By Matthew McLaughlin

“Inflicted with injuries, I was lost and forgotten/ trying to keep these kids from mimicking me. Have to work twice as hard/ can’t let up the guard/ had to turn it over to the hand of God.”

When Jonathan Mahoney rhymes about pain, redemption and overcoming adversity, he does not look to outside influences for inspiration. Everything he does, from performing as a hip hop artist, to helping local youth, to remembering his fallen friends, is influenced by real life tragedies and triumphs.

Mahoney, 22, was born and raised in Somerville.  An avid hockey player, he said he had nothing but fond memories growing up.

‚ÄúIt was great growing up here,‚Äù he said.  ‚ÄúI always had kids to hang out with and parents that cared for me. There were always bad things going on, but we didn‚Äôt notice it.‚Äù

Eventually the bad things caught up with Mahoney and his friends. Drugs became an increasing influence on a young generation of Somerville teens, he said. The harsh reality of the problem didn’t become apparent until the death of Matty O’Brien, a fellow hockey player who overdosed and died.

‚ÄúI always knew there were kids doing drugs, but seeing someone you knew, and knowing they‚Äôre not going to be there any more. It was very confusing,‚Äù he said.  ‚ÄúLife got cold after high school.‚Äù

Sadly, O’Brien’s death was not an isolated case. Mahoney witnessed many more friends pass on, including four more members of the Somerville High School hockey team. The overwhelming pain of watching friend after friend overdose, commit suicide or become victims to murder was too much to bear and Mahoney’s life began to tailspin. Mahoney graduated from Somerville High School with a 3.3 grade point average. He said he entertained offers to play hockey in college, but his heart wasn’t in it. His mother, Helen Mahoney, said she witnessed her son’s decline but was unsure of what to do.

“I had a lot of anxiety,” she said. “I couldn’t get that things like this could happen like this. All these families were involved with their kids. I couldn’t understand what was going on.”

Eventually Mahoney reached a point where he realized he needed a dramatic change.  With the help of family and friends, he tried to turn his personal tragedy into something positive.

“It was a change in attitude, knowing I had more to do with my life,” he said. “I realized that if I don’t do something, I could end up doing this for the rest of my life.”

Mahoney decided it was time to go back to school. He enrolled at U-Mass Boston, where he hopes to graduate from in the future.  He also decided to remember his fallen hockey friends, not by how they died but rather by having an event to honor them. Mahoney revived the annual Matty O‚ÄôBrien hockey tournament and held it in honor of all five of his fallen friends.

‚ÄúEach one had so much to offer to the world,‚Äù he said.  ‚ÄúI thought ‚Äòwhy not celebrate their lives?‚Äô I wish we could add any kid who died from drugs, suicide, murder, but the list would be too long.‚Äù

The first year raised more than $2,100. The money will be used for a college scholarship for Somerville High graduates.

Mahoney also tries to help himself and others sort through the past in the form of hip-hop, using the alias OMASU (Observe Mind and Seek Universally). OMASU recently performed and hosted a lineup of young adult artists at Art Beat.

‚ÄúI look at it as my form of therapy,‚Äù he said.  ‚ÄúOMASU is the strong part of me, the higher elevation of self.‚Äù

While not rhyming, honoring his friends and going to school, Mahoney works for the Somerville Recreation department, where he helps organize hockey games at Conway Park Wednesday evenings. Mahoney hopes to continue helping people in Somerville and hopes to finish school and own a home in the future.

“I will see where the road takes me,” he said. “It is important to be content and be grateful for what you have.”