In an appearance on Drink Champs, Vince expressed that he never wanted to get caught with drugs and always wanted to stay alert when growing up in an area filled with gang violence. Additionally, he elaborated that his father was addicted to drugs and did not want to follow the same path. J. Cole’s KOD album even explored the severity of drug abuse and addiction.
- From the birth of the Old Negro Spiritual, black America has crafted hymns to get over the confounding hardships of this world.
- In an interview with Fox News, Budden spoke about the dangers he’s experienced with the party-popular drug.
- In a 2015 interview, Lamar explained that he drew inspiration for the song from his upbringing.
- Most importantly, Kendrick never touched drugs despite being surrounded by them for nearly his entire life.
Live
In some ways I suspect this is the response Lamar set out to provoke. Her text wasn’t about Kendrick Lamar’s album, DAMN., per se, but without knowing it she’d just triggered an existential debate I’d been having with myself since its April release. I was in the middle of laying down some definitive thoughts about the LP when the realization hit me. Just like her nagging text, the Compton MC had spent the better half of a year forcing Sobriety me to reckon with my doubts about the wrath of God. It may as well have come in all caps, the way it landed like an accusation instead of a question. It wasn’t the first time I’d received a text from my mother dripping with good ole Christian guilt.
Cannabis 101

I had a platinum album out and I would do stuff like go to the projects to buy weed,” he said. “I knew it wasn’t too clever. I was putting myself in danger,” he stated. From an early point in her adult life, Portman decided to avoid alcohol and drug addiction. Though she would drink plenty in college, she has sworn off drinking since her Harvard days. As someone that’s been through the drug life and someone who writes, I can very clearly see what he’s saying about weed too. I can handle my self better on LSD than I can on pot, as weird as that may sound.

From Mac Miller’s fatal overdose to Juice WRLD’s drug-induced seizure, the link between death and addiction has been a recurring topic in rap. During the gap between his 2014 debut, Cilvia Demo, and 2016’s The Sun’s Tirade, Isaiah Rashad was dealing with an addiction to pills and alcohol. His addiction was severe to the point where he admitted he was almost dropped fromhis label, Top Dawg Entertainment.
It’s time to clear the smoke
A few famous rap stars who are sober even inspired other hip hop stars to kick their addictions for good. Arguably the most successful rapper of all time, Eminem has had an incredibly successful career after overcoming a long history of substance abuse. His hit single “Lose Yourself” even references his struggles with drugs and alcohol in its chorus. Eminem has been open about how he was able to win his battle with addiction, citing his family and faith as the major factors in his success. Around this time, rap songs praising marijuana use began to experience commercial success.
He had a stutter as a kid
This time, when I called D, he greeted me in his usual chipper manner and asked if I’d heard of a group called Flying Lotus. does kendrick lamar do drugs I told him that yes, I have heard of him, and that he should listen to the album You’re Dead! He’s a brilliant producer and there’s a great Kendrick Lamar feature on there.
He reminds me a lot about Bob Dylan in the sense of his career and how he always goes left when others go right and doesn’t do what’s expected of me. There’s often very similar signs throughout music history of people that reach this special songwriting level that’s just above everyone. And I feel like if I was in his position, it would be something I would want to clarify, but wouldn’t really elaborate on because of how it would affect others.
While some rap artists examined in the analysis promoted alcohol use, others stressed the dangers of heavy drinking. A study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh in 2008 analyzed Billboard magazine’s list of the 279 most popular songs of 2005. The results showed that substance use was referenced in 77 percent of rap songs, the highest percentage of drug mentions among all genres included in the study. “School was pretty fun for me,” the rapper said in a 2015 BBC 6 interview. He recalled a poetry assignment in high school that he forgot about until the last minute, and then rushed to finish it 10 minutes before class started.

Anthony Mackie Says He’s “The White Dude Legend” Because Co-Stars Get Award Nominations Over Him
- She said that she was drinking alcohol to try and fit in when she first got famous.
- Although Zappa enjoyed many pot-smoking fans, he was so against drugs and booze, it’s rumored he fired songwriter Lowell George, for writing a song on the subject.
- Madison Beer stunned in a beaded Miss Sohee creation with a mint duster that whispered luxury and elegance, proving she’s not just hitting high notes in her recovery journey but also in haute couture.
- Macklemore has struggled with remaining sober his whole life.
“I want something that’s just for me,” he told Vanity Fair in 2017. He was impressed enough to reach out to Lamar, serving as his mentor and boosting his career to the next level. “I can’t take credit for Kendrick Lamar,” Dr. Dre said while appearing on Kevin Hart’s “Hart to Heart” talk show. “The only thing I can take credit for is opening the door for him because he’s done everything himself.” At age 16, Lamar’s father — who’d been affiliated with the Gangster Disciples back in Chicago — saw the path his son was heading down, and had a heart-to-heart conversation.
Xanax is a benzodiazepine that is used to treat anxiety and panic disorders. The drug slows brain activity, helping people feel relaxed. Because of its euphoric properties, a host of rappers over the years — from Eminem to Kanye West — have espoused the drug in music. Beeson says these artists may refer to substance use in their music https://magnumaplacados.es/sobriety-strategies-13-tips-for-staying-sober-3/ 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. Beeson said alcohol mentions are not necessarily an endorsement of drinking.
Sober Rappers Who Don’t Drink or Do Drugs
Like it’s infinitely easier to go about my day on LSD than smoking weed. When he was only 5, Lamar saw a teenage drug dealer get killed in a drive-by shooting in Compton. “It was outside my apartment unit. A guy was out there serving his narcotics and somebody rolled up with a shotgun and blew his chest out,” he shared during an interview with NPR. Unsurprisingly, these unfortunate incidents ended up shaping Lamar and influencing his music.
” but as a sober artist it must be exhausting to be constantly inundated with drug offers from creepy fans who you’ve never met before. It turns out that some of the most famous and successful rappers of all time don’t drink alcohol or take drugs. Eminem has spoken candidly about his past struggles with substance use. Several other rappers, from Macklemore to Kendrick Lamar, have relayed the dangers of drug abuse through song.


