Posted by Afther Hussain in Uncategorized

While some superstars are able to overcome addiction and clean up their acts quietly and swiftly, it takes others years of struggle. In “the rap game” it is prevalent and even glorified but addiction is even a problem for them. There is guilt and shame around the disease of addiction. To people who are struggling right now, recovery starts with being honest with yourself, and then seeking help. The natural tendency as someone with active addiction is to hide, to lie, to manipulate.

Musician Yoko Ono has openly admitted to heroin addiction. She has even claimed that she and John Lennon were kept from receiving deadly quantities of it due to a greedy dealer. There’s this false notion that musicians are at their best when they are using a ton of drugs — that’s how they channel the spirit. I first took a drink of alcohol when I was 14 years old.

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From Macklemore speaking with Obama about opioid abuse to Logic releasing a song about suicide awareness, more rappers today are bringing these subjects to the forefront. Macklemore, who struggled with opioid addiction, entered a rehab facility at age 25. Today, he regularly attends 12-step programs, which are self-help meetings designed to treat destructive behaviors, including substance misuse.

Addiction is an isolating disease that draws us further and further away from those closest to us. Sometimes it can feel as though sober rappers you are all alone, facing your demons alone. Fortunately, there are artists out there who have struggled with addiction as well.

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Around this time, rap songs praising marijuana use began to experience commercial success. Then other rappers, including Dr. Dre, started positively portraying smoking cannabis in their music and during interviews. For years, rap music has glorified substance use, portraying getting high as an activity with little consequence.

• She went on to experiment with other substances, including alcohol, cocaine, and heroin.
• In 2005, Eminem checked into his first rehab for help.
• After many years of destructive drug use, he finally checked into rehab in 1990.
• Before his death from a suspected overdose in 2017, Lil Peep talked about his depression in an interview with Pitchfork.

We want to give recovering addicts the tools to return to the outside world completely substance-free and successful. Freeway has made a point of highlighting in interviews and social media posts that Black people are diagnosed with kidney failure at more than three times the rate of white people. Thus, as an esteemed name in hip-hop, he believed he had a responsibility to raise awareness by sharing his individual journey, he said. Hip-hop culture is Black culture; the two are inextricably bound in such a way that the music, clothing, language, struggles and more have always reflected Black life. If you or a loved one is struggling with an addiction to drugs or alcohol, help is available. Professional drug and alcohol treatment programs can start those battling substance use problems on the road to recovery.