NF’s song gives the unique perspective of someone who doesn’t personally struggle with addiction, but is still impacted by the grip substance abuse has on someone they care about. The song is an emotional and personal reminder to listeners about the severity of addiction and just how much it can take from you when it is affecting the people you care about. What we haven’t done is reckon with an ascendant crop of pharmaceuticals — some legal, some semi-legal, some illegal — that are now routinely referenced in works of art. From Xanax to Adderall to Percocet to the codeine-cough-syrup concoction “lean,” there’s a medicine cabinet’s worth of drugs that are influencing, inspiring, beguiling, and, in some cases, destroying artists. We may have a good sense of the artistic reputation of, say, booze — from its effects (getting drunk) to its notable laureates (Cheever), but what is the artistic connotation of lean?

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Kudo says that he and their mutual friend A$AP Bari had a heart-to-heart talk with Juice about his escalating drug use. alcoholism Bari, Kudo says, warned Juice that if he kept up his habits, he might end up dying, just as Bari’s close friend the prolific A$AP Yams did, of an accidental drug overdose, back in 2015. Rapper Kid Cudi’s troubles with co-occurring disorders are well-known. Early in his career, he used cocaine and marijuana to cope with newfound fame and alleviate his years-long battle with anxiety and depression. In his music, he reveals the mental health problems that have plagued him for years. His music covers topics ranging from depression and suicide to benzodiazepine use.

“Indica”

In 2017, Beeson and a team of researchers at Northwestern University conducted an analysis of the Billboard Hot 100 year-end charts from 2007 to 2016 to determine the frequency of alcohol-related terms in popular music. According to the Daily News, in 1991 he was sentenced to two years of probation and a $1,782 fine — among other conditions — due to a gun charge involving a “parking lot confrontation” with a homeless person. In 2001, 2008, and 2011, he was arrested for assaulting his wife (per Kiss Richmond). The latter two cases led to nothing, but he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in the 2001 case, which led to another probation and court-mandated therapy. The Music Culture IRL project provides a framework for writers to explore a social issue or global challenge that matters to them in the context of music culture.

Hip-Hop and Drugs: How Prominent Rappers Lose Their Lives For The High

According to The National Institution for Drug Abuse, over 40 million people report suffering from a substance abuse disorder. Rap is one of the most prominent musical genres around, and as Encyclopedia Britannica notes, the 1980s saw the birth of gangsta rap. The genre’s popularity heralded the arrival of a new style of MC’s, who often rapped about criminal activities. Though the line between reality and boastful dramatization in the lyrics could get pretty blurred, many of the rappers were well-acquainted with the world they were rapping about.

Alcohol

In 2013, Gucci Mane was charged for two separate counts of “possessing a firearm as a felon,” and after a plea deal in 2014, spent roughly two years in prison. In a 2020 interview with Malcolm Gladwell (via Essence), the rapper reflected on his criminal activities and said that his time in prison was ultimately a blessing in disguise. Tettey said that’s partly because mainstream artists represent a lifestyle many young adults want for themselves, which can translate into modeling behaviors like opioid misuse. Artists like Young Nyke sometimes confront neighborhood and family violence, as well as a general lack of opportunities and resources in their communities — circumstances amplified by the covid pandemic. The poetic words detailing the rappers’ experience offer some support. From big cities like Los Angeles to rural towns like Gibsland — population 878 — opioid misuse among some young, hopeful listeners is about emulating their favorite rap star’s enviable image.

Tracking the historic popularity of rap’s favorite drug through its lyrics.

It permeates the music, it’s imprinted in the culture and recently, it’s been having deadly consequences for rappers. Daniel Hernandez, aka Tekashi what rapper does the most drugs 6ix9ine or some variation thereof, was first arrested when he was still underage, and got five days of community service for trying to sell drugs (per Mercury News). Before he reached adulthood, he also received a four-year probation for “the use of a child under 17 in a sexual performance.” In 2018, he was arrested for allegedly choking a teenager (via Pitchfork). Chad Lamont Butler (December 29, 1973 – December 4, 2007),better known by his stage name Pimp C, was an American rapper andrecord producer.

• These days, Snoop Dogg is basically hip-hop’s coolest cool uncle, thanks to his laid-back style and things like his long-running friendship with Martha Stewart.
• “It’s rewarding to see, but it’s sad too, because I miss him,” she says.
• If possible, please include the original author(s) and KFF Health News” in the byline.
• “This study showed that in fact much early rap music either did not talk about drugs at all, or when it did had anti-drug messages,” said Denise Herd, of the University of California at Berkeley, who headed the research team.

• This kind of transparency in music is what can help create understanding for kids and adults who don’t fully understand the effect drug use can have on a person’s body and mind.
• Despite their likely well-meaning intentions, the schools that chose not to participate effectively missed their chance at promoting much-needed dialogue about the dangers of drug addiction in a safe environment.
• But one opioid led to another, and in 2007, Eminem accidentally overdosed on methadone, an opioid agonist medication, and was rushed to the emergency room.
• The first time was in December 2020, when he voluntarily sought out professional help.
• But African-Americans are 20 percent more likely than the general population to endure a severe mental health disorder, such as major depression or post-traumatic stress disorder.

As this article shows, many rappers have butted heads with the law, but one rap duo actually created a criminal gang — albeit unwillingly. Horrorcore hip-hoppers Insane Clown Posse have their own FBI file, and as Rolling Stone reminds us, the bureau has gone as far as classifying the duo’s loyal army of fans — known as the Juggalos — as a criminal gang. Insane Clown Posse actually went to court to overturn this, but since the designation was informal, they lost. In 2015, per NBC, Ice was renovating a house, and allegedly broke into the neighboring house and stole a number of items. He was arrested and jailed, but maintained that the whole thing was “a misunderstanding.” He ultimately accepted a plea deal for 100 hours of community service.