“I ain’t got nothing against you if you wanna throw one back,” as he told Sway on Sway In The Morning. Whether they’re mentioned rappers that are sober on the radio, seen in music videos, or smuggled into concerts, drugs are pretty much unavoidable in the genre. Weed, lean, pills, coke, booze, shrooms, you name it, dope’s not to hard to find. Many rappers, like Juicy J or Lil Wayne, have made it clear in their music that they love getting fucked up.

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He was able to get sober in 2012, and has since opened up about his struggles and how he was able to overcome them. Since then, he has been open about the importance of sobriety and how it has helped him better himself as an artist. Kendrick Lamar is one of the most critically acclaimed rappers of this generation, and he has also achieved sobriety in recent years. Kendrick has spoken about how he faced challenges when he first tried to get sober, but his hard work and dedication eventually paid off. He now credits his sobriety as a major contributor to his success.
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It’s fair to say that the genre has a close association with drugs and drug addiction alcohol. Name it, and your favorite rapper has probably rapped about it. Yet the stereotype of the drug-addled rapper doesn’t apply universally. Several dinosaurs are out there living by alcoholism symptoms the drug-free, or straight edge, code. Many rappers abstain from drugs and alcohol for personal and/or professional reasons.
Here’s a Video Playlist of 9 Songs Called ‘Sober’
He was able to turn his life around in 2011, and since then he has been open about his sobriety journey. Eminem credits fatherhood with helping him to get sober once and for all. Other sober rappers include Macklemore, Kendrick Lamar, Ice-T, and Andre 3000. This Chicago born and raised rapper is one of the few artists that has not only represented the genre of hip-hop https://ecosoberhouse.com/ in a positive light, but has been a model of consistency in both his artform and personal life.
Speaking of Sheeran, it was talking with Elton John, who also has a bad addictive personality, that also helped. And I’m like, ‘I’ve done that before, too.’” Elton spoke to Variety in the outlet’s recovery issue about going sober and playing the first show without the help of drugs. Even back in his chasing Sherane days, Kendrick wasn’t really getting high (blame the shenanigans). Dot in Vegas from way back when and there’s the astonishingly powerful “u,” which depicts the unfun side of getting intoxicated, but for the most part Kendrick is a sober artist. “I thought drinking was what I needed for my edge,” he told DJ Booth. Andre 3000 may experiment with bow ties and suspenders, but he doesn’t toy with drugs.

“Master of Puppets” by Metallica tackles the theme of how addiction manipulates and controls the user, much like a puppeteer pulling strings. This iconic heavy metal anthem serves as a powerful metaphor for the dominating nature of substance dependency. A romantic relationship, even marriage is not proof against alcohol use and the disease of addiction. That speaks of the personality changes we can undergo from wallflower to loud and gregarious. A reminder for all of those recovered alcoholics about the morning after. Arielle Gray is a Boston based queer writer, artist and multi-media journalist.
While hip-hop has its many celebratory moments from lyrics to accolades, in recent years, the genre has been hit with the negative consequences of drug culture, which has claimed the lives of many young rappers. 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. However, there are plenty of rappers that choose the sober route. These quotes reflect the diverse perspectives and experiences these artists have with sobriety, offering insight into their personal lives and the challenges and benefits of living sober.
- Andre 3000 may experiment with bow ties and suspenders, but he doesn’t toy with drugs.
- Some drank, some used drugs, some did more or less everything, and they did so to very different degrees.
- Dro shared that the discovery pushed him to check himself into rehab in 2021 and has stayed clean since.
- When Cole repeats the phrase “made it out, it gotta mean something,” it’s as if he’s carrying the weight of his city’s deferred dreams.
- “Master of Puppets” by Metallica tackles the theme of how addiction manipulates and controls the user, much like a puppeteer pulling strings.
- The man who built his career on rapping about drugs or the things he did while on drugs is sober today.
- While, for the most part, drug use in hip-hop has never been taboo (meaning you can’t totally blame this on the kiddos), the promotion and use of drugs of the highly addictive nature is at an all-time high.
- 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.
- He now credits his sobriety as a major contributor to his success.
- It’s important to note that not all are involved in drug abuse, and many rappers are completely sober.
While he’s said that he’s never really had any desire to drink or do drugs, it’s also notable that he’s pretty naturally turnt up as it is. This seems to be the overarching message in an exclusive new interview he gave to longtime hip-hop writer Paul Cantor, published in Vulture. Has had a long and successful career in music, but he has also faced some serious struggles with addiction.
- For every theory Cole expounds, his own logic becomes more and more inflated, contradictive, and sorely mistaken for genuine wisdom.
- The Black Youth Project is a platform that highlights the voices and ideas of Black millennials.
- Future and his traumas, like many other rappers before him, have been defined by this white supremacist notion of Black pain.
- She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men’s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor.
Yeah, Young Chop doesn’t rap, but it’s worth noting that the “Hate Being Sober” producer doesn’t smoke weed or drink. All irony aside, it’s nice to see that the Chicago beatsmith doesn’t partake in any of Chief Keef’s wild shenanigans. Many times, the glamorization of substance use is in their rhymes, peppering hooks with one-liners that speak to those internal struggles. In a 2013 interview with Paper Magazine, Pharrell said he doesn’t do drugs or smokes at all.

