on his earliest releases. Over time, he developed a charismatic presence and an articulate flow, which he used to his advantage in solo tracks and collaborations with standouts from the local hip-hop scene like Gee Slab, Petty and Kiya Lacey. On his 2015 single “Realest in Here,” he even got a feature from celebrated Nashville rapper Young Buck.
While he was still a student at TSU, Dixon launched a talent-search show called Shine with former American Idol competitor Brandon Stewart. The idea was to give independent artists the opportunity to be heard, and give them tools for navigating the twists and turns of the business.
“I know the trials and tribulations,” says Dixon. “We teach [artists] to go after the smallest fish before the big fish, because a lot of these artists lose their identity … because they want to rush success. On the show, we give them insight on what we experience, so they won’t have to face that mental breakdown that a lot of artists do face in their journey of trying to pursue a music career.”
However, Dixon found he still had plenty of room for growth. Just like the up-and-comers showcasing their talent on Shine, he received constructive criticism of his own from judges Cardi B, Chance the Rapper and T.I. on Rhythm + Flow. Although he didn’t win the competition, he connected with Canadian actor and director Jesse Collins to learn more about the business.
Dixon describes how Collins introduced him to a different side of the industry from the part that thrives on hustle, which inspired him to create Butterfly Nation. The nonprofit aims to give youth in the community opportunities to learn about expressing themselves through music via a mentorship program.
“It’s bigger than a nonprofit — it’s a movement for a lot of artists to come together and make awareness towards mental health,” Dixon says. “That’s the biggest purpose. We work with Rocketown, the juvenile [justice] system and children who want to do music.”
Dixon had plans to end his music career this year, but witnessing the effect his songs were having showed him how his personal experiences assist others in healing and searching for professional guidance. On Butterfly Nation’s recent visit to Cora Howe Exceptional School, a Metro school for children with significant learning differences, Dixon performed in part to uplift and entertain the students. But he also made it a point to show them he can relate to their journey. He knows firsthand how important it is for the younger generation to see someone who resembles them bringing something positive to the community. Looking back on his past and the mentorship roles he’s taken on through Butterfly Nation, Dixon finds lessons he plans to use as he raises his son, who was born in September.
“A lot of [the students] just needed a friend — a good friend to go on the right road with. I’m trying to raise my son to be that friend these guys may have met, and would push them on the right track. That’s something that I always think about. I want my son to be a great friend. A great leader that can pour into people just by his presence.”
Independent Hip-Hop Artist and Sneaker Brand Partner to Bring Hope, Secret Show and Make History
For Immediate Release
Media contact
Dawn Cornelius
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 4, 2021) – Nashville-based, independent music artist, Breion Terrance Eugene Dixon, also known as 2’Live Bre, launched an exclusive sneaker collection with streetwear shoe company, BLANX. As their first U.S. collaboration, Breion and BLANX, a global self-expressive brand with social impact embed in their brand DNA, are making moves and history as one of the first independent music artists to have his own shoe brand.
During the pandemic many artists took a finical loss due to the COVID-19 restrictions, Breion found a way to turn a difficult time into a source of hope and inspiration. During the pandemic, he graduated from Tennessee State University after coming off of his first tour on the west coast and an appearance on the popular Netflix TV Show, Rhythm and Flow.
Seeking new ways to express himself creatively beyond five lines and four spaces, Breion partnered with BLANX to create a shoe that represents hope. Breion says, “this shoe is a reminder to the world to have hope in a time that can seem hopeless.” The shoe’s design nods to his story of overcoming depression and anxiety. The sneaker collection inspired by his Butterfly Nation movement showcases not only his deep-rooted love for words, music, rhyming, but also his unusual vulnerability about depression and mental health detailed in his latest album entitled Butterfly Effect. His allure with butterflies derives from his personal journey to wellbeing.
As the first sneaker release in a series unveiling the lifecycle of a butterfly, Breion’s collection, aptly entitled Hope, illustrates the first phase of a butterfly’s evolution in which hope is literally born. Inscribed on each Hope shoe, choice lyrics from his Butterfly single, I know I'm a seed. I’m tryna see my flower bloom.”
BLANX captures the voice of a purpose-minded generation through collaborations with activist creators, like Breion, and each collection joins force with a social impact. BLANX says, “We are standing at a crossroads. Every choice we make today will make an enormous difference in the near future. The first step towards positive change is on us.”
Ten percent of all sales will support the Dixon Foundation to support the Butterfly Creatives Camp.
Sunday, June 6 at 6pm CST, BLANX will host an exclusive livestream show in Nashville called the Kickback Session featuring Breion, 2’Live Bre. Show tickets are limited to those who RSVP by email or who have purchased products from Breion’s Hope collection.
The show will livestream from the H.O.M.E. studios in Nashville. Media are invited and a short press avail will follow the show at 6.40pm.
To attend the show in person (limited availability) or by livestream or for media inquiries, contact Dawn Cornelius, Principal Consultant, The Cornelius Group.
About The Cornelius Group
The Cornelius Group is part strategy consultancy, part marketing agency that aligns and amplifies growth-stage companies who have “changemaking” in their DNA and outcomes.
For more information, visit corneliusgroup.co.
About BLANX
BLANX is a lifestyle brand that amplifies the voice of a concerned generation through limited-edition apparel designed by creative activist collaborators. BLANX tells stories on sneakers. BLANX makes what matters visible.
For more information, visit blanx.me.
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Witness the Best of Nashville 4/30
“It’s our responsibility to get off the sidelines and do something,” says lead singer Viv.
H.O.M.E.(Helping Our Music Evolve), in partnership with Nashville Is Not Just Country Music, will put a spotlight on rising Nashville-based hip-hop artists in their The Best of Nashville Hip-Hop virtual showcase on April 30, sponsored by BMI and BMG.
The free livestream event, professionally produced with the help of Underground Music Collective, will feature performances by 11 of Nashville’s top emerging hip-hop artists including Nate Rose, Byron Juane, Daisha McBride, Chuck Indigo and 2’Live Bre. Derek Minor, the owner of Reflection Music Group and an established hip-hop artist himself, will serve as host and emcee.
H.O.M.E. is a creative incubator for artists, producers, and music industry professionals, as well as a music and media production community.
“We’re ecstatic to bring more visibility to the diverse music scene that is being cultivated here in Nashville,” says Founder & President of H.O.M.E, Logan Crowell. “Our hope is that this event will provide an opportunity for music fans to discover their favorite new hip-hop artist as well as support the underground scene that’s already generating so much buzz in Nashville and beyond.”
Nashville Is Not Just Country Music (NINJCM), co-founded by Jamila “Mimi” McCarley and Thalia “Muziqueen” Ewing, provides support to the Nashville based creative through music business education, networking, community & professional relationships and career advancing opportunities.
“It is exciting to see music companies on Music Row, like BMG and BMI, investing in Nashville’s hip-hop community,” says NINJCM’s McCarley. “NINJCM is honored to partner with these like-minded organizations to continue to amplify the message to the world that, ‘Nashville is not just country music.’”
RSVP and tune in to The Best of Nashville Hip-Hop Livestream Event on Friday, April 30t at 6:15pm CT here: bestofnashville.live.
Hip-Hop In Nashville Is Making Its Own Way
It's no wonder that journalistic surveys of Nashville's hip-hop underground typically frame the mere fact of its existence as a big reveal. To a large degree, the scene here is the creation of Black music-makers and entrepreneurs who came up in the city or surrounding region. But it has long existed in the shadow of a country music industry coded as a white domain – thanks, in part, to the contributions of BIPOC music-makers being continually written out of the historical narrative — that is also the prime draw for transplants seeking careers in music, the main attraction for tourists and, in many ways, the centerpiece of Music City's brand.
Read full story.
Nashville Hip-Hop artist pays tribute to the Titans
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's another big two-toned blue weekend! The Titans take on the Baltimore Ravens Saturday at 7:15 p.m.
Nashville native, Breion Dixon aka 2'LiveBre, is most known for being a contestant on the Netflix show "Rhythm and Flow". He was competing in front of judges Cardi B, Chance the Rapper and T.I. to break into the music industry.
Since then, he continues to make a buzz by having his song played by the TSU band, where he attends, during their football game. He released his latest project "Ville Walk". The song was written for everyone from Nashville to be proud of the city. His video is titans-themed. He says he wanted to make sure the Titans had a piece of the Ville with them for the game.
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Year of the Twos: 22 Questions With Local Nashville Rapper 2Live Bre
Two is the magic number.
At least it seems to be for young up and coming Nashville hip hop artist 2Live Bre, who is twenty-two years old and expecting big things in the year 2020. So we figured it’d only be fitting to ask him 22 questions to keep the lucky numbers rolling.
Read the full story.
These Are the 30 Contestants Who Will Continue to Compete on Netflix’s ‘Rhythm and Flow’
Netflix just released its first talent competition show, and it will probably be the most addictive thing you watch all year. It’s called Rhythm + Flow and it’s, like, a million times better than American Idol or The Voice could ever be. (Yeah, I said it!) The series is looking to find undiscovered hip-hop artists and basically turn them into the major stars who write the lyrics that will soon become the captions to all your Instagrams. It’s really effing good.
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/tv/a29443519/netflix-rhythm-and-flow-contestants/
Lil Bre joins the #DeleteUber campaign.
Hailing from Nashville, TN Lil Bre encompasses everything I love about southern Hip Hop – the way the subs boom, the snare cracks, and the vocal layering. Lil Bre is one of those artists that you want to listen to turned all the way up. His hooks are unforgettable, his flow is infectious, and his music will make you feel good. His latest offering “Lyft” coincides with the sudden urge to never order another Uber ever again.
Peep “Lyft” and go follow Lil Bre – this kid is going to be huge one day.
https://www.elevatormag.com/lil-bre-lyft