The children's choir is actually a traditional Bulgarian song called BRE PETRUNKO . I love it so much ( it's currently my cell ringtone 😁😁) great reaction as always
If you want more of his story in song, check out Seven Sins. He's described it in interviews as autobiographical, at the lowest point in his physical and emotional turmoil, he spent a long time in physical agony, hallucinating, and Seven Sins is his attempt to put that experience into song.
You should definitely watch his “one million subscribers” video. He talks about his journey and his values. It’s an inspiration! I agree with the music video suggestions of Chalk Outlines (live ft Chinchilla) and Seven Sins. But then I always recommend Power after you go through his deeper material. It’s one of my favorites! And it also gives insight into his upbringing. The musical journey he will take you on will have quite a few twists and turns. He’s incredibly gifted and channels so much into what he creates. There’s also a lot of fun, lighthearted songs that are a celebration of the music he loves 💕
Ren said that the pig mask is like an uncomfortable companion. The pig represents greed and his illness, and it's something that he's frustrated with and at war with. But at the same time, the pig is familiar to him, so in a way the pig is his friend and finds comfort in it. You can google the video of him explaining it if you want to hear it from him!
He actually had a recording contract but his illnesses caused him to lose it. He was in so much pain and they kept telling him it was all in his mind. That there was nothing physically wrong. Eventually he had a complete mental break down. And that's when they discovered he actually WAS sick.😢
Ren is siiiiick 🔥 I think the perfect follow up for this is Crutch feat. Bibi. It’s an older song from before Ren was finally correctly diagnosed with Lyme disease and was written after a breakdown following multiple emergency trips to the hospital. It is heart wrenching and stunning. If Sick Boi is the frustrations from being misdiagnosed, Crutch is the fear of not knowing what’s happening.
Many people have given you good suggestions for what to listen to next. Seven Sins is my favorite on the Sick Boi album. There’s so many more. His older music is fantastic
I also see this as a description of how he felt inside (the rhythmic grunting and eventually escalating to flipping the table) vs how he composes himself externally (the fidgety and slightly distracted attempt to keep calm), basically hiding the full extent of his problems in the public eye.
I agree. The way I think about this (and Hi Ren) is that the song is about how he perceives the events internally. That's why the set looking so similar makes sense. But it also means he is an unreliable narrator.
One point I'll make for Ren, is he went nearly decade with mis-diagnosis, which allowed the disease to wrack severe damage to his body. He is still receiving treatment in Canada. There are quite a few interviews where he discusses what he's gone through, attempts at treatments, and so forth. Another thing I'll point out which is well demonstrated, we (at least I) as a patient to a mental professional shove all that expression of problems to the side just for the purpose of civil decorum. If you notice, it's hard to hear the vocals to represent how difficult it is to concentrate while in that kind of state.
I get exactly what Ren is saying because for 10 years, I was passed from doctor to doctor and the last one finally said it was all in my head (I was having severe headaches which gradually became worse, more intense and more frequently until they occurred every day, several times a day!) 😢. This doctor also sent me to get an MRI of my head. The neurologist said, “well, you have low-lying cerebellar tonsils, but that can’t possibly be what’s causing your headaches!” So I cried all the way home and then typed “low-lying cerebellar tonsils” into my computer. Chiari Malformation popped up and was something I had never heard of before (this was in December of 2001), and the internet was nothing like it is today. I had most of the symptoms listed and was so excited even though it gave me another headache! Then I found a neurosurgeon who specialized in Chiari but he was 7 hours away but well worth the drive! In April of 2002, I had brain surgery and immediately afterwards could feel the difference. Yes, it took a long time to diagnose and I’ve had 6 surgeries since but if left undiagnosed and untreated, I could have ended up paralyzed so God was definitely with me! I was 27 when the symptoms started…(I had given birth to my daughter which turned out to be a very quick and very painful delivery. I was in labor for 2 hrs and 15 mins but our drive to the hospital was 1 1/2 hrs which my husband made in 50 minutes! Lol!!) and my tonsils herniated and were stuffed down into my spinal column causing the headaches. So basically, when the last doctor said “it’s all in your head”, he was correct, he just didn’t know it and unfortunately was very rude! I was desperately trying to find out what was wrong with me because I had a newborn and 5 year old I was trying to raise almost by myself since my husband worked overseas. It was a tough and long 10 years but I’m so thankful that I diagnosed myself….just kidding, it was for sure a God thing and I give Him all the praise!! Note to doctors….please don’t ever tell your patients that it’s all in their heads because you’re frustrated. Just think about how they must feel. 🤷♀️. I apologize to everyone for this being so long.
@@teckreactions Thank you so much! My son turns 40 in May and my daughter turns 34 in April…and my grandson turns 18 in May too! They grow up way too fast, that’s for sure!! 🥲. But they’re all awesome and they’re still my babies. (I hope they’re not reading this but…oh well!) Y’all, reactors, have no idea how great it is to actually hear from you. Thanks again!!!
Ren had Lyme's Disease that went undiagnosed for years. Instead he was diagnosed wrongly and after awhile they started to say it was all in his head. He suffered wrong treatment after treatment, which led to his mind breaking. He has PTSD due to the medically mishandling.
It’s exactly how a doctors appointment goes when you’re chronically ill. Here’s another pill, we will see you in another week or so. Rinse repeat. He’s nailed it.
Chalk Outlines is another song where he describes how medication makes him feel and what hes gone through in that respect. Chinchilla collaborates with Ren on this one and she is, well together, they are amazing!
Great reaction! That’s for sharing your personal connection to this. It’s probably been commented before, but Ren has a new track dropping on 3/28/24 if you want to stay up on the latest releases. He has also released 3 “retakes” in the last couple of months. Those will show you still more sides of Ren! Fred Again Mashup - an acoustic guitar mashup of 5 EDM style songs by Fred Again. Back on 74/Message in a Bottle - covers of the songs of the same title by Jungle and the Police, with some extra spice added in. Nas Halftime retake - Ren rapping his own lyrics over the Halftime beat.
As below "Chalk outlines" and "How to be me" with Chinchilla live version, also from his time with a record label that his sickness ended "Fire" " Crutch" with his girlfriend at the time Bibi at his height of illness and "Freckled Angels" about his best friend that committed suicide, this to start with
Chalk Outlines next probably, then Seven Sins. It starts with the day he fell into psychosis from pain and bitterness and an immune reaction to yet another failed treatment. He uses phrases like " bright light seizures" He will be seen with sunglasses on which look like props ...but aren't. In Ren's case, he has brain and memory damage, constant foot and leg pain, disautonomia, Mcas, brain fog, damage to adrenals and thyroid and joints. The MCAS is attacking the myelin sheath of his electrical systems and he says bouts of depersonalization as well. Feeks like his personality disappears. He was bedridden again few weeks ago with very low bloid pressure. As he says " It's a minefield".
Rens Lyme disease was not treated for about eight years or so, so it rampaged his body and coused organdamaged - including braindamage - and severe foodallergie. He also suffers from ADHD, PTDS, fatiguesyndrom and depression.😢 There is a short at his cannel showing a day of treatment. (He has been in treatment in Canada for almost a year now)
When he said that he wants his audience to interpret pigs head. Some popular beliefs is that it can be different things in different videos. The pig can represent the medical industry big pharmaceuticals . Greed, etc..
Another great reaction. If you want to get to know Ren, his journey through his pain, in his own words....he has done a couple of really honest interviews, one he did when he was in LA I think with someone called Zach Sang... really eye opening interview
The early discussion by the therapist/psychiatrist (not sure which) is very accurate, at least according to modern concepts and theories of trauma. However, that might be how professionals discuss it, but before you have this discussion with a client, one DEFINITELY needs to simply listen, be present, accept their pain & emotional state and help them feel safe...and feel heard. The time to have this conversation may take weeks months, maybe never for some clients. The therapist sees him a diagnosis, not as a person. This, mine and other MH professionals' fears were realized when the diagnosis became the defacto method of informing the, "treatment goal "
Why I became one. I got the same treatment with therapists. So I decided to be one and be better than that! 🤷🏼♀️ I’m stubborn like that lol. I started after having meningitis that ended up being a chronic form of it that none of my doctors had ever seen. I was definitely a test tube patient (is what I called myself).
Good reaction! Ren is a wild one, once you think you know him... You find out there's much more. I'd like to suggest The Kill by 30 Seconds to Mars. Different sound, but really good!
Yeah, I’ve been living with autoimmune issues for almost 20 years. I have a lot of migrating chronic pain. It’s really started to affect my kidneys, heart, and brain. It’s the brain part that frustrates me the most. I get frustrated over the brain fog and confusion. It really upsets my 20 year old son; that’s hard. Great reaction! 😉❤️✌️
@@teckreactions that’s a really good question? I don’t think so, but I sure have to take a lot of pills. I had a set back in November so things got worse. I got up to go to the bathroom and my heart stopped. I collapsed in the hallway. I managed to break my ankle in 3 places. It’s full of titanium. I have a lot of issues with vertigo. About 19 months before the damn ankle I fell and developed a brain bleed. It turned into a midline shift. Thus, my head has a really nice titanium plate. I’m literally falling apart. I guarantee with all the pills I have to take a lot of my problems are from side effects of all the damn meds. I’m pretty tired of all this. It’s hard because my immune system is so messed up the doctors always try to schedule me on days they’re not too busy. It’s a never ending nightmare. ❤️✌️
Having so much fun watching your Ren journey. I think it’s time for some Chalk Outlines, live version. See you in the next one!! Ren has many more surprises in store for you and lots of them are actually fun without the super heavy messages. More please!!
Ren puts 2 to 3 times the number of words in a similar time frame as any other artist other than some rappers. Rich content. I suggest the Money Game series next. Part 3 is a work of art.
I have Lyme disease It messes with your Joints, your muscles, your neural pathways, your eyes, etc... Depression sets in because there are days you physically can't get out of bed. And not many ppl understand. You get called lazy, and get accused of "faking it" . And with recurring Lyme there are certain times of the year when it becomes so overwhelming. Neck pains for months or shoulder pains, back, ankles,etc... and then there's the migraine headaches that completely disable you for hours and sometimes days. IT'S A NIGHTMARE 😮
@@teckreactions I have good weeks now , and a few bad days. So yes in a way I am getting better. I'm almost 50. I've been dealing with it since my early 30s.
Great job taking control of your own health!! For some further info, I HIGHLY recommend Anthony William's first book, " The Medical Medium", it is for exactly what you have described and has helped me greatly. On another note, LOVE Sick Boi and also think Chalk Outlines is a must listen. Cheers!
Ren has a few prominent themes though his work First of course is his illness, and his experiences from the misdiagnosis, the eventual correct diagnosis, and his subsequent treatments from the damage Lyme disease did to his body, thanks to the time it took to correctly diagnose it and treat it in the first place. The number of tracks that relate to this are pretty high The second is his friend Joe's suicide, which he covers in Freckled Angels, Suicide, For Joe, and How to Be Me The third is a very strong dislike of this corrupted capitalism that puts profits over literally everything else - people and the earth itself included. You've seen glimpses in this track as well as Eden, and there are several more like The Hunger, Illest of Our Time, and even as recently as his Back on 74 Retake where he has a bar or two referencing this, but the Money Game trilogy is specifically focused on this theme. His bars about the recording industry is less about any bad experiences with them, and more about the simple fact that all he really wants out of his talent is the freedom to make what he wants, when he wants, and as long as he makes enough money to live off of and continue to fulfill his creative vision, he'll be happy. We can even see a glimpse of this with the production value of Money Game Pt. 3 - perhaps a bit ironically.
The most insightful and affecting clip of what he was going though is seen in a 6 minute blog post when he was 16yo, in 2016. Search on YT for " 'Hi Ren' Premiers on youtube on the 15th December - 7pm GMT" . That clip and the music videos of "Seven Sins" and "Crutch" (read its description) should help you see some of what he's endured. In 2024, he'd be 33-34yo (born in 1990) so he's been in a lot of pain for the majority of his life and had already accepted that he could have a short life.
Ren sometimes misstates dates and time frames. The clip was posted on facebook on Feb 3, 2015 - he was two months shy of 25 years old. His health vlog is still up - Lyme 101.
I think Ren is continuing the message of the harm done by SOME doctors/therapists who (to him) "push pills" as the answer to those who suffer mental or emotional difficulties ("There's a pill for everything")........Ren has been consistently critical (and angry) regarding his own experiences with what can be considered medical incompetence......sung with anger and sarcasm ! ...........btw, I think the pig is a symbol of those professionals who put minimal effort in treating patients and appears in many of his videos..........thank you for your reaction !✌
Congratulations on your journey to good health. It's infrequent that people will change their eating habits and incorporate exercise despite efforts on the doctor's and dietitian's recommendations. Kudos to u and your wife!
The next one should be ren x chinchilla how to be me, LIVE. Gorgeous. Thanks for sharing your health issues. The more we talk about it, the less invisibly people suffer!
Great reaction, theres articles online that go into detail along with interviews Rens done where they talk about his health problems due to having undiagnosed lyme for around 10 yrs, and his misdiagnosis. Its devastating to the body, its even caused damage to his brain aswell as the rest of his body.
Ren discussed the Pig in an interview. He said that for him, it represents his sickness as a physical entity. It is always with him, and always standing in the corner reminding him he is sick. He mentioned that the pig has been with him for so long at this point that it is almost like a screwed-up comfort. He doesn't like that he is sick, but at this point, it's a constant that brings him a sense of twisted comfort. Lymes disease confuses your immune system and causes it to start attacking your own body because it's thinks your body is trying to hurt you. When it is left untreated for a long time (7 years for Ren), it starts attacking your brain. Ren has a lot of issues (like autoimmune disorder) that were a result of the lymes going untreated for so long. He has to take a crazy amount of pills every day (he has an entire full-hieght kitchen cabinet full of them) and is only able to eat a very select few foods.
Also something to know RENs best friend Joe Hughes killed himself we they were kids and REN dedicated a song suicide - for Joe and donated all profits to suicide help and recovery that helped shaped who ren is now that’s a must react to
🐷 is not just the medical industry Think more broadly It's greed, it's malice, it's ego, it's the dark side of humanity I'd guess he borrowed from the pig head in Lord of the Flies that represents the same thing At the start of The Hunger, Ren even has the pig head mounted on a spike, just like the novel As he described in Hi Ren, the capacity to do evil (🐷) is in all of us and can manifest anywhere. It's not is not limited to just a particular industry or economic system, and neither is Ren's symbolism of it
The kids are a sample of a Slovenian(?) folk dance. Lyrics are not relevant, I think he just liked the sound. ETA: if you end up doing any of his straight rap stuff he tends to do a lot of tempo changes, & one of his talents is rapping very very very fast now & then. I recommend pulling up the lyrics on those songs (or all his songs for that matter) because his wordplay is incredible and worth the time. He tries to have fun with word choices and techniques everywhere. Ren usually pins the lyrics in the comments if it’s his song. Between the accent & the speed it’s hard training ourselves to hear it all.
You have a long journey my friend into the Reniverse and im sure you're being flooded with renquests but you should check out some of Rens band the Big Push. I promise you won't be disappointed
Ren has a lot of different sides to him. If you want to hear more about his pain, I love the song Seven Sins. It tells about some of his struggles when he was at his worst. If you want something more chill you could listen to Ren x Chinchilla or Ren and Sam Tompkins or his band the big push. Lots out there. He’s also done a lot of “retakes” which are really good too.
I don't think I've come to a single Ren song, and found what I initially expected. He's not exactly predictable. If you want a few very different songs, have a look at Crutch, Uninvited, and Genesis. They're all so completely different.
@@teckreactionsyes! Crutch is one of my favorites! It was from before he knew it was Lyme disease. Both the song and video are stunning … and nothing like anything you’ve seen from him.
Yea, 'Ren ft. Bibi - Crutch' is heartbreaking, beautiful and deep. Has a great no-budget video as well. It dates back to Rens darkest days, when he thought he wouldn't live much longer.
My suggestions for Ren rabbit hole: Money game 3, Suicide, Diasepam, Dominoes... but basically most of the songs are awesome !!! Once in a century talent!!! ENJOY THE RIDE !!!
Subbed geez , i love your honesty , 1 st religious person who i heard who tells it as it is , plz review dominoes by ren an early song by him also heretic , and dear god will make you a fully fledged ren fanatic ...trust me geez .❤
Great reaction again. There are so many great Ren songs. Since I know you love music, I would recommend the two songs he did with Chinchilla. Both done live and incredible. Ren x Chinchilla How to be me and Chalk Outlines.
When he talks about the music industry wanting to "monetize his gift", he's referring to a specific case, but also broadly covering the music label industry as well. He signed with Sony before his illness got the better of him, and then couldn't put out for them. So, Sony dropped the contract, they didn't help him with what he was going through, didn't follow up when he felt more in control of himself. They basically moved on.
I can relate to you, I have an autoimmune arthritis too. It started when I was maybe 17, so it will be 20 years soon too. I'm in remision now and I hope you are well too!
I'm not positive if this has been said but the kids is a Bulgarian choir sample with slight altering but Bulgarian choir is something that is so beautiful and unique with their chanting.
@TECKreacts I'm probably not first to point this out but just in case, some of us think a lot of what is captured in the scene with the autograph signing comes from Ren being signed by Sony just before he got very sick. He was not able to work with them as a result. It felt like his big big chance down the drain. But also he's obviously grown more and more jaded about what the industry does to "commidify your gifts" as he said. Thankfully he has remained independent as he has proved he does not NEED a big record label and is better off without them to preserve the unique direction so many of his songs take. These would otherwise have been driven by some Producer telling him what kind of song he needs to write next.
Another good one that tells a lot about him like this is Genesis, but I also feel like you need to check out some of his more fun songs like Losing it or Down on the beat, and then there are his songs where he sings more like his Fred again mash up and the Back on 74 / Message in a bottle retake
The pig is a part of him. Its the part that he cannot be rid of, instead of trying to cut it out/ or be rid of it. Hes accepted it. The pig is his "friend." I dont remember exactly how he put it. He did explain what the pig represented in an interview. ruclips.net/video/8xFChmxavJw/видео.html
Yes, it represents greed, the medical industry, and his illness … but it’s also been his companion for so many years, so it’s hard for him to imagine his life without it. The pig mask is a recurring theme in many of his videos
Well done on picking up on the “jump off the precipice” line. Ren intentionally has Easter eggs in all his songs so you will notice hundreds more as you dig deeper! As far as Lyme disease, especially untreated, it can destroy your whole body. For example Ren has had to deal with MCAS which means he is allergic to thousands of things including only being able to eat about 6 different foods. Also Arthritis, Carditis and other Heart issues, Inflammation of multiple nerves, brain damage and more. I would say to do a more uplifting one next to break up the heaviness. Maybe one of these The Big Push - I shot the sheriff/ road to Zion/ hiphop (ren is wearing red suspenders) (reggae/ska) The big push - Wade in the water/ Nina Simone/ trouble so hard (very gospel/soul) Losing it (rap over an EDM beat) 🖤
The man behind the pig mask is a fellow UK rapper named VIKTUS and I believe that was also his hand waiving at Ren as a reporter, just a fellow mate, but Ren has left the pig open for interpretation for now and we assume to be revealed in later projects.
He is really cleaning up his language for his music. The culture he is in there in England, well they just cuss. It is not they they think anything about, that is just how they talk. . Best of times to you and your family
@@teckreactions I admit, I was being hard on you. Anyone who has watched you can tell you are a good hearten person. But if it didn't really bother you, you would not have mentioned it at all. No big deal, I should retract that statement. Best of times to you and those you love.
The Pigman can have multiple meanings and shows up in a lot of Ren's videos. To me, he's negativity personified. He's the tempter, the devil on your (and society's) shoulder. He'll encourage chaos and corruption. If you think of the Sick Boi album as a concept, the Pigman makes a lot of sense. Yes, you heard the jump off the precipice words in Eden. Ren does a lot of Easter eggs in his music generally, but especially within the Sick Boi album, where explores the myriad ways one can be sick/ill. You should definitely check out the first track, "Seven Sins." That and "Illest of Our Time" are probably my current favorites, and thematically work with this and "Hi Ren." Ren was told "Your mind is making you sick" over and over and, for years, given drugs to "fix" his mental health. It not only left his Lyme disease untreated, but caused psychotic episodes. The lack of treatment left Lyme to ravage his system, and he now has Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and organ damage. While they can't reverse his brain damage, part of his current medical treatment in Canada is to develop new neural pathways. Stem cell treatments have helped, but he's still very sick. To prevent inflammation and malnutrition, he is on an extremely restricted diet and takes a lot of meds & supplements. He's posted vids of his daily routines. His behind-the-scenes show a different side - like him rehearsing while hooked up to an IV. Nonetheless, even if you don’t know all that, he's amazing. I love how hard it is to hear the doctor in the beginning because the chanting is so loud. It really represents what it's like when you're suffering from mental illness and trying to follow your doctor. And you think they might be on the wrong track.
Expressing your interest in Ren's story...you MUST. watch "crutch". Beautiful cinimatography and poweful message. Woman on the video was his girlfriend at the time. BiBi. She was the first to set up a go fund me for him. At yhat time he eas still misdiagnosed as bi polar and a few other incorrect things... The treatment was a stem cell transplant if I recall (mentions in Sic Boi being the "poster boy",) Anyway... crutch ren and bibi "...nightmare scenariosJustin Hawkins interview. The song "Crutch" written, as Ren describes, "after a nervous breakdown following lots of visits to emergency room after some scary health problems"Oct 2015Video for the song "Crutch" filmed with Bibi on a freezing October night; co-directed by Ren, Tom Slater, and Lula Edmo"
Ren has a short on 'a day in the life of.' Has been in Calgary, ab, Canada for over a year now having treatment for various conditions as a result of the untreated Lyme disease. It left him with autoimmune issues and mass cell activation syndrome. Can only eat a handful of things. If you would like to get to know him, he has several interviews and a defining success for his 1 million subscribers. 😊
By now you know ren has gone it's lots of directions with his music, depending on your vibe I'll give some suggestions. To find out about him and his band; The big push - war pigs (live) To see him on rapping his head off on a tech house tune; Ren - down on the beat. To see the happy playful side; Love music pt2 or love music pt3 To see the rawest heartfelt emotion he's ever laid down; Ren suicide(live) Have been enjoying your other reactions too. Had never heard of dirty loops before but they're amazing! Keep it up ❤
Thank you for another Ren reaction, and thank you for sharing your journey. I'm sorry you've been experiencing chronic illness and loss related to it, especially at such a young age. May I add a couple of thoughts as a reaction to yours? I'm living with underresearched chronic illness, as Ren is. I think it's important that we acknowledge that chronic illness is part of life. Medicine's knowledge is incomplete, and there are illnesses (mainly illnesses that affect more women than men) for which little research has been funded, so we know little about them -- about their disease mechanisms, diagnostic markers, therapies that might help. For some of them, only therapies with worrisome side effects exists. For others, no therapies at all. Others are even not believed to be real by medical professionals because they haven't learned about them in medical school. We live in a society that wants to ignore the reality of chronic illness and of suffering (because that thought is scary). There's a danger that as a result, we want to believe that all illness is treatable and preventable. It's a narrative that might be soothing for those who aren't currently chronically ill or those who were lucky enough to have experienced remission of their chronic illness (which does happen occasionally, but it's not guaranteed). But at the same time, this puts blame -- in the first place on those who are sick and who stay sick. As a result, their suffering is often dismissed and they are seen as less competent, as if their illness was their own choice or failing. It leads to ableism, which is a form of discrimination. The medical industry does have its own problems -- it's often more aimed towards profit/reduction of cost than towards reduction of suffering, and often confusing absence of evidence with evidence of absence and ending up disbelieving patients in the process. People with complex underresearched illnesses often experience psychologization and medical gaslighting -- they are told "your brain is making you sick" and are seen as unreliable witnesses of their own experiences, while the possibility of severe unrecognized physical illness is dismissed. This, again, puts blame on patients, framing their illness as a choice. In the end, it's dismissive. It results in institutional betrayal and trauma, when the people who are supposed to help and ease the suffering add to it instead. I think anything that's based on "if only you'd change your thinking/feeling/the way you act, you wouldn't be sick" is problematic if it contradicts the experience of patients. We have this tendency to disbelieve those who are unlucky in life and to see them as less competent. I think it's a motor and perpetuator of discrimination (it's also part of epistemic injustice -- to learn about that philosophical concept has changed my world view quite a bit).
@@teckreactions You know, I think it were terms that you used that made me want to write my comment. Healthy habits, bolstering the immune system, taking matters in one's own hands, using food and exercise as medicine. Increasing immune system resilience, promoting healthy habits. Empowering ourselves to let our bodies do what our bodies do best. Take charge of your own health. I might have mistaken you, but to me, this sounded as if you believe that healing is the natural course of chronic illness, if we live healthily -- and that's where I disagree and say that this narrative can harm those whose illness doesn't get better. And yes, it's possible to find little things that help a bit (and they might be different for different people), but most people who are chronically ill don't find those big game changers. You were really lucky, and I'm happy for you. Your story is valid, and at the same time I wanted to let you know that it's a very sensitive topic that's best told as just a personal story, not a message to others. And I get it; when I find something that changes my life for the better, I don't want to deprive others of that opportunity. But I've learned over the years that especially regarding health, success stories can also be scarring to those who don't recover and should be told carefully, with the humility of knowing that recovery is as much (and probably more) a matter of luck than of achievement. I have a feeling that we'd have a very different view on the pandemic, too. My experience of the pandemic was that at some point, people decided that health was everybody's own responsibility -- while chronically ill and disabled people were disproportionately dying and deemed disposable, and while many people became newly and severely disabled due to Long Covid. I guess many views change a lot depending on whether you believe that illness/health is under one's own control or whether you allow the thought that there is chronic illness and severe suffering that lies outside of what we can control or influence.
Thank you for your insightful response. Undoubtedly, adopting healthy practices enhances our well-being compared to neglecting such habits. While this doesn't equate to a universal remedy, the preference for healthy choices over harmful ones should be a clear message in healthcare, yet, regrettably, it isn't always the case. My personal narrative has been deeply intertwined with health challenges, both my own and those of my family members. My mother and I have faced chronic illnesses, and my mother-in-law encountered a severe leukemia diagnosis unexpectedly in 2022, making this issue deeply personal to me. Acknowledging the individual nature of health and illness, I'm thankful for the timely interventions I received. However, facing side effects from medications led me to take a more autonomous approach to my health. By eliminating processed sugars, carbs, and opting for whole foods and regular exercise, I've taken deliberate steps toward better health. This isn't about fortune but about informed, disciplined choices that positively impact health, though not serving as a cure. The pandemic has underscored the importance of personal health responsibility. While I adhere to public health measures to mitigate spread, I believe in fortifying my own health to handle potential illnesses more effectively. Regarding lifestyle choices such as diet and smoking, I align with the principle that individuals should bear the consequences of their health choices, rather than imposing them on others. Your comment resonates with me, emphasizing that while everyone's health journey is unique, there are fundamental principles we can all apply to improve our well-being. We possess a degree of control over our health. Sharing a personal triumph, my mother-in-law overcame stage 3 leukemia without chemotherapy, opting for alternative treatments abroad. Her journey was challenging yet rewarding, and she is now in remission. This isn't to detract from conventional treatments but to highlight the body's capacity for recovery, especially when supported by optimal health.
@@teckreactions Thank you for your reply. I'm happy for you and the members of your family who have experienced remission/improvement of their health issues! I understand that it's a very personal topic for you; thank you for being open to talk about it, even though we come from different sides and have different points of view. Here's the thing: I don't think there are One Size Fits All healthy habits. Take Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, for example -- in this illness, exertion like exercise comes at a high risk of worsening symptoms, in the worst case permanently (and those affected are severely ill, often house- or bedbound, and on the severe end of the spectrum unable to tolerate light, sound, touch or food). Or mast cell activation syndrome - people often don't tolerate a wide spectrum of foods any more. For a while, a friend had only been able to eat five very specific foods, because every other food would make him severely sick, dizzy, headaches, throwing up, flu-like feelings etc. There are habits called healthy that correlate with better health, yes. But it's often not as easy to say what is cause and what's effect. Are people who exercise healthier, or do healthy people have the ability to exercise more? And even if it can be said that exercise and nutrition benefit a high percentage of people, it's still the question how people whom it doesn't benefit will be seen. Will it be acknowledged that something that will benefit most does not benefit everybody? Or will they be blamed for not benefitting, for "doing it wrong"? I live in Europe. Over here, eating habits are very often addressed by doctors, in a way that leads to diagnostic overshadowing. I've heard from so many fat people "The only thing doctors address is my weight and my eating habits, no matter what my symptoms are". They feel unseen, unheard, dismissed. I know of people who have given up seeking medical care as a result, because they felt that instead of being taken seriously, they were judged, and it didn't benefit their physical health while harming their mental health. I think it's problematic to moralize health. If healthy habits are framed as "informed, disciplined" -- what does that framing do to those for whom those same habits don't work? Will they be seen as uninformed and undisciplined, or even as inferior, as less trustworthy witnesses of their own experiences? How does that effect their autonomy? When it comes to people bearing the consequences of their lifestyle choices -- where's the line? Should sports-related injuries not be covered by insurance for people who decide to do sports? Car-accident-related injuries for people who decide to drive a car? Work-related injuries for people who decide on a job with a high risk of injury? It's not that easy. I think what degree of control a person possesses about their health can't be determined from the outside. People are different. I've lived with complex chronic illness for a long time now. I've found some small things that help me and that add 5% here, 10% there to my quality of life, and I am very grateful for this, because it makes me feel a bit more in control, even though it's far from a cure. It's very different to what would work for other people though, and One Size Fits All approaches have harmed me repeatedly. Thank you for taking the time for this exchange! I gotta go, my headaches are making it difficult to collect my thoughts.
Chalk outlines LIVE. I only know what REN has said but, the Lime disease caused organ damage and brain damage so, he is having a lot of treatments to try to retrain his brain and ‘heal’ some of the brain damage.
Awesome reaction. I would to hear your thoughts on RENs songs dear god and also life is funny ❤❤❤❤ oh and also he has a short spoken word called the meaning of life
![Oscar Maydon x Fuerza Regida - Tu Boda [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/_ymicn0_GYc/mqdefault.jpg)
"I feel like I know Ren..." Careful, when you think you know Ren, he will go and do something wildly unexpected. One of his best attributes imo
Great point.
Indeed. The only certainty with Ren is that the next thing you see from him will be totally unexpected.
@@jasonremy1627 💯
@@jasonremy1627Exactly. 👍
Thrue. 👍
CHALK OUTLINES Ren with Chinchilla might be another good follow up on the subject
Definitely on the list.
That would be amazing ❤
Yes you must!!!
I don't know if anyone has told you yet but Ren makes his own beats. And writes and produces most if not all of his songs.
Make sure you do the live video (not lyric video). And How To Be Me live! Both are incredible
The children's choir is actually a traditional Bulgarian song called BRE PETRUNKO . I love it so much ( it's currently my cell ringtone 😁😁) great reaction as always
Oh cool!
Not sure how you found that but it's my ring tone now as well. 😎
Thank you so much for this comment. I've been searching for this song forever and didn't know what to look for!
Thank you so much for this comment. I've been searching for this song forever and didn't know what to look for!
Oh no way that's awesome! Not always easy to tell what's sampled and what's not
He is Cussing cause he is English, we call them sentence enhancers out here lol
Haha!
Well, he's Welsh (Born in Bangor and raised in Dwyran on Anglesey), but casual cursing cuts across all British cultures.
We call it punctuation in Australia 🇦🇺 😂
@@shirazzza I once swore by accident in front of my grandparents. My grandfather said that swearing is ok as a comma but not a full stop.
Ren has more "sides" than a henahectaicosikaitrigon. (123 sided polygon)
Haha!
Maybe he’s spherical
😂
more sides than a moebius strip. lol
@@bonnievonbraun6276 I see you my neurodivergent friend!!! Lol
If you want more of his story in song, check out Seven Sins. He's described it in interviews as autobiographical, at the lowest point in his physical and emotional turmoil, he spent a long time in physical agony, hallucinating, and Seven Sins is his attempt to put that experience into song.
Will do.
Yea, it's a masterpiece.
Great rec
Yes do seven sins its awesome
Seven Sins is a masterpiece!
Seven sins by ren will give you a grasp on his pain. He actually says "Bright light = seizure"
Wow.
i second this request!
You should definitely watch his “one million subscribers” video. He talks about his journey and his values. It’s an inspiration!
I agree with the music video suggestions of Chalk Outlines (live ft Chinchilla) and Seven Sins. But then I always recommend Power after you go through his deeper material. It’s one of my favorites! And it also gives insight into his upbringing.
The musical journey he will take you on will have quite a few twists and turns. He’s incredibly gifted and channels so much into what he creates. There’s also a lot of fun, lighthearted songs that are a celebration of the music he loves 💕
I caught the 1 million subs video. Quite moving.
‘’I’m not offensed. Offense is a choice.’’ I love that line.
The vocal sample is from the Koutev Bulgarian National Ensemble - 'Bre Petrunko'. Ren has played with the pitch so it sounds like a children's choir.
Oh wow. It’s a cool addition.
Ren said that the pig mask is like an uncomfortable companion. The pig represents greed and his illness, and it's something that he's frustrated with and at war with. But at the same time, the pig is familiar to him, so in a way the pig is his friend and finds comfort in it. You can google the video of him explaining it if you want to hear it from him!
I’ll check that out!
Yes that is in his interview with Zack Sang
@@katrogers28 *Hope* he will check out the Zach Sang one sometime
He actually had a recording contract but his illnesses caused him to lose it. He was in so much pain and they kept telling him it was all in his mind. That there was nothing physically wrong. Eventually he had a complete mental break down. And that's when they discovered he actually WAS sick.😢
What a bummer.
Ren is siiiiick 🔥 I think the perfect follow up for this is Crutch feat. Bibi. It’s an older song from before Ren was finally correctly diagnosed with Lyme disease and was written after a breakdown following multiple emergency trips to the hospital. It is heart wrenching and stunning.
If Sick Boi is the frustrations from being misdiagnosed, Crutch is the fear of not knowing what’s happening.
Will do
Agree completely. Crutch speaks volumes way beyond words. Powerful.
Check out Ren’s “Power” for more of his background. He has a lot of fun in the video too.
Another one to check is “Back on 74”. Enjoy!
Will do
Many people have given you good suggestions for what to listen to next. Seven Sins is my favorite on the Sick Boi album. There’s so many more. His older music is fantastic
The list is long.
I also see this as a description of how he felt inside (the rhythmic grunting and eventually escalating to flipping the table) vs how he composes himself externally (the fidgety and slightly distracted attempt to keep calm), basically hiding the full extent of his problems in the public eye.
That makes sense.
I agree. The way I think about this (and Hi Ren) is that the song is about how he perceives the events internally. That's why the set looking so similar makes sense. But it also means he is an unreliable narrator.
I sent Sick Boi to my therapist to explain how I was feeling at the time.
Ugh yep that is exactly what i have to do & it truly truly sux & is very isolating which also sux big time blah
One point I'll make for Ren, is he went nearly decade with mis-diagnosis, which allowed the disease to wrack severe damage to his body. He is still receiving treatment in Canada. There are quite a few interviews where he discusses what he's gone through, attempts at treatments, and so forth.
Another thing I'll point out which is well demonstrated, we (at least I) as a patient to a mental professional shove all that expression of problems to the side just for the purpose of civil decorum. If you notice, it's hard to hear the vocals to represent how difficult it is to concentrate while in that kind of state.
I get exactly what Ren is saying because for 10 years, I was passed from doctor to doctor and the last one finally said it was all in my head (I was having severe headaches which gradually became worse, more intense and more frequently until they occurred every day, several times a day!) 😢. This doctor also sent me to get an MRI of my head. The neurologist said, “well, you have low-lying cerebellar tonsils, but that can’t possibly be what’s causing your headaches!” So I cried all the way home and then typed “low-lying cerebellar tonsils” into my computer. Chiari Malformation popped up and was something I had never heard of before (this was in December of 2001), and the internet was nothing like it is today. I had most of the symptoms listed and was so excited even though it gave me another headache! Then I found a neurosurgeon who specialized in Chiari but he was 7 hours away but well worth the drive! In April of 2002, I had brain surgery and immediately afterwards could feel the difference. Yes, it took a long time to diagnose and I’ve had 6 surgeries since but if left undiagnosed and untreated, I could have ended up paralyzed so God was definitely with me! I was 27 when the symptoms started…(I had given birth to my daughter which turned out to be a very quick and very painful delivery. I was in labor for 2 hrs and 15 mins but our drive to the hospital was 1 1/2 hrs which my husband made in 50 minutes! Lol!!) and my tonsils herniated and were stuffed down into my spinal column causing the headaches. So basically, when the last doctor said “it’s all in your head”, he was correct, he just didn’t know it and unfortunately was very rude! I was desperately trying to find out what was wrong with me because I had a newborn and 5 year old I was trying to raise almost by myself since my husband worked overseas. It was a tough and long 10 years but I’m so thankful that I diagnosed myself….just kidding, it was for sure a God thing and I give Him all the praise!! Note to doctors….please don’t ever tell your patients that it’s all in their heads because you’re frustrated. Just think about how they must feel. 🤷♀️. I apologize to everyone for this being so long.
Wow. I’m so glad you were guided to clarity on your condition. Congrats on those beautiful babies!
@@teckreactions Thank you so much! My son turns 40 in May and my daughter turns 34 in April…and my grandson turns 18 in May too! They grow up way too fast, that’s for sure!! 🥲. But they’re all awesome and they’re still my babies. (I hope they’re not reading this but…oh well!) Y’all, reactors, have no idea how great it is to actually hear from you. Thanks again!!!
Terrific Ren Reaction. Try Crutch. Also Have you tried Chinchilla? She has solo performances that are freaking amazing.
On it
Ren had Lyme's Disease that went undiagnosed for years. Instead he was diagnosed wrongly and after awhile they started to say it was all in his head. He suffered wrong treatment after treatment, which led to his mind breaking. He has PTSD due to the medically mishandling.
Sad
It’s exactly how a doctors appointment goes when you’re chronically ill. Here’s another pill, we will see you in another week or so. Rinse repeat. He’s nailed it.
Yep. That was about 15 years of my life.
Ren pins lyrics to his videos. Hits on another level when you know every word.
Thanks for that. I'll look out for those.
Halftime, Genesis, and Joe, live. Genius.
Right on.
Chalk Outlines is another song where he describes how medication makes him feel and what hes gone through in that respect. Chinchilla collaborates with Ren on this one and she is, well together, they are amazing!
On it! I've never heard of Chinchilla though.
Great reaction! That’s for sharing your personal connection to this. It’s probably been commented before, but Ren has a new track dropping on 3/28/24 if you want to stay up on the latest releases. He has also released 3 “retakes” in the last couple of months. Those will show you still more sides of Ren!
Fred Again Mashup - an acoustic guitar mashup of 5 EDM style songs by Fred Again.
Back on 74/Message in a Bottle - covers of the songs of the same title by Jungle and the Police, with some extra spice added in.
Nas Halftime retake - Ren rapping his own lyrics over the Halftime beat.
Nice. I saw his Bittersweet Symphony and it was pretty cool.
As below "Chalk outlines" and "How to be me" with Chinchilla live version, also from his time with a record label that his sickness ended "Fire" " Crutch" with his girlfriend at the time Bibi at his height of illness and "Freckled Angels" about his best friend that committed suicide, this to start with
On the list!
Great reactions - Next Up: Dear God by Ren. Right up your alley and one of my favorites.
I'll check it out
Chalk Outlines next probably, then Seven Sins. It starts with the day he fell into psychosis from pain and bitterness and an immune reaction to yet another failed treatment.
He uses phrases like " bright light seizures" He will be seen with sunglasses on which look like props ...but aren't. In Ren's case, he has brain and memory damage, constant foot and leg pain, disautonomia, Mcas, brain fog, damage to adrenals and thyroid and joints. The MCAS is attacking the myelin sheath of his electrical systems and he says bouts of depersonalization as well. Feeks like his personality disappears. He was bedridden again few weeks ago with very low bloid pressure.
As he says " It's a minefield".
Dang, man.
Rens Lyme disease was not treated for about eight years or so, so it rampaged his body and coused organdamaged - including braindamage - and severe foodallergie.
He also suffers from ADHD, PTDS, fatiguesyndrom and depression.😢
There is a short at his cannel showing a day of treatment. (He has been in treatment in Canada for almost a year now)
Dang. I’ll check that out.
When he said that he wants his audience to interpret pigs head. Some popular beliefs is that it can be different things in different videos. The pig can represent the medical industry big pharmaceuticals . Greed, etc..
Got it.
Another great reaction. If you want to get to know Ren, his journey through his pain, in his own words....he has done a couple of really honest interviews, one he did when he was in LA I think with someone called Zach Sang... really eye opening interview
I’ll check that out.
A couple of reactors have reacted to it... longer that a music track but defo worth a watch👍
Defo worth reacting to that one, il make sure I have tissues on stand by 🖤
The pig is also a nod to “animal farm”
Interesting
The early discussion by the therapist/psychiatrist (not sure which) is very accurate, at least according to modern concepts and theories of trauma.
However, that might be how professionals discuss it, but before you have this discussion with a client, one DEFINITELY needs to simply listen, be present, accept their pain & emotional state and help them feel safe...and feel heard. The time to have this conversation may take weeks months, maybe never for some clients.
The therapist sees him a diagnosis, not as a person. This, mine and other MH professionals' fears were realized when the diagnosis became the defacto method of informing the, "treatment goal "
Yeah. That’s a problem over here too.
Why I became one. I got the same treatment with therapists. So I decided to be one and be better than that! 🤷🏼♀️ I’m stubborn like that lol. I started after having meningitis that ended up being a chronic form of it that none of my doctors had ever seen. I was definitely a test tube patient (is what I called myself).
Good reaction! Ren is a wild one, once you think you know him... You find out there's much more.
I'd like to suggest The Kill by 30 Seconds to Mars. Different sound, but really good!
I love 30 Seconds to Mars!
Yeah, I’ve been living with autoimmune issues for almost 20 years. I have a lot of migrating chronic pain. It’s really started to affect my kidneys, heart, and brain. It’s the brain part that frustrates me the most. I get frustrated over the brain fog and confusion. It really upsets my 20 year old son; that’s hard. Great reaction! 😉❤️✌️
So sorry to hear that. Are you getting the help you need? Medication, diet, exercise?
@@teckreactions that’s a really good question? I don’t think so, but I sure have to take a lot of pills. I had a set back in November so things got worse. I got up to go to the bathroom and my heart stopped. I collapsed in the hallway. I managed to break my ankle in 3 places. It’s full of titanium. I have a lot of issues with vertigo. About 19 months before the damn ankle I fell and developed a brain bleed. It turned into a midline shift. Thus, my head has a really nice titanium plate. I’m literally falling apart. I guarantee with all the pills I have to take a lot of my problems are from side effects of all the damn meds. I’m pretty tired of all this. It’s hard because my immune system is so messed up the doctors always try to schedule me on days they’re not too busy. It’s a never ending nightmare. ❤️✌️
She was saying basically it's all in your head (your mind is making you sick)
Yeah.
Having so much fun watching your Ren journey. I think it’s time for some Chalk Outlines, live version. See you in the next one!! Ren has many more surprises in store for you and lots of them are actually fun without the super heavy messages. More please!!
More coming!
Ren puts 2 to 3 times the number of words in a similar time frame as any other artist other than some rappers. Rich content. I suggest the Money Game series next. Part 3 is a work of art.
That’s on the list, for sure.
"Losing patience (patients) with the process" subtle dbl.
For real.
Great reaction! Seven Sins or Chalk Outlines are great followups to this one. 💜💜
Yes they are!
I have Lyme disease It messes with your Joints, your muscles, your neural pathways, your eyes, etc... Depression sets in because there are days you physically can't get out of bed. And not many ppl understand. You get called lazy, and get accused of "faking it" . And with recurring Lyme there are certain times of the year when it becomes so overwhelming. Neck pains for months or shoulder pains, back, ankles,etc... and then there's the migraine headaches that completely disable you for hours and sometimes days. IT'S A NIGHTMARE 😮
Sending you virtual hugs ❤
I’m so sorry. Are you getting better?
@@teckreactions I have good weeks now , and a few bad days. So yes in a way I am getting better. I'm almost 50. I've been dealing with it since my early 30s.
Ren has been misdiagnosed multiple times. He’s got Lyme disease and has had stem cell surgery to help in Canada I believe.
True. I've been learning a lot about him recently.
Great job taking control of your own health!! For some further info, I HIGHLY recommend Anthony William's first book, " The Medical Medium", it is for exactly what you have described and has helped me greatly. On another note, LOVE Sick Boi and also think Chalk Outlines is a must listen. Cheers!
Thank you! I’ll take a look.
Ren has a few prominent themes though his work
First of course is his illness, and his experiences from the misdiagnosis, the eventual correct diagnosis, and his subsequent treatments from the damage Lyme disease did to his body, thanks to the time it took to correctly diagnose it and treat it in the first place. The number of tracks that relate to this are pretty high
The second is his friend Joe's suicide, which he covers in Freckled Angels, Suicide, For Joe, and How to Be Me
The third is a very strong dislike of this corrupted capitalism that puts profits over literally everything else - people and the earth itself included. You've seen glimpses in this track as well as Eden, and there are several more like The Hunger, Illest of Our Time, and even as recently as his Back on 74 Retake where he has a bar or two referencing this, but the Money Game trilogy is specifically focused on this theme.
His bars about the recording industry is less about any bad experiences with them, and more about the simple fact that all he really wants out of his talent is the freedom to make what he wants, when he wants, and as long as he makes enough money to live off of and continue to fulfill his creative vision, he'll be happy.
We can even see a glimpse of this with the production value of Money Game Pt. 3 - perhaps a bit ironically.
Looking forward to that one!
The most insightful and affecting clip of what he was going though is seen in a 6 minute blog post when he was 16yo, in 2016. Search on YT for " 'Hi Ren' Premiers on youtube on the 15th December - 7pm GMT" . That clip and the music videos of "Seven Sins" and "Crutch" (read its description) should help you see some of what he's endured. In 2024, he'd be 33-34yo (born in 1990) so he's been in a lot of pain for the majority of his life and had already accepted that he could have a short life.
Geez. That’s sad.
Ren sometimes misstates dates and time frames. The clip was posted on facebook on Feb 3, 2015 - he was two months shy of 25 years old. His health vlog is still up - Lyme 101.
Great respectful reaction! I'd suggest the Money Game trilogy next. They are also great storytelling pieces.
Coming soon!
Another great reaction and insight, loving your journey, about another 20 genres to see yet, and they will all impress you, many blessings 🙏🦉❤️🐊👍
I appreciate that
Please listen to Ren Defining Success. It will give you a greater understanding of who he is.
Will do.
@@teckreactions I meant to say please react to it. We All love it and will be happy to listen. More people need to hear it it's important.
@@hilarycharman-2924 I'm not sure it'll be an authentic reaction since I've already seen it.
@@teckreactions Okay no worries
I believe that song in the background is Tabor Goes to Heaven, a Bulgarian folk song
Cool
You have quickly become one of my favorite reactors❤❤ love your thoughts on these topics
Wow, thank you!
Enjoyed your reaction- interesting. Thanks ❤
Glad you enjoyed it
I think Ren is continuing the message of the harm done by SOME doctors/therapists who (to him) "push pills" as the answer to those who suffer mental or emotional difficulties ("There's a pill for everything")........Ren has been consistently critical (and angry) regarding his own experiences with what can be considered medical incompetence......sung with anger and sarcasm ! ...........btw, I think the pig is a symbol of those professionals who put minimal effort in treating patients and appears in many of his videos..........thank you for your reaction !✌
Congratulations on your journey to good health. It's infrequent that people will change their eating habits and incorporate exercise despite efforts on the doctor's and dietitian's recommendations. Kudos to u and your wife!
Thank you!
The next one should be ren x chinchilla how to be me, LIVE. Gorgeous.
Thanks for sharing your health issues. The more we talk about it, the less invisibly people suffer!
My pleasure.
That hand - was Viktus (he’s released some of his own songs). Good friend of Ren’s
Vitkus also plays the pig.
Cool.
Great reaction, theres articles online that go into detail along with interviews Rens done where they talk about his health problems due to having undiagnosed lyme for around 10 yrs, and his misdiagnosis. Its devastating to the body, its even caused damage to his brain aswell as the rest of his body.
Geez. That’s terrible.
Ren discussed the Pig in an interview. He said that for him, it represents his sickness as a physical entity. It is always with him, and always standing in the corner reminding him he is sick. He mentioned that the pig has been with him for so long at this point that it is almost like a screwed-up comfort. He doesn't like that he is sick, but at this point, it's a constant that brings him a sense of twisted comfort.
Lymes disease confuses your immune system and causes it to start attacking your own body because it's thinks your body is trying to hurt you. When it is left untreated for a long time (7 years for Ren), it starts attacking your brain. Ren has a lot of issues (like autoimmune disorder) that were a result of the lymes going untreated for so long. He has to take a crazy amount of pills every day (he has an entire full-hieght kitchen cabinet full of them) and is only able to eat a very select few foods.
Wow. That’s crazy.
Now you have to do the Money Game trilogy, just make sure you do the lyric video for Part 2, it's the full song.
Will do!
Also something to know RENs best friend Joe Hughes killed himself we they were kids and REN dedicated a song suicide - for Joe and donated all profits to suicide help and recovery that helped shaped who ren is now that’s a must react to
Man, that’s sad.
🐷 is not just the medical industry
Think more broadly
It's greed, it's malice, it's ego, it's the dark side of humanity
I'd guess he borrowed from the pig head in Lord of the Flies that represents the same thing
At the start of The Hunger, Ren even has the pig head mounted on a spike, just like the novel
As he described in Hi Ren, the capacity to do evil (🐷) is in all of us and can manifest anywhere. It's not is not limited to just a particular industry or economic system, and neither is Ren's symbolism of it
That makes sense.
The kids are a sample of a Slovenian(?) folk dance. Lyrics are not relevant, I think he just liked the sound.
ETA: if you end up doing any of his straight rap stuff he tends to do a lot of tempo changes, & one of his talents is rapping very very very fast now & then. I recommend pulling up the lyrics on those songs (or all his songs for that matter) because his wordplay is incredible and worth the time. He tries to have fun with word choices and techniques everywhere. Ren usually pins the lyrics in the comments if it’s his song. Between the accent & the speed it’s hard training ourselves to hear it all.
Interesting. I’d like to hear that.
@@teckreactions one of the other reactors somehow figured out what it was & found it. Not sure who it was but if I find it again I’ll check back. 💜🎶
You have a long journey my friend into the Reniverse and im sure you're being flooded with renquests but you should check out some of Rens band the Big Push. I promise you won't be disappointed
On the list.
Ren has a lot of different sides to him. If you want to hear more about his pain, I love the song Seven Sins. It tells about some of his struggles when he was at his worst. If you want something more chill you could listen to Ren x Chinchilla or Ren and Sam Tompkins or his band the big push. Lots out there. He’s also done a lot of “retakes” which are really good too.
The Ren list grows.
I don't think I've come to a single Ren song, and found what I initially expected. He's not exactly predictable. If you want a few very different songs, have a look at Crutch, Uninvited, and Genesis. They're all so completely different.
Will do!
@@teckreactionsyes! Crutch is one of my favorites! It was from before he knew it was Lyme disease. Both the song and video are stunning … and nothing like anything you’ve seen from him.
How to be me live & Crutch! Beautiful!
Rock on!
Yea, 'Ren ft. Bibi - Crutch' is heartbreaking, beautiful and deep. Has a great no-budget video as well.
It dates back to Rens darkest days, when he thought he wouldn't live much longer.
Ren is a brain workout and a roller coaster all at the same time/ You should try Chalk outlines/
That’s next.
My suggestions for Ren rabbit hole: Money game 3, Suicide, Diasepam, Dominoes... but basically most of the songs are awesome !!! Once in a century talent!!! ENJOY THE RIDE !!!
Thanks!
I've never focused on the hand before. What catches my focus since you've paused it there..is that main tattoo on the hand is BBC
Hmmmm
Subbed geez , i love your honesty , 1 st religious person who i heard who tells it as it is , plz review dominoes by ren an early song by him also heretic , and dear god will make you a fully fledged ren fanatic ...trust me geez .❤
Thanks! Will do.
Suicide or How to be me would be great next. I can see Chalk outlines meantioned here a lot - also not a bad choice :)
Will do
Great reaction again. There are so many great Ren songs. Since I know you love music, I would recommend the two songs he did with Chinchilla. Both done live and incredible. Ren x Chinchilla How to be me and Chalk Outlines.
I'll check it out!
My husband thinks doctors should only get paid if you are well. I agree their job is to keep us well not sick.
That's a pretty fair incentive.
There is so much more! ❤
Looking forward to it!
When he talks about the music industry wanting to "monetize his gift", he's referring to a specific case, but also broadly covering the music label industry as well. He signed with Sony before his illness got the better of him, and then couldn't put out for them. So, Sony dropped the contract, they didn't help him with what he was going through, didn't follow up when he felt more in control of himself. They basically moved on.
That’s sad.
Ren countered this story. He said it was amicable. He was just too sick and the contract expired.
@@francesdoll4039 I must have missed that. Thanks.
@@Crimson_Iris he talked about it in his interview with Justin Hawkins
I can relate to you, I have an autoimmune arthritis too. It started when I was maybe 17, so it will be 20 years soon too. I'm in remision now and I hope you are well too!
Yay! Good for you. Yep! No more meds and I feel better in my 30s than I did in my 20s.
I'm not positive if this has been said but the kids is a Bulgarian choir sample with slight altering but Bulgarian choir is something that is so beautiful and unique with their chanting.
Super cool.
He was pretty much given a record contract but got too ill to go with it. By the time he was better (not cured) he had a different perspective...
That's a bummer.
@@teckreactions maybe, or maybe he'd have become just another pop brat... :)
Good take on the song. Ren does use "cuss" words but on purpose for affect I believe. Cheers!
Thanks!
@TECKreacts I'm probably not first to point this out but just in case, some of us think a lot of what is captured in the scene with the autograph signing comes from Ren being signed by Sony just before he got very sick. He was not able to work with them as a result. It felt like his big big chance down the drain. But also he's obviously grown more and more jaded about what the industry does to "commidify your gifts" as he said. Thankfully he has remained independent as he has proved he does not NEED a big record label and is better off without them to preserve the unique direction so many of his songs take. These would otherwise have been driven by some Producer telling him what kind of song he needs to write next.
I’ve heard that before. I’ll have to look into the story.
So much more to see! Try Chalk Outlines...
Definitely on the list.
Another good one that tells a lot about him like this is Genesis, but I also feel like you need to check out some of his more fun songs like Losing it or Down on the beat, and then there are his songs where he sings more like his Fred again mash up and the Back on 74 / Message in a bottle retake
On it.
Excellent reaction. There's so much to this artist, I can see you being as addicted as I am. You should react to the Money Game trilogy.
Definitely on the list.
The pig is a part of him. Its the part that he cannot be rid of, instead of trying to cut it out/ or be rid of it. Hes accepted it. The pig is his "friend." I dont remember exactly how he put it. He did explain what the pig represented in an interview. ruclips.net/video/8xFChmxavJw/видео.html
Very interesting.
Yes, it represents greed, the medical industry, and his illness … but it’s also been his companion for so many years, so it’s hard for him to imagine his life without it. The pig mask is a recurring theme in many of his videos
Great analysis as always! :) If you're looking for Ren's uplifting songs check out Power or What You Want.
Thank you! Will do!
another sick reaction :)) still would like to hear your thoughts on “dear god” and pocket full of pain :))
I'll check it out
Stem cells transplants saved his life
I heard that in one of his interviews.
Well done on picking up on the “jump off the precipice” line. Ren intentionally has Easter eggs in all his songs so you will notice hundreds more as you dig deeper!
As far as Lyme disease, especially untreated, it can destroy your whole body. For example Ren has had to deal with MCAS which means he is allergic to thousands of things including only being able to eat about 6 different foods. Also Arthritis, Carditis and other Heart issues, Inflammation of multiple nerves, brain damage and more.
I would say to do a more uplifting one next to break up the heaviness. Maybe one of these
The Big Push - I shot the sheriff/ road to Zion/ hiphop (ren is wearing red suspenders) (reggae/ska)
The big push - Wade in the water/ Nina Simone/ trouble so hard (very gospel/soul)
Losing it (rap over an EDM beat)
🖤
Man, that’s tough.
Eden was the culmination of the PR for his latest album Sick Boi, so there are many references to lines in different tracks on the album.
Cool.
The man behind the pig mask is a fellow UK rapper named VIKTUS and I believe that was also his hand waiving at Ren as a reporter, just a fellow mate, but Ren has left the pig open for interpretation for now and we assume to be revealed in later projects.
Oh cool.
Ren, i believe was signed to SONY RECORDS, but they released him due to his illness.
That sucks.
I really enjoy watching your reactions, thank you so much. much love from the UK ♡
Glad you like them!
He is really cleaning up his language for his music. The culture he is in there in England, well they just cuss. It is not they they think anything about, that is just how they talk. . Best of times to you and your family
@@teckreactions I admit, I was being hard on you. Anyone who has watched you can tell you are a good hearten person. But if it didn't really bother you, you would not have mentioned it at all. No big deal, I should retract that statement. Best of times to you and those you love.
@@teckreactions I just fixed my first comment
The Pigman can have multiple meanings and shows up in a lot of Ren's videos. To me, he's negativity personified. He's the tempter, the devil on your (and society's) shoulder. He'll encourage chaos and corruption. If you think of the Sick Boi album as a concept, the Pigman makes a lot of sense.
Yes, you heard the jump off the precipice words in Eden. Ren does a lot of Easter eggs in his music generally, but especially within the Sick Boi album, where explores the myriad ways one can be sick/ill. You should definitely check out the first track, "Seven Sins." That and "Illest of Our Time" are probably my current favorites, and thematically work with this and "Hi Ren."
Ren was told "Your mind is making you sick" over and over and, for years, given drugs to "fix" his mental health. It not only left his Lyme disease untreated, but caused psychotic episodes. The lack of treatment left Lyme to ravage his system, and he now has Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and organ damage. While they can't reverse his brain damage, part of his current medical treatment in Canada is to develop new neural pathways. Stem cell treatments have helped, but he's still very sick. To prevent inflammation and malnutrition, he is on an extremely restricted diet and takes a lot of meds & supplements. He's posted vids of his daily routines. His behind-the-scenes show a different side - like him rehearsing while hooked up to an IV.
Nonetheless, even if you don’t know all that, he's amazing. I love how hard it is to hear the doctor in the beginning because the chanting is so loud. It really represents what it's like when you're suffering from mental illness and trying to follow your doctor. And you think they might be on the wrong track.
I agree. It's been fun.
Expressing your interest in Ren's story...you MUST. watch "crutch". Beautiful cinimatography and poweful message. Woman on the video was his girlfriend at the time. BiBi. She was the first to set up a go fund me for him. At yhat time he eas still misdiagnosed as bi polar and a few other incorrect things... The treatment was a stem cell transplant if I recall (mentions in Sic Boi being the "poster boy",)
Anyway... crutch ren and bibi
"...nightmare scenariosJustin Hawkins interview. The song "Crutch" written, as Ren describes, "after a nervous breakdown following lots of visits to emergency room after some scary health problems"Oct 2015Video for the song "Crutch" filmed with Bibi on a freezing October night; co-directed by Ren, Tom Slater, and Lula Edmo"
Will do
Ren has a short on 'a day in the life of.' Has been in Calgary, ab, Canada for over a year now having treatment for various conditions as a result of the untreated Lyme disease. It left him with autoimmune issues and mass cell activation syndrome. Can only eat a handful of things. If you would like to get to know him, he has several interviews and a defining success for his 1 million subscribers. 😊
I’ll check that out.
By now you know ren has gone it's lots of directions with his music, depending on your vibe I'll give some suggestions.
To find out about him and his band;
The big push - war pigs (live)
To see him on rapping his head off on a tech house tune;
Ren - down on the beat.
To see the happy playful side;
Love music pt2 or love music pt3
To see the rawest heartfelt emotion he's ever laid down;
Ren suicide(live)
Have been enjoying your other reactions too. Had never heard of dirty loops before but they're amazing!
Keep it up ❤
Thank you!!!!
Thank you for another Ren reaction, and thank you for sharing your journey. I'm sorry you've been experiencing chronic illness and loss related to it, especially at such a young age.
May I add a couple of thoughts as a reaction to yours?
I'm living with underresearched chronic illness, as Ren is. I think it's important that we acknowledge that chronic illness is part of life. Medicine's knowledge is incomplete, and there are illnesses (mainly illnesses that affect more women than men) for which little research has been funded, so we know little about them -- about their disease mechanisms, diagnostic markers, therapies that might help. For some of them, only therapies with worrisome side effects exists. For others, no therapies at all. Others are even not believed to be real by medical professionals because they haven't learned about them in medical school.
We live in a society that wants to ignore the reality of chronic illness and of suffering (because that thought is scary). There's a danger that as a result, we want to believe that all illness is treatable and preventable. It's a narrative that might be soothing for those who aren't currently chronically ill or those who were lucky enough to have experienced remission of their chronic illness (which does happen occasionally, but it's not guaranteed). But at the same time, this puts blame -- in the first place on those who are sick and who stay sick. As a result, their suffering is often dismissed and they are seen as less competent, as if their illness was their own choice or failing. It leads to ableism, which is a form of discrimination.
The medical industry does have its own problems -- it's often more aimed towards profit/reduction of cost than towards reduction of suffering, and often confusing absence of evidence with evidence of absence and ending up disbelieving patients in the process.
People with complex underresearched illnesses often experience psychologization and medical gaslighting -- they are told "your brain is making you sick" and are seen as unreliable witnesses of their own experiences, while the possibility of severe unrecognized physical illness is dismissed. This, again, puts blame on patients, framing their illness as a choice. In the end, it's dismissive. It results in institutional betrayal and trauma, when the people who are supposed to help and ease the suffering add to it instead.
I think anything that's based on "if only you'd change your thinking/feeling/the way you act, you wouldn't be sick" is problematic if it contradicts the experience of patients. We have this tendency to disbelieve those who are unlucky in life and to see them as less competent. I think it's a motor and perpetuator of discrimination (it's also part of epistemic injustice -- to learn about that philosophical concept has changed my world view quite a bit).
Did I come across communicating “if you only do X then Y” in my story? That wasn’t my intent. I left off saying something like “focus on your health.”
@@teckreactions You know, I think it were terms that you used that made me want to write my comment. Healthy habits, bolstering the immune system, taking matters in one's own hands, using food and exercise as medicine. Increasing immune system resilience, promoting healthy habits. Empowering ourselves to let our bodies do what our bodies do best. Take charge of your own health.
I might have mistaken you, but to me, this sounded as if you believe that healing is the natural course of chronic illness, if we live healthily -- and that's where I disagree and say that this narrative can harm those whose illness doesn't get better. And yes, it's possible to find little things that help a bit (and they might be different for different people), but most people who are chronically ill don't find those big game changers.
You were really lucky, and I'm happy for you. Your story is valid, and at the same time I wanted to let you know that it's a very sensitive topic that's best told as just a personal story, not a message to others. And I get it; when I find something that changes my life for the better, I don't want to deprive others of that opportunity. But I've learned over the years that especially regarding health, success stories can also be scarring to those who don't recover and should be told carefully, with the humility of knowing that recovery is as much (and probably more) a matter of luck than of achievement.
I have a feeling that we'd have a very different view on the pandemic, too. My experience of the pandemic was that at some point, people decided that health was everybody's own responsibility -- while chronically ill and disabled people were disproportionately dying and deemed disposable, and while many people became newly and severely disabled due to Long Covid. I guess many views change a lot depending on whether you believe that illness/health is under one's own control or whether you allow the thought that there is chronic illness and severe suffering that lies outside of what we can control or influence.
Thank you for your insightful response.
Undoubtedly, adopting healthy practices enhances our well-being compared to neglecting such habits. While this doesn't equate to a universal remedy, the preference for healthy choices over harmful ones should be a clear message in healthcare, yet, regrettably, it isn't always the case.
My personal narrative has been deeply intertwined with health challenges, both my own and those of my family members. My mother and I have faced chronic illnesses, and my mother-in-law encountered a severe leukemia diagnosis unexpectedly in 2022, making this issue deeply personal to me.
Acknowledging the individual nature of health and illness, I'm thankful for the timely interventions I received. However, facing side effects from medications led me to take a more autonomous approach to my health.
By eliminating processed sugars, carbs, and opting for whole foods and regular exercise, I've taken deliberate steps toward better health. This isn't about fortune but about informed, disciplined choices that positively impact health, though not serving as a cure.
The pandemic has underscored the importance of personal health responsibility. While I adhere to public health measures to mitigate spread, I believe in fortifying my own health to handle potential illnesses more effectively.
Regarding lifestyle choices such as diet and smoking, I align with the principle that individuals should bear the consequences of their health choices, rather than imposing them on others.
Your comment resonates with me, emphasizing that while everyone's health journey is unique, there are fundamental principles we can all apply to improve our well-being. We possess a degree of control over our health.
Sharing a personal triumph, my mother-in-law overcame stage 3 leukemia without chemotherapy, opting for alternative treatments abroad. Her journey was challenging yet rewarding, and she is now in remission. This isn't to detract from conventional treatments but to highlight the body's capacity for recovery, especially when supported by optimal health.
@@teckreactions Thank you for your reply. I'm happy for you and the members of your family who have experienced remission/improvement of their health issues! I understand that it's a very personal topic for you; thank you for being open to talk about it, even though we come from different sides and have different points of view.
Here's the thing: I don't think there are One Size Fits All healthy habits. Take Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, for example -- in this illness, exertion like exercise comes at a high risk of worsening symptoms, in the worst case permanently (and those affected are severely ill, often house- or bedbound, and on the severe end of the spectrum unable to tolerate light, sound, touch or food). Or mast cell activation syndrome - people often don't tolerate a wide spectrum of foods any more. For a while, a friend had only been able to eat five very specific foods, because every other food would make him severely sick, dizzy, headaches, throwing up, flu-like feelings etc.
There are habits called healthy that correlate with better health, yes. But it's often not as easy to say what is cause and what's effect. Are people who exercise healthier, or do healthy people have the ability to exercise more? And even if it can be said that exercise and nutrition benefit a high percentage of people, it's still the question how people whom it doesn't benefit will be seen. Will it be acknowledged that something that will benefit most does not benefit everybody? Or will they be blamed for not benefitting, for "doing it wrong"?
I live in Europe. Over here, eating habits are very often addressed by doctors, in a way that leads to diagnostic overshadowing. I've heard from so many fat people "The only thing doctors address is my weight and my eating habits, no matter what my symptoms are". They feel unseen, unheard, dismissed. I know of people who have given up seeking medical care as a result, because they felt that instead of being taken seriously, they were judged, and it didn't benefit their physical health while harming their mental health.
I think it's problematic to moralize health. If healthy habits are framed as "informed, disciplined" -- what does that framing do to those for whom those same habits don't work? Will they be seen as uninformed and undisciplined, or even as inferior, as less trustworthy witnesses of their own experiences? How does that effect their autonomy?
When it comes to people bearing the consequences of their lifestyle choices -- where's the line? Should sports-related injuries not be covered by insurance for people who decide to do sports? Car-accident-related injuries for people who decide to drive a car? Work-related injuries for people who decide on a job with a high risk of injury? It's not that easy.
I think what degree of control a person possesses about their health can't be determined from the outside. People are different. I've lived with complex chronic illness for a long time now. I've found some small things that help me and that add 5% here, 10% there to my quality of life, and I am very grateful for this, because it makes me feel a bit more in control, even though it's far from a cure. It's very different to what would work for other people though, and One Size Fits All approaches have harmed me repeatedly.
Thank you for taking the time for this exchange! I gotta go, my headaches are making it difficult to collect my thoughts.
Chalk outlines LIVE. I only know what REN has said but, the Lime disease caused organ damage and brain damage so, he is having a lot of treatments to try to retrain his brain and ‘heal’ some of the brain damage.
Wow. Glad he’s getting treated.
You should check out suicide by Ren by the way... another absolute tear jerker... written in two parts.
Coming soon!
Awesome reaction. I would to hear your thoughts on RENs songs dear god and also life is funny ❤❤❤❤ oh and also he has a short spoken word called the meaning of life
Those are definitely on the list.