For some, seeking help has been the first step toward breaking free and rediscovering life beyond the haze. Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish. But T.I.’s legal case also underscores another cultural groundswell, coming at a time when Ecstasy is reaching a kind of critical mass in hip-hop. Other rap stars such as Eminem and Bad Meets Evil co-star Royce Da 5’9, Future, NLE Choppa, Chicago rapper 600Breezy and even an incarcerated Pooh Shiesty have all celebrated sobriety milestones in recent years.

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• Whether that be in the lyrics themselves or the artist’s addiction to them.
• Ruland describes that “As a person continues to abuse drugs, the brain adapts to the overwhelming surges in dopamine by producing less dopamine or by reducing the number of dopamine receptors in the reward circuit” (12).
• After some words of encouragement from his father and family, Chance dedicated himself to getting clean and moving back to Chicago.

Nonetheless there is still a lot of faking going on when you consider all the assertions made by rappers and their alleged hustler pasts. “It’s a stigma attached to drug addiction,” Carmela tells XXL about why so few people who find themselves in the throes of narcotics or opiod Substance abuse dependency get help. One person with true empathy for the cause is Juice Wrld’s mother, Carmela Wallace.

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But he’s not the first rapper to fall victim to addiction, and thankfully, he’s still alive. On March 7th, Khalifa Kush will launch their newest strain called Point Breeze, dropping exclusively at STIIIZY California stores. Mixed with KK x Gastro Pop, the name pays homage to the Pittsburgh neighborhood where it all started ( and where the company is still based today). Exploding onto the scene in the ’80s, Ice-T soon became a pioneer for gangsta rap, even serving as the first musician with a “Parental Advisory” sticker on their records. We’ve compiled the latest and greatest from celebrity weed royalty and beyond. While the prevalence of Patron and Cristal, which peaked in the mid and late 2000s respectively, has begun to taper off.

• From ODB to DMX, Kanye to ‘Pac, hip-hop performers have a chronic habit of getting busted for stupid stuff.
• Clocking in at 7 grams, this bag offers more bang for your buck while maintaining the same quality, for those who consume more often than not.
• The stacked area graphs highlight the prevalence of different phrases, and therefore drug references, by nature of their vertical height.
• Short-term side effects of cannabis use include memory loss, hallucinations and psychosis.
• The overwhelming surge of dopamine is adapted to by the brain.

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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. First off, the best part about a rapper launching their cannabis brand is the fact that fans can live vicariously through them while smoking it. Despite a brief dip in the mention of the drug, lyrics have shown a more recent increase in the use of the syrup being mixed with alcohol, soda, juice, or, as in the case of ‘sizzurp,’ Jolly Ranchers. The prescription-strength cough syrup is also known as purple drank.

Although this trend continues, more rappers today are using their platforms to spread awareness for addiction and mental illness. In fact, parts of the United States have already begun the legalization process, with Canada soon to follow. What once began as a predominantly “hip-hop” lifestyle has gone on to achieve ubiquity. Most recently, in September 2018, 26-year-old Pittsburgh rapper (and ex of Ariana Grande) Mac Miller overdosed on a medley of oxycodone pills, cocaine and Xanax cut with Fentanyl.

In 2020, she launched the LiveFree999 Foundation with the mission of supporting programs that provide preventative measures and address mental health challenges and substance dependency. ‘Along with the steep rise in various pain killers, including Percs, Lortab, and hydrocodone since the mid-2000s, Adderall’s popularity has surged’, explained the researchers. In particular, several different brands have increased in popularity over what rapper does the most drugs the past decade. The charts also reveal how changes in political policy and society can directly influence rap lyrics.

Many artists are now starting to sing about their struggles with these drugs rather than “flexing” to show how much they make from selling drugs. It is time to put an end to drugs, and help those who are current struggling users. No matter what type of drugs someone takes, there are always side effects. Author Claudia Ruland states, “The teen brain is still developing, making the effects of drug abuse even more complex for this population” (3). Starting drugs at a younger age has much worse effects on the body and brain compared to an adult with a fully developed brain.

• 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.
• In that moment, the dealer became the user, and rap became that much more accessible.
• Possible drug side effects can range from a diminishing personal appearance to red eyes and depression.
• These five rappers have taken positive steps to be a part of the rap and hip hop world without substance use.

Around this time, rap songs praising marijuana use began to experience commercial success. Then other rappers, including Dr. Dre, started positively portraying smoking cannabis in their music and during interviews. Denny Kolsch, an Orlando-based mental health counselor who specializes in addiction and mood-related disorders, says that socioeconomic factors may be another reason African-American rappers allude to drug use in their music. For years, rap music has glorified substance use, portraying getting high as an activity with little consequence.

The rock scene itself almost encouraged experimenting with substances. Drugs and alcohol became a way to cope with stress, fuel creativity, or simply keep up with the fast-paced lifestyle. Unfortunately, this led to addiction, health struggles, and even untimely deaths.