Along with his friend Chris Smith, the two were discovered in an Atlanta mall by producer Jermaine Dupri in 1990. “Jump” stayed at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for eight weeks in 1992 and the duo’s album, Totally Krossed Out (1992), went multiplatinum. The two also started a short-lived trend of wearing clothes backward. While the group had two semi-successful studio albums, Kelly attended school to become a studio engineer and remained working in music until his death in 2013. While some suspected that he was suffering from cancer, he never confirmed it.
- As concerning as the music painting an unrealistic picture of drug use is, the complete lack of conversation that can occur when people are afraid of having the conversation at all, is worse.
- The three collaborators began working together at a manic clip, and steadily pieced together what became the 2017 EP JuiceWRLD 9 9 9, which he eventually released on SoundCloud.
- Lyrics describing drug use have not only became more frequent but the context changed from concern about the devastation of drugs to a more positive portrayal.
- Explore the decade on our interactive timeline here, or head here to check out all our features.
“Indica”
Cole was being celebrated for his Album Of The Year-winning K.O.D., a project ripe with anti-inebriation anthems, and Mac Miller was being mourned following his accidental drug overdose death that September. 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. In 1984, Grandmaster Melle Mel released “White Lines (Don’t Do It),” an anti-drug message disguised as a party anthem.
Hip-Hop and Drugs: How Prominent Rappers Lose Their Lives For The High
- These days, prescription drugs seem to be a part of the rapper starter kit.
- In 2007, the rapper almost died due to an accidental methadone overdose.
- Despite its health risks, marijuana continues to be championed by rappers today.
- Check out the video above to learn more about lean’s cultural influence on rap music.
- But he continued to battle depressive thoughts, including suicidal ideations.
Even so, the rapper’s years between 2005 and 2013 continued to feature a laundry list of arrests. Also in 2005, he was arrested for beating a promoter with a pool stick, receiving a six-month prison sentence and a six-and-a-half-year probation. In the Alcoholics Anonymous coming years, he violated and risked violating said probation more than once.
Eminem
This trend persisted through the early 2000s with Jay Z, Raekwon, and the Clipse—all of whom kept the hustler-rapper Mafioso persona at the forefront of hip-hop culture. Many rappers who grew up around drugs have positively portrayed substance use in their music. However, in recent years, some young rap artists have detailed the consequences of addiction and mental illness what rapper does the most drugs in an effort to spread awareness and eliminate stigma related to substance use disorders. Eminem is one of the most prominent rappers around and has been open about his time in rehab. 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.
- Even without the distinction of being the figureheads of a federally designated gang, the duo of Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J have had their share of legal troubles.
- In recent years, artists like Lil Yachty, Chief Keef, Gucci Mane, G Herbo, Lil Baby and others have revealed they kicked lean habits.
- The music video recreates some of the moments leading up to and following her overdose and shares the dangers of substance abuse with the audience.
6ix9ine started associating with a gang known as Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods in late 2017, and was involved in things ranging from drug trade to a shooting attack against a rival rapper. Per the BBC, in 2019 he faced charges for illegal firearms, assault, racketeering, and conspiracy to murder, but entered a plea deal. After testifying against the gang and providing information, he got away with a two-year sentence, as opposed to the 47 or more years he might’ve been facing. As part of this agreement, 6ix9ine also admitted to domestic violence between 2011 and 2018 (per Complex).
Weed Slang Terms On The Decline
“I think society has some responsibility to give kids some alternatives to the glamorized view of drugs they see in this music,” Herd said. “There are solutions that go beyond the family and home, and a lot rests with us as an American society in general.” “This is an alarming trend, as rap artists are role models for the nation’s youth, especially in urban areas,” Herd said. 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.
The most recent entry in Jeezy’s apparent biannual trend of getting arrested came in 2014, when he and members of his entourage were arrested after a search of his tour bus turned up an assault rifle of uncertain origin, per Rolling Stone. However, the authorities later discovered that the rifle was registered to Jeezy’s head of security, who wasn’t in the bus because he had recently been injured in a shooting against Suge Knight. A look at Jeezy’s Billboard history reveals he’s had many hits under both his current moniker and his old one, Young Jeezy. He’s worked with some of the biggest names in the game, from Drake to Jay-Z.
Ice Cube Blasts Prescription Drug Abuse With “On Them Pills”
The term “rap sheet,” per Illinois Legal Aid, stands for an individual’s “Record of Arrests and Prosecutions.” However, for some rap artists, it might as well be an allusion to their profession. Let’s take a look at rappers who have bigger criminal records than you might have realized. Although the UK isn’t experiencing a full-blown opioid epidemic like America, the numbers show it’s still becoming a problem – prescriptions for opioid-based painkillers have increased by more than 60 per cent in the past decade.
Rappers Who Have Been To Rehab: Eminem, Famous Dex & More
Denise Herd, author of the University of Pittsburgh study, told The Washington Post that references to prescription cough medicine misuse in southern rap music may have influenced teens in Houston to abuse codeine-laced cough syrup. The list of rappers who’ve succumbed to drugs features a spectrum of artists. Young Dro’s rehab story is particularly sad because of how the effects of his drug use hit close to home. At the time, he had no idea he would get addicted or how far the effects would reach.
- It is morally inexcusable for record labels to profit off of men barely (or not even) old enough to legally drink when their albums are, in essence, recorded manifestos describing an addictive battle they see no release from.
- However, following the death of a close friend of his, rapper Proof, Em relapsed in 2006.
- At the time, he had no idea he would get addicted or how far the effects would reach.
- His brothers sold crack and were frequently incarcerated, and his mother and sisters endured sexual abuse.
Gustav Elijah Åhr (November 1, 1996 – November 15, 2017), aka LilPeep, remains one of “emo raps” most influential figures. Discovered on SoundCloud,the Long Island-based rapper developed a cult following before experiencingmainstream success with his debut album Come Over When You’re Sober,Pt. 1, which peaked at number 38 on the Billboard 200 in 2017.His song “Falling Down”, a collaboration with XXXTentacion (alsodeceased), peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2018. In addition tovocalizing his affinity for recreational drugs, he also shared with fans thathe suffered from depression and bipolar disorder. His death was ruled an accidentaloverdose of fentanyl and Xanax.
Recent Comments