Rap Culture’s Evolution from Glorifying to Decrying Drug Use

Because it is cheaper and more readily available than powdered cocaine, crack quickly took hold in poor urban communities. Beeson said alcohol mentions are not necessarily an endorsement of drinking. While some rap artists examined in the analysis promoted alcohol use, others stressed the dangers of heavy drinking. Back in 2020, during an interview with Converse for their Creative All Star Series, Tyler, The Creator shared that he’s never been interested in drinking, though he’s tried weed twice. Then he noted that his “addictive personality” is what could potentially lead to his downfall. “I’m in a financial place where I can enable it myself, and I don’t ever want to be that guy,” he affirmed.

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The following list highlights how the hip-hop community, like all, is not immune to the deadly influences of the drug culture. DMX’s criminal record features a wide array of things, from driving offences to possession of guns and illegal substances to tax evasion. As Mercury News notes, he attributed much of his problematic personal life to his long-standing addiction issues. sober rappers The rapper has stated that his longtime addiction to crack cocaine began when he unwittingly smoked a marijuana joint containing the drug when he was just 14 years old. Cocaine was ultimately a factor in the heart attack that caused his death in 2021 (per Vulture), and before that, he’d already had a near-fatal overdose in 2016.

• Although this trend continues, more rappers today are using their platforms to spread awareness for addiction and mental illness.
• Much like the battle against COVID-19, the drug and opioid epidemic has created its own host of challenges that influence the music, trends and peripheral creation of the art.
• In the ’80s, as rap music grew in popularity, crack cocaine use swept the nation.
• Tyler’s straight-edge lifestyle has been a large part of his personality from the very beginning, despite being surrounded by his permanently stoned Odd Future crew 90% of the time.

Os Garotin, Kevin Aguilar y más brillan en Best New Artist Showcase de Latin Grammys 2024

• Others have expressed concern about drug culture, emphasizing the negative consequences, including addiction.
• Although it was a tough ride, and he tried to escape three times in the process, Cudi eventually beat his addiction.
• Last on our list of rappers who overdosed is the “Solcyboyz 2” rapper Big Scarr.
• Then other rappers, including Dr. Dre, started positively portraying smoking cannabis in their music and during interviews.

At the time, a common retort from rappers to criticism of their lyrics was that they were merely reflecting the reality of the streets. It was dismissed by some as an excuse but when it comes to crack, they were telling the truth. Department of Justice looking specifically at the epidemic in New York City backed that notion. It seems more likely, however, that violent crime was reduced by several other factors including an improved economy. Poor economic conditions were, after all, responsible for the creation of highly competitive, often-violent drug markets. In a way that Nancy Reagan could never, it appears the community and culture surrounding the most vulnerable young people taught them, rather than told them to just say no.

• Rapper Kid Cudi’s troubles with co-occurring disorders are well-known.
• In his track “56 Nights,” the rap star claims to have taken 56 Xanax pills in a month.
• His cause of death was the result of a lethal combination of heroin, cocaine, and Xanax.

Lil Pump

Ari Lennox, Ella Mai, and Kehlani have all paid tribute to the promising young rapper. Frequent collaborators Lil Pump and Smokepurpp blacklisted Xans, announcing in January 2018 that they were leaving the habit in the past. Also last January, Mozzy kicked off the #KickDaKupChallenge, denouncing lean by pouring out a whole bottle onto the ground. Because their efforts were so public, many believe that drug warriors were responsible for the decline of crack and the violence that accompanied it.

There’s also a less violent avenue that has landed Insane Clown Posse in numerous legal troubles. Per The Detroit News, the IRS has been on their case over unpaid taxes more than once, at one point even noting that Shaggy 2 Dope might be imprisoned if he fails to comply. This South Florida boy’s had to struggle with more than just some “Ice Ice Baby.” Bro was feeling way down after his shameful exit from the spotlight, and in the mid-’90s, he turned to ecstasy, coke, and heroin. Ice actually tried to kill himself with a heroin overdose in ’94, but his friends found him and saved his life.

Discovered on SoundCloud,the Long Island-based rapper developed a cult following before experiencingmainstream success with his debut album Come Over When You’re Sober,Pt. 1, which peaked at number 38 on the Billboard 200 in 2017.His song “Falling Down”, a collaboration with XXXTentacion (alsodeceased), peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2018. In addition tovocalizing his affinity for recreational drugs, he also shared with fans thathe suffered from depression and bipolar disorder.

Andre’a Bowens, a licensed drug counselor who runs ABowens Drug and Alcohol Counseling in Atlanta, deals with the fallout from the nation’s drug problem on a first-hand basis. A federal court in New York sent on Monday a drug kingpin and paramilitary leader whom Colombia extradited in 2018 to prison… If convicted, each of the OTF defendants face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.