This synthetic drug contains mood-altering properties that produce feelings of pleasure, warmth and energy. Also known as molly and MDMA, the drug often shows up at nightclubs and concerts. Xanax is a benzodiazepine that is used to treat anxiety and panic disorders.

North America: epicentre of the opioid crisis

T.I., another one of rap’s top sellers, reported to a federal prison in 2009 for his conviction on weapons charges. He spent time in an Arkansas prison and is currently at a halfway house in Georgia. “In terms of recovery, it has been very important for me to be a part of a recovery community, to actively be around my people because they understand me,” said Macklemore. In October 2016, he reluctantly sought treatment for depression and suicidal urges. But Jay-Z believes that black musicians should be cognizant of their well-being.

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• Many of us still view this as something individuals bring on themselves or have a choice about.
• Several of his songs depict the harsh realities of addiction, but “Drug Dealer” has a special ability to impact listeners.
• In the past he used drugs as his “unwind,” and now in this moment, he is trying to fight the urge to go back to them to reach that high.
• His music covers topics ranging from depression and suicide to benzodiazepine use.
• From 1996 to 2009, cocaine then became the drug of choice for rap lyrics, and only marijuana proved more popular before and after this time period.

Despite building a career on the glorification of drug sales and his own addiction, his final 39 months in prison starting in 2013 became his wake-up call to face his demons and address his drug abuse. Maco — who spoke out against the glamorization of drug use in 2015 and had a beef with Future because of it — has stepped away from lean. Chance the Rapper, one of Mensa’s hometown friends, recovered from a Xanax addiction; he went on to win three https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/the-cycle-of-addiction-and-how-to-break-it/ 2017 Grammy awards and a guest spot on Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo album (plus cuddles from Beyoncé). Mac Miller had an addiction to lean among other drugs and is also in recovery.

Rappers Who Addressed Their Addictions

And Biggie was mostly about parties and the club and stuff like that. Now the supporters of the facilities say death rates would have gone up even more without these sites, but that’s a hard argument to make. I’m generally very much in favor of these types of facilities, and they’ve worked great in places like Europe, but I cannot explain what’s happening in Vancouver.

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A study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh in 2008 analyzed Billboard magazine’s list of the 279 most popular songs of 2005. The results showed that substance use was referenced in 77 percent of rap songs, the highest percentage of drug mentions among all genres included Substance abuse in the study. For years, rap music has glorified substance use, portraying getting high as an activity with little consequence.

• The research revealed rappers have long had a preference for Hennessy cognac, also known as Henny, and this popularity began in the mid 1990s.
• A drop in cocaine references were also mirrored with a drop in alcohol-related lyrics.
• Synthetic opiates like OxyContin and fentanyl have proved to be classless, ageless and sex blind.
• Now the supporters of the facilities say death rates would have gone up even more without these sites, but that’s a hard argument to make.
• Now, there’s evidence to show that opioid use long term is not helpful at all, that you’re just creating a new problem.

Like their Afghan counterparts, they grow coca as it is more profitable than alternatives such as coffee. While it rappers with drug addictions may be profitable in the short term, there are greater costs to them and their society. What connects both examples from the US and UK is the attitude and perception of drug use many of us have. Drug use and the heavy use of prescription painkillers is still heavily stigmatised.

A Closer Look at How Drug Overdoses Are Plaguing Hip-Hop

Lovato’s transparency has been monumental for many fans who have come forward to open up about their own struggles and how the artist’s discussion has been empowering for them as they seek help. 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. Another artist gone too soon, Mac Miller was candid in his music about his drug usage and battle with addiction. Looking back, lyrics like “ Yea umm… I might die before I detox” haunt many of his fans and peers, given that Miller would go on to overdose within five years on cocaine, fentanyl, and alcohol.

As hard as people like Andre’a and Carmela are working to stem the tide, drug use continues to rise. In recent years, artists like Lil Yachty, Chief Keef, Gucci Mane, G Herbo, Lil Baby and others have revealed they kicked lean habits. It almost seems like people get more and more desensitized with so many rappers dying in a short period of time. Obviously, people react shocked and hurt for a while but people are also moving on quicker.

• This practice was derived from the griots of West Africa, who operated as historians, storytellers, praise singers, and poets; a tradition passed down through generations in Jamaica ever since slavery.
• They must also target the factors driving the recruitment of young people into the drug trade, who are at particular risk of synthetic drug use.
• You can’t mix fentanyl in with that at all, so it’s been much slower to take root.
• The largest global burden of disease continues to be attributed to opioids, use of which appears to have remained stable at the global level since 2019, in contrast to other drugs.

China is trying to go up the value chain, and they’re trying to encourage the export of more expensive chemicals and pharmaceuticals. That’s why all these obscure fentanyl analogs get these export rebates. I think it’s been an unfortunate side effect that so many of them are going to illicit uses.