Songs about sobriety: from hardcore to hip-hop

Gucci Mane is one of several rappers who didn’t quit their addiction because of their time in rehab. Although he spent time there and admitted that it was great for him, the rapper stated, “I was ordered to go by the court, so it didn’t stop me.” Mane had a rough childhood and had struggled with drug addiction for some time. I knew I couldn’t have drugs in my life,” Gucci Mane shared with the finance publication Money. This is a story about sober musicians—about the life that has led them here, and about the life that they live now—but there is no single story here. It’s one thing to play up drug use as Halfway house part of the creation of a musical persona (see The Weeknd), but it’s another to completely fake it for the sake of selling records and signing sponsorship deals.

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I’m not the kind of person that will do something that I don’t want to do.” And in some ways, he would prefer to just leave it there. Music is definitely the rapper’s vice, initially saying Wolf would consist of “weird hippie music for people to get high to”. 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. Has had a long and successful career in music, but he has also faced some serious struggles with addiction. He was able to turn his life around in 2011, and since then he has been open about his sobriety journey.

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Many times, the long-term effects of chasing a temporary high (usually from weed, lean, pills and beyond) has proven to be detrimental to the hip-hop community. The glamorization of substance use is in their rhymes, peppering hooks with one-liners that speak to internal struggles. But despite drug culture’s influence over music and trends, a number of the game’s favorite artists embrace sobriety.

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Young Dro’s rehab story is particularly sad because of how the effects of his drug use hit close to home. At the time, 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.

• For the next few years, the rapper struggled with addiction to prescription drugs, including Vicodin, Ambien, and Valium.
• Eventually he developed a serious pill habit Valium and 30 Vicodin pills per day — that culminated in a near-fatal methadone overdose in 2007.
• Unfortunately, he did struggle with substance abuse down the line, and much later, he discovered that his teenage daughter had started using as well.
• Although Chop doesn’t do drugs, he does enjoy smoking hookah while in the studio.

The poverty rate in Englewood is 42% and it is the ranked the fourth most violent community in Chicago (Chicago Tribune, 2014). The violence prevalent in the city of Chicago and Chief Keef’s lyrics may explain his desire to frequently use mind altering substances. Interestingly, Chicago has increasingly been referred to as “Chiraq” and Illinois as “Drillinois” by local rappers and other youth. It is obvious that youth today see a parallel between the violence in their communities and the conflicts in the Middle East.

Moreover, urban youth appear to be coping with their trauma and stressors through drugs which is also similar to many Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom veterans (SAMHSA, 2012). Songs about substance abuse disorders and recovery are fantastic gifts. For those of us who have the diseases of alcohol addiction and /or drug addiction, they are stories that show someone gets us. They show that people who have seemingly good lives are as prone as we are to drug use and/or alcohol abuse. A song talks to us of their struggle, and in that, we can find strength.

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• Much like the athletes whom he seeks to emulate, Cole becomes a vicarious bearer of hope.
• The old adage is that rock ‘n’ roll goes hand in hand with drugs, drinking, and partying like peas go with carrots.
• In an interview with Fantastic Man, he recalled when he told someone to stop smoking in the studio.
• They show that people who have seemingly good lives are as prone as we are to drug use and/or alcohol abuse.

I always believed 50 to be an authentic artist, especially at the beginning of his career, but apparently his desire to sell records and brand loyalty trumps everything. After all, the motto was get rich or die trying, not get rich but always be completely honest. Remarkably, EFFEN Vodka partnered with a sober 50 several years ago in a paid endorsement deal, which finds the rapper pimping their product on social media. Although Chop doesn’t do drugs, he does enjoy smoking hookah while in the studio. These days, prescription drugs seem to be a part of the rapper starter kit.

Young decided to become sober in 2011 because he wanted to be more alert and he was curious about what sobriety would feel like. In this classic https://ecosoberhouse.com/ song, Sia deals with alcoholism in what might be the best lyrics on this list. A powerful song where Demi Lovato sings of her own struggles and relapse. The pressure on her as a celebrity is immense, but as she says she is only human.

Lyrics are littered with references to the likes of weed, cocaine, alcohol and more and with that comes a lifestyle that can swallow you up if you’re not careful. 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. Much like the athletes whom he seeks to emulate, Cole becomes a vicarious bearer of hope.

• These experiences contribute to psychiatric conditions including posttraumatic stress disorder and depression.
• “Well… I got a bowling problem,” he continued, evidenced in the 30 plus balls that he was pictured laying in front of.
• No doubt the rapper and businessman’s sobriety has helped him in his ventures, which have seen him become one of the most successful rappers of his generation.

But J. Cole doesn’t allow for nuance or exceptions because he’s too busy making sure you understood the first half of his latest conspiracy regarding taxes, unspecified corporations, and someone’s funeral. KOD is a conscious album responding to hip-hop’s obsession with prescription drugs and self-medication—and in this respect, it has every right to point some fingers. Yet, Cole is the type of rapper who’s still not comfortable admitting he doesn’t know everything, sometimes drowning in ideology that’s less than imaginative.

Rehabilitation programs sober rappers provide structure, professional guidance, and a safe environment to address the physical, emotional, and psychological aspects of addiction. He first came out about his addiction in 2008, but rumors of the toll it takes on his life continue into 2013. When he landed in a coma after suffering from severe seizures a few months ago, everyone pointed at a sizzurp OD as the cause, though Wayne claims to have suffered from epileptic seizures his whole life.

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Baatin, born Titus Glover, was a member of Detroit rap group Slum Village. Six months later, he moved back to Chicago, his hometown, and stopped using drugs. In 2006, after the death of a friend, he began abusing Vicodin, one Twelve-step program of the most dispensed prescription painkillers in the United States. During this time, he also began misusing Xanax and other sedative medications. This synthetic drug contains mood-altering properties that produce feelings of pleasure, warmth and energy. Also known as molly and MDMA, the drug often shows up at nightclubs and concerts.