Blackpool rapper YoungBloodRap has catchy new single out and is advocate for mental health support

Jamie Hardman, 29, was performing under the name Young Blood back in 2015, appeared on regional TV and even switched on Christmas lights at various towns across the country.

An article in the Gazette described him as a potential star of the future as he looked to follow in the footsteps of his idol, Eminem.

But the death of his grandmother when he was 23 was a trigger that led to a mental health nightmare which took him years to recover from, with his music hopes petering out.

Jamie, who works as a mental health team leader at Blackpool, hopes he can provide some hope for others who are also struggling and admits when he was at his lowest he contemplated taking his own life.

His catchy new single – released under the current name YoungBloodRap - is called Never Be Alone and is available on iTunes and all digital platforms after being released on July 14.

Since the days when he was performing under the name Young Blood, another artist who styles himself YungBlud, Dominic Harrsion from Doncaster, has been making a name for himself and recently performed a well-regarded set at Glastonbury.

Dad-of-two Jamie, who lives with his partner Sophie Powers in Blackpool, said: “Our names are spelt differently and his style is different, we are just doing our own thing.

"Just being able to come up with songs again is important to me and it’s great to have the new one out.

"I wrote it for my girlfriend and it’s a very upbeat song.

"I hope people who hear it will enjoy it and get something from it.”

Jamie has developed a 43,000-strong following on the social media platform TikTok these days, with the name ‘youngbloodrap’, and under the nickname ‘King of Kindness’ is an advocate of mental health support.

He said: “It’s like a kind of community in a way.

"There was one girl who was really down and felt like she couldn’t carry on.

"I’ve struggled with mental health and I work in mental health and I was able to help her realise she wasn’t alone and help is out there – helping people, if I can, is the most important thing.”