Hip Hop: The Drug

In hip hop and rap music, controversial topics are constantly talked about, including gun violence, drugs, and gang violence. Drug usage and the abuse of these drugs are very prominent in hip-hop and rap lyrics today. Most songs talk explicitly about how bad drugs are for a person. Drugs and the use and abuse of drugs have a negative effect on those who are taking them and those who are in the user’s life.

Drugs had an appearance in hip-hop and rap music from the start. Whether that be in the lyrics themselves or the artist’s addiction to them. People like Juice WRLD and Grandmaster Melle Mel have created songs about drugs. Melle Mel made “White Lines (Don’t Do It)” as an anti-cocaine public service announcement (Brown 10). This song was released during the crack epidemic. Melle Mel helped the public acknowledge the struggles of addiction through his music. Another artist who created music talking about his struggles with addiction was Juice WRLD. Brown noted, “Juice WRLD spoke openly and authentically about his struggle with a substance use disorder in songs like ‘Lean Wit Me’ and ‘Empty’” (11). Juice WRLD, along with other artists like Lil Peep and Mac Miller, had untimely deaths due to drugs, which hurt the hip-hop and rap community. All three of these artists died from overdoses. Overdose is one of the worst possible side effects of using and abusing drugs, but the possible side effects are different for every drug.

No matter what type of drugs someone takes, there are always side effects. Some of the side effects can be more severe than others. Author Claudia Ruland states, “The teen brain is still developing, making the effects of drug abuse even more complex for this population” (3). Starting drugs at a younger age has much worse effects on the body and brain compared to an adult with a fully developed brain. Possible drug side effects can range from a diminishing personal appearance to red eyes and depression. Addiction Center help site says that one of the biggest reasons a teen abuses drugs is a desire to escape (5). The usage of drugs has a negative and detrimental effect on most users, but when it comes to teens, the effects are life long. Ruland describes that “As a person continues to abuse drugs, the brain adapts to the overwhelming surges in dopamine by producing less dopamine or by reducing the number of dopamine receptors in the reward circuit” (12). This is the process of addiction. The overwhelming surge of dopamine is adapted to by the brain. In order for someone to receive the same amount of dopamine or increase it, they have to take more of the drug than the previous time. This repetition in turn makes their brain reliant on the drug they were using, in order to reach that dopamine high again. Addition is a very common disease that hip-hop artists struggle with, as did Juice WRLD.

Juice WRLD was a big name artist who had a tragic ending, due to drugs. He was an advocate for mental health, especially for the black community (“Juice WRLD” 12). He talked about his drug usage from an early age, seeing as his career skyrocketed when he was about 19 years old. Contemporary Black Biography Online relates him saying, “I was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder in fifth grade, and my mom put me on Ritalin, Vyvanse… I looked back at it and I’m like, Wow, that was not okay. I’m in fifth grade. What am I doing taking Vyvanse and Ritalin? How is a fifth-grader supposed to act?” (6). Juice reflected on his usage of drugs at such a young age and realized it is not okay to be using drugs like that on someone who can be easily influenced. A child’s brain is still developing and drugs like he took could seriously alter the brain in a negative fashion. He is also acknowledging that a dependency and addiction to drugs was created at such a young age. Juice WRLD did pass away due to his drug use in 2019. Other artists have talked about their drug usage and how drugs have shaped hip-hop music.

In addition to Grandmaster Melle Mel and Juice WRLD, several other hip-hop artists have spoken out about drugs. Nancy E. Marion and Willard M. Oliver, editors of Drugs in American Society, stated, “Drugs and drug use have always had a place very close to the heart of hip-hop music and culture, despite the problems that come along with it” (1). Drugs and drug use have followed artists for their entire career. Snoop Dogg and Fetty Wap are two artists that have had legal woes regarding their possession and selling of drugs. Another artist that had legal troubles with drugs was Russell Tyrone Jones, aka Ol’ Dirty Bastard (ODB) from the Wu-Tang Clan. The article “Hip-hop and Drugs” describes Jones’ arrest for driving with marijuana and cocaine on him and also mentions his overdose in the studio in 2001 (3). Another artist who passed away due to an overdose was Chris “Mac Daddy” Kelly. Drugs have many lives, and some artists are sick of it. Rapper Hakeem Seriki, also known as Chamillionaire, has spoken about his hatred towards the syrup mentioned in Juice WRLD’s “Lean Wit Me,” saying “I know I’m running the risk of sounding ‘preachy’ . . . but I’m starting to hate everything that ‘syrup’ stands for.” Lean is one of the several who have widely talked about drugs in hip-hop and rap music. Syrup is mentioned in just as many songs as cocaine and marijuana.

The narrative on drugs in the hip-hop community is changing, and for the better. Drug usage and abuse have been a focus throughout the rise of hip-hop and rap music. Many artists are now starting to sing about their struggles with these drugs rather than “flexing” to show how much they make from selling drugs. It is time to put an end to drugs, and help those who are current struggling users.

Playlist for Change

“Unwind” by Healy (2017)

In the song “Unwind” by Healy, he is talking about his past use of drugs when unwinding from the day. The most meaningful lyrics of this song are lines 32–34. “Yeah, relax/ Take notes, don’t you relapse/ Stay focused, you don’t need that.” These lyrics describe the artist’s struggle to fight the craving of drugs. 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.

“Nikki” by Logic (2014)

In the song “Nikki,” Logic talks about his struggle with nicotine. Logic says,

All these other bitches on my dick but I can’t fuck with that/
You’re the only girl I need/ I gotta have you back/
Even though you turn my lungs black (My lungs black)/
Tell me where you been Jack (Been Jack)

…in which he is describing how nothing beats Nikki, nicotine, and no one can beat that feeling (lines 12–15). He also explains that “I hate it that I need you, Nikki,” which is telling the listener about his cravings and desire for nicotine (line 41). The last line of the song is “But lately, I been feeling like a slave for the nicotine,” describing his struggle to quit nicotine. It rules his life.

“Polo Jeans” by Mac Miller ft. Earl Sweatshirt (2021)

Mac Miller talks about the drug problems that he struggles with in this song. Some lyrics directly explain his usage, like “Just went through a half ounce of coke/ Blood pourin’ all out my nose/ Don’t tell my mom I got a drug problem” (lines 22–24). He was addicted to cocaine so much so that it was one of the drugs that ultimately killed him in 2018. Line 32, “Went from weed and liquor to the coke and lean,” tells the listener that Mac didn’t start out using hardcore drugs like cocaine and fentanyl, rather weed and alcohol, but they were not strong enough for him to reach his high.

“Wishing Well” by Juice WRLD (2020)

This song by Juice WRLD tells the listener about his battle with drugs. He starts the song off with “Drugs killing me softly, Lauryn Hill/ Sometimes I don’t know how to feel,” discussing how drugs are negatively affecting his physical and mental health (lines 11–12). The first verse has lyrics like “On the other line, I talk to addiction, huh/ Speaking of the devil, all the drugs, I miss them/ This can’t be real, is it fiction?” where Juice is trying to convey how drugs rule his life (lines 15–17). His last verse says, “Let’s be for real/ If it wasn’t for the pills, I wouldn’t be here/ But if I keep taking these pills, I won’t be here, yeah/ I just told y’all my secret, yeah/ It’s tearing me to pieces/ I really think I need them/ I stopped taking the drugs and now the drugs take me” (lines 34–40). This verse talks about Juice’s mental health throughout the years and how drugs “saved him,” but again, controlled his life.

“Lean Wit Me” by Juice WRLD (2018)

The intro to this song is “Drugs got me sweatin’, but the room gettin’ colder/ Lookin’ at the devil and the angel on my shoulder/ Will I die tonight? I don’t know, is it over?/ Lookin’ for my next high, I’m lookin’ for closure,” immediately addressing some of the effects, outcomes, and thoughts while using drugs ( lines 1–4). Juice also alludes to a possible overdose with the lyric “Fuck one dose, I need two pills, two pills” in line 18. Juice sings “Take the shrooms and the pills at the same time/ Went to Hollywood thrills from the street life/ Took too many drugs, now I don’t feel right,” which describes how he would mix different drugs together to reach a different type of high (lines 42–44). The mixing of drugs could be lethal and make the person “not feel right” Juice describes.

I believe that the drug epidemic has negatively affected so many people’s lives. People have lost their lives to drugs, and their families will never be the same. I know people who have struggled with drug abuse, and it has taken a toll on their families. Drugs tear families apart and ruin so many relationships. I want drugs to be gone from our society, but I know logically that will not happen. There must be a change in our society with how we choose to handle drugs. No child should be able to get their hands on these addictive drugs at an early age. Children are very impressionable and the usage of drugs will only hurt their development. People should be able to say no to drugs when offered them, but sometimes they cannot. As a society, we should be able to come together and help put a stop to this epidemic. Currently, newer, deadlier, and more addictive drugs are circulating compared to what was available in the past. The usage of fentanyl has increased and more have been taken by that drug. Other drugs can be laced with fentanyl, and the user may not be aware, which ultimately ends their life. As communities, we should rally against the spread of drugs to everyone. Drugs should be cleared from the streets, and we should be able to help those who are addicted. Most people deserve a second chance at life after drugs, and clearing the streets would help speed up that process. Say no to drugs, because drugs will only hurt you.

• Clark, Trent. “Drugs and Hip Hop in 2021: A Look Back at the Effects of This Year.” HipHopDX, HipHopDX, 9 Jan. 2022, https://hiphopdx.com/editorials/id.4745/title.drugs-hip-hop-2021. Accessed 20. Feb 2023.
• “Hip-Hop and Drugs.” Drugs in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law, edited by Nancy E. Marion and Willard M. Oliver, vol. 2, ABC-CLIO, 2015, pp. 486–488. Gale eBooks, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX6199400230/GVRL?u=mcc_chandler&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=574a0ea0. Accessed 15 Feb. 2023.
• “Juice WRLD.” Contemporary Black Biography Online, Gale, 2020. Gale In Context: Biography, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1606008684/BIC?u=mcc_chandler&sid=bookmark-BIC&xid=b652cafe. Accessed 15 Feb. 2023.
• “Life and Hip-Hop: Exploring the Origins of the Association between Drugs and Music.” Daily Bruin, https://dailybruin.com/2020/10/28/life-and-hip-hop-exploring-the-origins-of-the-association-between-drugs-and-music. Accessed 20 Feb. 2023.
• Ruland, Claudia Daileader. “Teens/Young Adults and Drug Abuse.” Addictions & Substance Abuse, edited by Robin Kamienny Montvilo, vol. 2, Salem Press, 2013, pp. 620–622. Salem Health. Gale eBooks, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX2075400313/GVRL?u=mcc_chandler&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=1f86c22c. Accessed 15 Feb. 2023.
• “Teen Drug Abuse.” Addiction Center, 19 Jan. 2023, https://www.addictioncenter.com/teenage-drug-abuse/. Accessed 22 Feb. 2023.