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

Several other rappers, from Macklemore to Kendrick Lamar, have relayed the dangers of drug abuse through song. Instead of glorifying the behavior, a bevy of rap artists speak of addiction in a more somber tone. Eminem is one of the most prominent rappers around and has been open about his time in rehab. https://ecosoberhouse.com/ His drug addiction began in 2002 when he started taking pills for his insomnia. For the next few years, the rapper struggled with addiction to prescription drugs, including Vicodin, Ambien, and Valium. In 2005, Eminem went to rehab and successfully achieved sobriety after spending time there.

Lisa and Rosalía Solidify Cross-Cultural Music Collabs as the Future

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. sober rappers His brothers sold crack and were frequently incarcerated, and his mother and sisters endured sexual abuse. His traumatic upbringing brought on bouts of anxiety and depression.

days left to support local news

Though they were all taken by the very American plague of gun violence, news and historical accounts often amplify the spectacle of violent Black death, even when they claim to honor those who are killed. On the other hand, Poet argues people rap about opioids because it’s fashionable and says the lifestyle is “financially beneficial for them”. “We can explore whether we can help that person, rather than encourage them to take these drugs to create a sound that will make them money. That’s a horrible place to be in.”

JAY-Z Explains Why Kendrick Lamar Was Chosen To Perform At Super Bowl Halftime Show

Others have expressed concern about drug culture, emphasizing the negative consequences, including addiction. 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. Pimp was found dead in his hotel room in 2007, and autopsy reports showed a mix of promethazine and codeine (two of the main ingredients in cough syrup), which proved deadly when combined with the rapper’s preexisting sleep apnea condition. Big dog DMX is tough as barbed wire and slicker than an oil spill, but even he’s had a hard time fighting addiction. He’s battled with cocaine and crack addiction, among other things, and it’s sent him to jail almost 30 times.

Before his death from a suspected overdose in 2017, Lil Peep talked about his depression in an interview with Pitchfork. The rapper and YouTube star said that he moved to California to distance himself from the people and places that led to his mental illness. But he continued to battle depressive thoughts, including suicidal ideations. As he explained, in 2014, when he began experiencing success in his career, Chance moved to North Hollywood and was high on Xanax every day. His addiction resulted in broken relationships and a lack of productivity. Six months later, he moved back to Chicago, his hometown, and stopped using drugs.

• Rap was also deeply engaged with the crack epidemic and War on Drugs.
• Both of these artists were shot in cold blood and their talent was taken from them, which is tragic.
• Over the years, many rappers have sought help in an effort to deal with their addictions.
• Beeson said alcohol mentions are not necessarily an endorsement of drinking.
• He got increasingly into substance abuse the older he got, and it got worse the more prominent he became.
• Did you know in 2015 there was a study that stated that murder was the cause of 51.5% of all American hip-hop artist deaths?

How Dr. Dre and Hip Hop Helped End the Crack Era

I feel like it’s more important to get the right take when you’re recording an album, because an album is forever. To be completely honest, sometimes as a performer, if you do it so many times like it’s muscle memory. So whatever is happening in the crowd is usually enough to inject a newness to the show. Two years ago I started headline touring, and that inspired a lot of the album. Just this feeling of constantly being on the go, being uprooted time and time again, so the theme of acceptance is a huge one on this album.

• While his list of musical achievements is staggering, Snoop’s greatest contribution to hip-hop lies in his ability to authentically infuse elements of his life into non-musical spaces.
• In songs and interviews, Jay-Z has discussed the ubiquity of drugs he saw while growing up in Brooklyn in the 1980s.
• Became the first rappers to receive the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award, an honor they received in 2016.
• I gravitate towards art or music that tends to skew that way, because I think we all need a little bit of hope in this very difficult, scary world.
• Mixing codeine with prescription cough syrup can result in nervous system or respiratory depression.

Jane’s Addiction Concert Ends Abruptly After Perry Farrell Throws a Punch at Dave Navarro, Is Forced Offstage by Crew

Many of these artists who have been murdered have not seen life past age 30, because they were taken from us at such a young age. It was at its worse around the 1970s, when rap was at its prime. Since a lot of rappers back in the day were into gangs, there was a whole lot of violence in the rap game. Rappers would have beef with each other because they would be in rival gangs, and this would ultimately end in a shoot out with these rival gang members. Many rappers have been killed because of rival gangs like Tupac and The Notorious BIG. Both of these artists were shot in cold blood and their talent was taken from them, which is tragic.

Expand music menu

As for Young Thug, he’s clearly been on the workout grind as he’s been seen showing off his muscles when he got the chance to video chat with his sister, Dolly White. However, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and other rappers who have glamorized marijuana use often fail to mention its consequences. Short-term side effects of cannabis use include memory loss, hallucinations and psychosis.

With a strength tougher than Nigerian hair, his impression can be heard throughout every era of modern hip-hop, from his own musical family tree with Young Money (Drake, Nicki Minaj) traced through to next-gen superstars (Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole). Dr. Dre took home the first of his seven GRAMMY wins to date in 1994. More golden gramophones have followed for his work with Eminem and Anderson .Paak, and he’s also been nominated for his productions for Kendrick Lamar, 2Pac, 50 Cent, Gwen Stefani, and more.