Em once told “VIBE” that he had to relearn how to record music sober. In his younger years, Eminem had a serious pill-popping addiction, something which is generally well-known if you’re a fan of the MC. “The deeper I got into my addiction, the tighter the lid got on my creativity,” Eminem told New York Times in 2009.
Music
“Everybody else can do what heroin addiction they want, but that stuff isn’t for me. I’ve been drunk nine times in my life, and I ate some weed brownies once and passed out in a bathroom.” Beeson says these artists may refer to substance use in their music because it once was their reality. They may not have participated in drug use or heavy drinking prior to experiencing fame, but they were surrounded by these behaviors growing up. Rappers often struggle with a variety of drugs, including opioids, Xanax, cocaine, and codeine.
- Many times, the glamorization of substance use is in their rhymes, peppering hooks with one-liners that speak to those internal struggles.
- Over the last 30 years, rappers have mentioned, paid homage to, and warned against the pitfalls of drugs, from lean to Xanax.
Rappers That Stay Away From Weed
A number of rappers of all backgrounds have grappled with substance use disorders. Despite being connected to the mainstream party culture, Common parties clean. Andre 3000 may experiment with bow ties and suspenders, but he doesn’t toy with drugs. Word has it that Ice Cold hasn’t touched a mind-altering substance for nearly two decades.
50 Cent
A former drug dealer, 50 Cent is sufficiently knowledgeable about the adverse effects of drug abuse. “I had an experience with alcohol that made me paranoid because of it and I stayed away from it,” 50 told Piers Morgan. In an interview with G-Unit, Tony Yayo confirmed that 50 Cent abstains from drugs and alcohol. Many rappers are known for celebrating drink and drugs, from smoking weed, to sipping lean, to popping Xanax. But there are plenty of rappers who find that life is better without substances.
If recent pictures are anything to go by, it looks like Guwop has stayed sober. “Going to jail unjustly was the best thing to ever happen to Meek Mill. Greatest resurrection story since Jesus Christ,” one user wrote on Twitter. Despite the frequent protests for his immediate prison release, it’s almost https://treeofprosperityinternational.com/testing-the-abstinence-violation-effect-construct/ as if some fans approved of his demise once it was over because it somehow forced him to make better music. Rapper Kid Cudi’s troubles with co-occurring disorders are well-known.
There is a danger in requiring artists to stick to their brands, especially when it focuses on abusing and glorifying a harmful lifestyle. Fans have to be willing to allow artists to evolve because that transformation extends far beyond the music; their art mimics life. You will not die if artists like Future or The Weeknd pivot the focus of their music away from chronicling drug use, but they could, and that should be the only point that matters here.
Soft Life Begins: GloRilla & Brandon Ingram Hit Us With A Hard Launch
- Much of the energy he has that’s allowed him to grow as an actor, as an artist came from his stringent regiment of working out, staying away from the beedis and the brews.
- Some say it’s not addictive whatsoever, and others say that it has a habitual addiction, but not as much of a chemical addiction as harder drugs.
- As he was coming out everyone began to boo, and he just took the microphone and said ‘Sorry, I was getting high.’ Instantly everyone began to laugh.
- Because celebs, especially rappers, have more access and resources to get their hands on the magical green leaf, I made it my personal mission to find out who doesn’t partake, and why.
J. Cole’s KOD album even explored the severity of drug abuse and addiction. Unfortunately, drug use in hip hop is nothing new, as we have lost talents like Pimp C, Mac Miller, and Juice WRLD to overdoses. As a result of the toll that addiction can take on an individual, many rappers have become sober and are inspiring others to do so as well. This is a list of rappers who are sober and recovering from former addictions. Over the last 30 years, rappers have mentioned, paid homage to, and warned against the pitfalls of drugs, from lean to Xanax.
- It is often more difficult for those under the age of 18 to maintain sobriety, seeing as they are faced with so many outside influences daily.
- When you look in someone’s eyes and see that they are feeling you, nodding their head, or making expressions of awe, then that’s motivation to kill it.
- «I tried pretty much every drug there was to try,» he explained to «Complex.» Lecrae left that lifestyle behind and now refrains from drugs and alcohol.
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On Tuesday (Jan. 16), Future made the revelation that he was sober. Who knows, maybe he traded the lean in for alkaline water and fresh juices. There have been many debates as to whether or not cannabis is addictive. Some say it’s not addictive whatsoever, and others say that it has a habitual addiction, but not as much of a chemical addiction as harder drugs. Cannabis has not had as much research done on it as it should, and we’re not here to answer whether or not it is addictive.
A 2008 study conducted by the University of California, Berkley found that drug references in rap music increased drastically from 1979 to 1997. Researchers examined drug mentions in 341 rap songs during that time. For years, rap music has glorified substance use, portraying getting high as an activity with little consequence. Although this trend continues, more rappers today are using their platforms to spread awareness for addiction and mental illness. Unlike the characters she often plays, Blake Lively reveals she doesn’t drink and has never tried a drug. Although she often appears on lists of sober celebrities, her lifestyle isn’t a statement so much as a choice to remain true to herself.
“No to drugs, I never spark it”, Tyler said on the first track of his very first project, Bastard. Tyler’s straight-edge lifestyle has been a large part of his personality from the very beginning, despite being surrounded by his permanently stoned Odd Future crew 90% of the time. Eminem credits fatherhood with helping him to get sober once and for all.
Get on the list
“There are probably a couple of rappers who don’t want to smoke and don’t want to do these drugs but that’s sober rappers what is cool and that’s what’s rappers that dont do drugs making them money. In recent years, more US hip-hop stars have begun rapping about prescription pills used to treat pain or anxiety. “Everybody else can do what they want, but that stuff isn’t for me. I’ve been drunk nine times in my life, and I ate some weed brownies once,” he told Paper Magazine. As you’ll see, the reasons these rappers have for staying sober are varied. Some have personally struggled with addiction and needed to get clean to get their life in order.