Fortunately, artists who struggle with addiction often take the bold step of going to rehab. Over the years, many rappers have sought help in an effort to deal with their addictions. Also, some artists proudly speak out against the current drug obsession in Hip Hop. 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.
- The official cause of death was “right ventricular dilatation,” an unusual conclusion.
- However, following the death of a close friend of his, rapper Proof, Em relapsed in 2006.
- Here, we attempt to decipher the cultural meaning of a new generation of intoxicants, alongside a few familiar mainstays.
- His loss rocked the music industry and left many grappling with questions about whether or not Miller received any resources to try and help him, especially given the numerous warning signs broadcasted for years leading up to his death.
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It is known that Osler and his colleague, William H. Welch, were very supportive of the famous surgeon William S. Halsted, who before coming to Johns Hopkins had been treated for cocaine addiction by being switched to morphine. Later, Osler, as Halsted’s physician, had a secret diary that documented Halsted’s continued addiction to morphine. As long as he lived, he will occasionally have a relapse and go back on the drug.” Thus, Halsted led a life of controlled addiction. It is conceivable that a supportive, mutually trusting doctor-patient relationship played a large role in causing this favorable outcome, allowing Halsted’s numerous achievements despite his addiction. Numerous celebrities of the past half century have Sober living house been plagued with substance abuse problems, with disastrous results.
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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. Unfortunately, he did struggle with substance abuse down the line, and much later, he discovered that his teenage daughter had started using as well. Dro shared that the discovery pushed him to check himself into rehab in 2021 and has stayed clean since. Chris “Mac Daddy” Kelly (August 11, 1978 – May 1, 2013), was one of the founding members of the rap duo Kris Kross, whose 1992 chart-topping hit single “Jump” remains a cultural staple within the hip-hop and pop genres to this day. Along with his friend Chris Smith, the two were discovered in an Atlanta mall by producer Jermaine Dupri in 1990.
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The Music Culture IRL project provides a framework for writers to explore a social issue or global challenge that matters to them in the context of music culture. Although some advocates believe our “war on drugs” is a failure, legalizing drugs is probably not the answer. Permissive approaches in Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom have later backtracked.
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While, for the most part, drug use in hip-hop has never been taboo (meaning you can’t totally blame this on the kiddos), the promotion and use of drugs of the highly addictive nature is at an all-time high. The first time was in December 2020, when he voluntarily sought out professional help. Dex has had several legal issues throughout his career and has been arrested a few times. In June 2022, he violated a protective order filed against him by his ex-girlfriend and was subsequently sent to jail. When he =https://ecosoberhouse.com/ was released in September of that year, the rapper reportedly headed straight to rehab in the hopes of finally achieving sobriety. 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.
Faded Away: Why Drug Culture in the Hip-Hop Industry is Taking the Lives of Your Favorite Artists
But what set them apart, in true Hip Hop fashion, was their commitment to telling the stories of those who’d been marginalized in the PSAs and made-for-TV movies of the ‘80s. As such, they became cult classics among young people of color and helped shape their perceptions of crack use and dealing. It seems more likely, however, that violent crime was reduced by several other factors including an improved economy.
Though the line between reality and boastful dramatization in the lyrics could get pretty sober rappers blurred, many of the rappers were well-acquainted with the world they were rapping about. Over the years, real-life crimes and tragedies involving well-known rappers have been known to happen — the murders of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. are perhaps the most famous of them all. At the other end of the tragedy spectrum, some of the most successful rappers have become massively rich.