Early in his career, he used cocaine and marijuana to cope with newfound fame and alleviate his years-long battle with anxiety and depression. His music covers topics ranging from depression and suicide to benzodiazepine use. In his song “U Said,” he talks about dealing with the emotional pain of a broken relationship by popping pills and getting high. The Grammy Award-winning artist was addicted to prescription painkillers for years. When he began using opioids, he experienced a burst of euphoria he had never before felt. Derived from the dried flower of the cannabis plant, marijuana is a drug often used for recreational purposes.
The Consequences of Drug Addiction
Earl Simmons, better known as DMX, had a long and tragic history with addiction. His struggle began at a young age, when he was tricked into smoking a crack-laced blunt at just 14 years old, which marked the start of his lifelong addiction. More than 23 million Americans aged 12 or older — or 9.2 percent of the population — have abused drugs in the past month, according to the most recent 2012 data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Alcohol abuse is just as prevalent in 17.6 million people, or one in every 12 adults. The New Orleans rapper has been sippin’ and spittin’ about purple drank for years. He first came out about his addiction in 2008, but rumors of the toll it takes on his life continue into 2013.
Lil Peep
His struggle began as his career started to rise, and he became addicted to prescription drugs, including Valium, Vicodin, and Ambien. The influence of peer groups and the environment cannot be underestimated when examining drug addiction in the rap industry. Rappers may be surrounded by individuals who also use drugs, either as a form of recreation or to cope with the demands of their careers. Peer pressure within these circles can normalize drug use and make it harder for individuals to abstain or seek help. He was a Southern hip-hop icon, and he lived the life he rapped about. A founding member of UGK, Pimp C helped pave the way for the Dirty South revolution and gave the game some of its trillest tracks, but his reign was cut short when addiction got the best of him.
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These programs equip individuals with the necessary tools and coping strategies to navigate life without relying on drugs. To fill you in on just how serious an issue it is, let’s face the facts. Although Wayne popularized lean in the late 2000s, Houston group the Botany Boys were some of the first MCs to mention lean on wax. Their 1995 record, Smokin’ N’ Leanin’, is littered with references to syrup, some 20 years before Atlanta’s Future released Dirty Sprite 2—an ode to the drug he denies being addicted to. 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.
These products triggered a 2019 Food and Drug Administration crackdown on the vaping juices. The drugs themselves, however, still pump through the streets, just like the hip-hop lyrics. He was 21 when he first sipped “lean” — a drink made from mixing prescription cough syrup containing the antihistamine promethazine and the opioid codeine with soda, Jolly Rancher candies and ice, served in doubled-up Styrofoam cups.
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Although his freeform hair and unkempt beard may suggest otherwise, the 4 Your Eyez Only rapper, has been marijuana free since 2011. It has its own genre of music, and movies have properly reflected its influence on society. And all of this was before any of the recent lax in legislation in states across America.
He tells in the above video about how his children were his inspiration to finally get clean. But even when you’re not using, it’s a constant battle to stay sober. These days, prescription drugs seem to be a part of the rapper starter kit. While, for the most part, drug use in hip-hop has never been taboo (meaning you can’t totally blame this on the kiddos), the promotion and use of drugs of the highly addictive nature is at an all-time high. Take a look at this list and find out which of your favorite rap stars abstain from drugs Halfway house and alcohol. The fifth entry on our list of rappers who overdosed is the 18-year-old rapper Hella Sketchy.
Xanax: the drug that defined the decade and changed rap
Official statistics show Tramadol was implicated in 220 drug-related deaths in England in 2018 compared to just seven in 1998. And Oxycodone, the opioid many believe is at the centre of America’s epidemic, was implicated in 79 deaths in England in 2018 compared to zero deaths just ten years earlier. In the 1960s and 1970s, LSD and heroin helped musicians break on through to the other side, while cocaine gave 1980s pop music its turbo charge. Fast-forward to the 2010s, and it’s rappers that do drugs opioids that now have a grip over some of music’s biggest stars.
This is not an article telling anyone how to live; this is not an article advocating the wisdom or foolishness of different paths. What they have in common is that they are all, by their own account, for now, living sober. And quite evidently they all strongly believe—whatever their varying reasons and circumstances and perspectives and challenges—that sobriety has made life better.
- And all of this was before any of the recent lax in legislation in states across America.
- Prolific songwriter and rapper Pharrell Williams is one of the most important figures in the music industry of the past two decades.
- Dro, weed, loud or whatever your region calls it, it was never taboo to me.
- 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.
- In response to his struggles, Kid Cudi checked himself into a rehab facility in 2016.
At the time, he had no idea he would get addicted or how far the effects would reach. Unfortunately, he did struggle with substance abuse down the line, and much later, he discovered that his teenage daughter had started using as well. Dro shared that the discovery pushed him to check himself into rehab in 2021 and has stayed clean since.
