While hip hop was at one point only a voice for disenfranchised communities, it is now a multi-million dollar music industry and has produced some of the most beloved musicians and music of the last twenty years. Rap and hip hop helped popularized other genres like R&B, and has had a significant cultural impact, notably familiarizing America with the plight of gang violence, drug culture, and inner-city life. However, rap as a genre is far from perfect, and the industry and lifestyle that it occasionally promotes can be very problematic, as some rap can be rife with lyrics that are degrading, violent, or most notably promote and glorify drug and alcohol abuse.
On June 14th, four-time Grammy award winning artist Dwayne Carter, known as Lil Wayne was hospitalized after his plane made an emergency landing in Omaha, Nebraska. It was revealed later that the reason for the landing was the rapper suffering yet another seizure, the most recent of many over the course of Carter’s prolific career. While there’s been much debate over the cause of the seizures and Carter’s camp has been silent on the issue, many believe the cause to be prolonged use of benzodiazepines.
When we think of celebrities abusing drugs, we often think of alcohol or harder substances like cocaine or heroin. The reality is that the culture of hip hop, and in a larger perspective the inner-city drug culture from which many hip hop stars originate from, stigmatizes harder drugs due to the nature of drug selling in modern America. For many who grow up in violent or impoverished environments, appearance, wealth, and strength are key to maintaining a solid reputation. Those that abuse harder drugs like crack cocaine are often dismissed as “junkies” or “dopeheads”, as their use of money is viewed as not being strong, economically wise or reputable. As such, many feel that avoiding this stigma is essential in maintaining a reputation as an intelligent business person with strong character. Unfortunately, many view drugs like benzodiazepines, prescription cough syrups, and alcohol as a loophole to avoid the stigma of hard drugs.
A popular substance often glorified by Lil Wayne is Purple Drank, or a mixture of prescription-strength cough syrup and a beverage like lemon-lime soda that provides a euphoric high when consumed. When consumed in unsafe doses however, the damage can be severe. It can drastically increase the likelihood of having a seizure, and when mixed with alcohol or other drugs, this risk is doubled. Not only is this opiate abuse dangerous, but Carter has also rapped about and spoken of his history with Xanax abuse, a benzodiazepine that can cause seizures when undergoing withdrawal. In trying to avoid the stigma of harder drugs, stars like Carter may place themselves in a far greater danger.
The stigma against harder drugs like crack cocaine, while possibly preventing some drug use, can encourage individuals to seek out and possibly abuse other drugs. This is especially dangerous when substances like Purple Drank and Xanax are glorified in music and viewed as far more safe than other drugs. Carter’s history of seizures and medical issues speaks volumes about the dangers of not only stigmatizing certain drugs and not others, but also of glorifying drugs that are extremely hazardous and deadly in their own right.
