“I’m here for a reason”: Detroit hip-hop artist revived by Narcan uses music to share experiences

By LUKE LASTER

Click here for updates on this story

    HAMTRAMCK, Michigan (WWJ) — As of September, pharmacies around the country are now selling Narcan over the counter.

“I didn’t die. So that you know, just let me know that I just need to keep pushing with the music, man,” says Brandon Reddick, more popularly known on the mic as “Brkilla.”

The Detroit-based hip-hop and R&B artist says he’s overdosed on more than one occasion, and he was revived thanks to emergency medications like Narcan. He says he’s still alive for a reason.

“I obviously have a bigger purpose, you know what I mean? And I just want to touch people,” says Reddick.

“We immediately connected because we’re both musicians, and we both had these shared struggles,” says Chris Tait, director at Passenger, a recovery-based nonprofit in Hamtramck.

Tait has been sober since 2011 and works with musicians like Reddick to help them during their recovery.

“It’s about people getting past the point that we’re admitting to drug use or whatever the stigma is are that people have with that because there’s no question, at this point, it’s more about saving lives,” says Tait when talking about possible life-saving methods and medications in the case of an overdose.

While this month marks one year of sobriety for Reddick, he’s also celebrating the release of a new album. He says this album, released later in September, and his music helps him share his stories through the microphone.

“I talk about feelings and emotions, my own life experience. So you know, I feel like the music can be very powerful and impactful to people,” says Reddick.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.