According to his own social media posts Ice-T is pretty much – if not entirely – sober. Prolific songwriter and rapper Pharrell Williams is one of the most important figures in the music industry of the past two decades. One of Kendrick Lamar’s first big hits, ‘Swimming Pools (Drank)’ addressed some of his experiences with alcohol and his feelings towards it.
He may rap about blood and gore, but Tyler, the Creator says “no to drugs, I never spark it.” The Odd Future leader has a strict stance against drug use, despite being surrounded by it. Judging by his boundless energy and creative mind, he’s doing just fine without it. “Imagine how many fans are being affected by this drug problem. Speaking to Newsbeat, Poet called the “prescription stuff” a “joke”. “No to drugs, I never spark it”, Tyler said on the first track of his very first project, Bastard. Not only has he found massive success both a solo and featured artist, but along with Chad Hugo, he penned some of the biggest hits of the 00s and 10s as The Neptunes.
The Culture of Rap and Drug Addiction
“I had an experience with alcohol that made me paranoid because of it and I stayed away from it,” 50 told Piers Morgan. Top-performing rappers like Juicy J (of hit song “Dark Horse” fame), A$AP Rocky, Rick Ross, Trinidad James and Tyga are pushing these drugs on rap, and mentions of the drugs have been increasing exponentially. But what’s missing from songs like Tyga’s “Molly” and A$AP Rocky’s lean anthem “Wild for the Night” is the aftermath. But a stunning new rapper, ScHoolboy Q — a close friend of Kendrick Lamar — is taking a stand against drug culture on his brilliant new record OXYmoron (out Tuesday). Lil Peep’s death was something I expected from a more famous rapper — someone already entrenched in rap culture — not someone so new to the industry. After all, don’t the problems with drugs usually come after the fame?
- Like many, the artist struggled during the Covid pandemic, and during lockdown he relapsed.
- Call them straight edge, call them teetotal – these guys have discovered that alcohol and drugs don’t do them any good.
- It is now estimated that somewhere around 85 percent of the most highly rated rap songs contain lyrics about illicit drug use.
- Unfortunately, drug use in hip hop is nothing new, as we have lost talents like Pimp C, Mac Miller, and Juice WRLD to overdoses.
Tyler also revealed that he has tried weed twice, and that was more sober rappers than enough for him to be convinced that he will never try it again.
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“I said, ‘Jada, I think we’ve got a problem here,’” she told Contact Music. “From that day on, I went cold turkey.” The actor and singer has now been sober for eight years. It’s important to note that most people won’t find recovery going “cold turkey.” It’s OK, and normal, to experience setbacks along the way, and to accept help on your journey. Like Kendrick Lamar, Vince Staples has avoided taking drugs and drinking alcohol. The Long Beach, California rapper’s decision to stay sober stems from the traumatic events he witnessed during his childhood.
The presence of substance use references in rap music is certainly nothing new. Back in the 80s and 90s, marijuana use was the most openly discussed in popular rap music. Crack cocaine also made a frequent lyrical appearance in many of the most popular rap songs throughout this period. While many musicians struggle with drugs and alcohol, others choose to remain sober or get clean after experiences with addiction. Some famous rappers who don’t drink or do drugs went to rehab while other sober rappers quit cold turkey. A few famous rap stars who are sober even inspired other hip hop stars to kick their addictions for good.
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As you’ll see, the reasons these rappers have for staying sober are varied. Some come from a background of substance abuse and have seen the damage it can do. Some have personally struggled with addiction and needed to get clean to get their life in order.
- Fans naturally equate spiraling and unhealthy behavior with good music and would rather see their favorite musician continue to spiral for the sake of their craft and our entertainment.
- On Tuesday (Jan. 16), Future made the revelation that he was sober.
- A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, analyzed 341 lyrics taken from the most popular rap songs between the years 1979 and 1997.
- “I ain’t got nothing against you if you wanna throw one back,” as he told Sway on Sway In The Morning.
- All music seeks to share the artist’s truth, and in the case of rap music, if this truth tends to include drugs, perhaps the two can never be disentangled.
“Well… I got a bowling problem,” he continued, evidenced in the 30 plus balls that he was pictured laying in front of. Kid Cudi is well-known for addressing themes of addiction in his music, and in interviews he has revealed more about his personal struggles with substance abuse. So none of this is pretty, but it’s honest and raw in the way the best rap has to be. Q has said he’s not interested https://ecosoberhouse.com/ in charting or getting radio spins. He’s trying to tell real stories about drugs and gangbanging, because the stories rappers are telling are “watered down” and — worse — misleading. When messages such as a breakup, sex and addiction become the primary focuses of an artist’s narrative, we inherently expect them to continue with those trends, especially if the music is a success.
