As a result of the toll that addiction can take on an individual, many rappers have become sober and are inspiring others to do so as well. This is a list of rappers who are sober and recovering from former addictions. Young Dro’s rehab story is particularly sad because of how the effects of his drug use hit close to home. At the time, drug addict rappers 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.
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He began recreationally using OxyContin, drinking excessively, and smoking Marijuana. These unhealthy habits caused him to feel as if he had lost the will to live. Since its inception, hip-hop music has been littered with reference to the drug culture. From Dr. Dre’s ode to marijuana on The Chronic to southern rappers introducing purple drank into the vocabulary of most Americans, drugs have always been a part of the medium.
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Seeing a rapper grip a double Styrofoam cup isn’t as jarring as it should be, because it’s a staple prop in our culture. But there are some rappers who have already begun to be change agents. Cole’s 2018 album KOD—one of the three known acronyms stand for Kids On Drugs—was a necessary probe at the substance-fueled culture of today’s rap music. In some cases, the influence of drugs is not so easily clear-cut.
- The rendering of people as objects to be deployed however an artist chooses is at last coming into question.
- In a time when society seems to have a newfound pity for drug users, it’s easy to understand our era as a post–drug war one.
- The 25-year-old performer’s lawyer, Bradford Cohen, suggested that the artist’s sample or paperwork could have been mixed up with someone else’s, the outlet reported.
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- Ex-lean users describe similar withdrawal symptoms that are as bad as, or worse than heroin.
- His brothers sold crack and were frequently incarcerated, and his mother and sisters endured sexual abuse.
Sometimes it can feel as though you are all alone, facing your demons alone. Fortunately, there are artists out there who have struggled with addiction as well. Artists like the ones included on this list can help you find solace, encouragement, and compassion while in the midst of great difficulty. Two or three years ago, I felt that I hadn’t gone through enough terrible stuff to deserve to have this as a career. I didn’t feel like I deserved to be making a living off talking about my life yet because I just couldn’t relate to enough people. It wasn’t just the drug-addict thing, but also all the behaviors that come with it, all the situations you end up in, and the people you end up around just living that life.
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His 2009 album, Relapse, was a direct result of a relapse following the death of his best friend, rapper Proof. After becoming sober, Eminem reemerged with Recovery, his incredibly successful seventh album chronicling his journey to sobriety. It was a deeply personal album that separated him from his Slim Shady alter ego.
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- Born Chynna Rogers, the 23-year-old West Philadelphia native spent some of her teen years hanging around music studios, with aspirations to become a behind-the-scenes player in the industry.
- Chris Kelly, better-known as Mac Daddy of ’90s kid-hop crew Kris Kross, had a hard time after puberty.
- After his first experience with alcohol, Macklemore continued down the path of addiction which caused his life to fall apart.
- “I was in a dark place.” The album is pensive and desolate.
Macklemore has recently teamed with CLEAN Cause, a beverage company with a mission. Founder Wes Hurt noticed that the sober living experience was crucial to the recovery process, especially when it comes to forming routines, finding employment, and preparing to re-enter the world. For this reason, CLEAN Cause donates 50% of their net profits, or 5% of net revenues, whichever is greater, to help fund sober living scholarships. Almost 3,000 scholarships, around $1.5 million, have been backed through CLEAN Cause. And yet, when I think about Lisa, I have to fight for these memories of life because they are all obscured by the manner of her death. It’s not out of judgment or disappointment, not because her death says anything about who she was, or who she was to me.
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- Eminem credits fatherhood with helping him to get sober once and for all.
- As Gucci said, “that shit ain’t no joke.” He claims to barely remember all the things he’s done, and he’s going into rehab while under incarceration.
- On the hit single “Not Afraid,” Eminem raps, “It was my decision to get clean, I did it for me.” The hip hop icon celebrated his 15th year of sobriety earlier this year.