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Austin Martindale

Emily Litle

English 121

November 1, 2018

Rap and Hip-Hop Music

During the past two to three years, rap and hip-hop artists have caught the worlds eye

with their ability to live a full, free lifestyle and make money while doing it. They have proven

that they are not the best people for our youth to look up to. Artists have used their music as a

guidance for drugs, suicide, and violence. With multiple overdoses in the past year and all being

under the age of 27, it has forced people to bring attention to the reasoning behind it all. These

rappers have came from the worse situations, which has lead society to believe that there are

many disorders that each of them struggle with on a daily basis. Instead of using the basic

medication for their mental health issues they use Xanax, Percocet, Oxycotten, and other

prescription drugs to be able to give their mind an equalizer. The artists have taught their fans

and society that it is okay to take drugs while going through a hard time.Of course, the thought of

being a role model plays a part in it as well. It is the same with fans of sports, they buy their

jersey to support them. With artists, their fans follow them in what they do on a daily basis. In

the citations I will be talking about this exactly; the citations are composed of different stories,

different rappers, and many different incidents that have been a threat to society.

“How Drugs Are Affecting American Pop Culture.” Northpoint, 8 August, 2018,
https://www.evergreendrugrehab.com. Accessed 1 November. 2018.
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In the article above, it begins talking about how human beings and people in today’s

society are so interested and invested in mind-altering substances. Northpoint talks about Adam

and Eve, “Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden Tree of Knowledge because they wanted to

enhance their minds. They wanted to be more intelligent, insightful, and creative” (Northpoint

para.1). This is exactly what drugs do and it is why they are so addictive and “cool.” This is what

most rappers would say. This cite breaks down every drug specifically and has an example of

each drug a rapper uses for it to be interpreted in his or her song. For example, Marijuana is the

worlds number one drug that is used in todays society and it is also what is used most in rap

songs. Northpoint uses “ Snoop dogs; Smoke weed everyday 2018 remix,” song has a reference

of how todays rappers use weed as an influence to young adults around the world (Northpoint

para.15). Let’s talk about the glorification of getting high, “A research study published in the

April 2018 issue of Addiction Research & Theory concluded that rap music is glamorizing

getting high more than ever before” ( Northpoint para. 42). Nevertheless, the people that are

“glamorizing” others to get high off of drugs are our youth’s role models and they are what

society puts in their ears and listens to everyday. To go on with another point that this cite talks

about, is that it is hard to deny that drugs and creativity do seem to mix very well. This has been

a reason or thought of why artists seem to be so addictive and useful of drugs. “Many famous

songwriters, actors, fashion designers, and artists claim they feel more inspired when they are

under the influence of certain substances”( Northpoint para.26). To conclude this cite, it talks

about the good that can be behind drug addiction. Northpoint uses Demi Lavato, a former drug

addict and song writer, who recently overdosed on heroin as a great example of good that can

come out of this. “Her song, ‘You Don’t Do it For Me Anymore’ is a good-bye ballad to her

addiction. Demi has been sober for seven years. She is passionate about educating young people
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about the dangers of substance abuse” (Northpoint para. 67). This is what Northpoint used to

conclude it’s talk about musicians and the use of drugs.

Schmid, Danielle. “ Glorification of drugs in alt-rap songs negatively impacts teens.” The East
Carolinian, 17 July. 2018, theeastcarolinian.com. Accessed 1 November, 2018.

The article above first starts of the with the abuse of heroin, crack, and cocaine but the

author put it in way of how young adults do not think it is very harmful. According to Schmid,

“About 50 percent of high school seniors do not think it's harmful to try crack or cocaine once or

twice and 40 percent believe it's not harmful to use heroin once or twice”(Schmid para.2).

Schmid then goes to talk about how it is the lyrics that these rappers use to make them believe

that these drugs aren’t harmful. Shmid strongly believes that if it wasn’t for the terrible lyrics

that these rappers write the mental health illness among teens wouldn’t be as bad as it actually is.

Schmid then compares the rap generation from a couple years ago to now. Schmid states, “These

top rappers brought real life issues to the stage. Nicki talked about having multiple personalities,

Drake talked about his female issues, Rick Ross grunted a lot and Big Sean let everyone know

who he didn’t mess with.Top rappers among teens these days are artists such as Lil Pump,

6ix9ine, Lil Xan, Trippie Redd and Lil Uzi Vert. All rappers who talk about depression, drugs,

sex, suicide and occasionally other things” (Schmid para. 6). He also states later in the article

that he does agree that the old time rappers did talk about that stuff too, but they didn’t revolve

their entire song around it. Lil Pump a big time artist in the industry right now in one of his songs

states, “Whole gang full of drug addicts, take a lot of shit forget what happens,” and “take a lot

of drugs don’t think twice, I do this everyday and all night” claims (Schmid para.14). Schmid

concludes this article by stating what he says in the beginning: these rappers and their lyrics have

been the only reason for teens mental health problems.

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Brown, August. “Young rappers are getting honest about doing battle with depression, drug
addiction and suicide.” Los Angeles Times, 25 January. 2018, owl.purdue.edu.Accessed 1
November 2018.

This last cite talks a little about what some rappers did to try and solve this problem. I

chose to make this article my last citation because I want this to end on a positive note. Brown

begins to talk about Logic, who is also a current rapper, and who struggled with drug abuse and

addiction in his early years but soon got himself together for his family. "The voices in my head

keep talking… 'You'll never be good enough…you never was…You hurt everyone around you,

you're impossible to love.” These were all lyrics he used in his past songs when he struggle with

mental health Schmid says (para.4). He fell into the mix of being a bad role model for society

until he released a song called, “1-800-273-8255” which leads fans to the National Suicide

Prevention Lifeline. This was a positive outcome for him, hitting the top 100 billboard and

leading him to perform at the Grammy Ceremony this year. Schmid then states that it was great

because other rappers began speaking on it and talking about how they will never abuse drugs

again. However, it also made some sorrowful. Rappers like Lil Peep and XXXtentacion weren’t

able to hear it in time and missed out on chances to seek help.

The music industry participates in the way that teenagers and people in general view

society and themselves. With many rappers singing about their over use of drugs, they are

teaching their fans that doing drugs to cover up mental disorders is an okay thing to do. While

there are many ways for society to prevent the teens from doing the drugs, it is also important for

music artists to begin to leave this out of their lyrics so the society is not following their role

models in the wrong ways.

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