Rap and Drug Culture -Nick Davis

Nicholas Davis
October 16, 2015

Analyze a particular song or comment on a music genre in relationship to a particular kind of subculture (ex: punk and anti-establishment politics, EDM and drug culture).

The subculture of hip hop was formed during the late 1960s by African American Youth in South Bronx, New York City. Hip Hop has adapted over time and now, Hip Hop has divided present day music into various parts.  Within Hip Hop Culture, one of the biggest and most popular divisions is Rap music.  Rap music is commonly linked to the drug culture due to its constant talk about drugs including, marijuana, cocaine, and even prescription drugs.
Today, most Rap music contains lyrics involving drugs, sex, money, and violence.  Some rappers, such as Lil Wayne, Mac Miller, and Wiz Khalifa, incorporate drugs more often into their lyrics as opposed to others.  Hip Hop is now a major influence on people’s opinion of drugs, sex, money, and violence.  In fact, people today claim that Hip Hop promotes these things through Rap music’s media.  The interest in the topic of drugs has increased immensely over the years.  Today, rap music speaking about the use of illegal drugs is completely normal, and also widely accepted among the Hip Hop Culture.  Drugs are not only promoted within Rap music lyrics, but also in things such as music videos and the artist’s social media pages.
The song, Earned It, by Chief Keef, is a good example of Rap music’s relationship to the drug culture.  This song goes on to talk about how rapper, Chief Keef, has earned all of the fame and fortune that he now has.  Along with this, Chief Keef goes into great detail on his drug use. In the beginning hook of the song he says, "took a tooka blunt then I burned it.” To understand what Chief Keef is saying here, it would help to know that a "blunt" is usually marijuana or weed wrapped and smoked like a cigarette.  This is a small example of what the rapper says throughout the song.  This is, however, a part of the hook which is played multiple times throughout the song.  The entire song goes on talking about his use of drugs.  The lyrics write, "smoking dope like a chimney" referring to marijuana again, and "in the kitchen cooking Justin Bieber" which refers to him making cocaine in his kitchen.  These are a few examples of how Chief Keef entertains the idea of drug use being acceptable.  Many of his songs talk similarly about his relationship with drugs, but this song is just one of many examples that glorifies drug use amongst rappers and their listeners.
If one was unable to hear, or even read the lyrics of one of the rap songs in today's Hip Hop music, it would be clear as day to see the connection between the Rap and drug culture through their music videos.  Many songs today now emphasize the association with the drug culture by having the drugs physically present in their music video.  One of the first examples that comes to mind is rapper, O.T. Genasis' song, “CoCo.”  This song does not even get five seconds into the music video before showing piles and piles of bags of cocaine being packed on the table.  The cocaine is being placed on what seems to be the dinning room table of a small house.  Along with the cocaine in the video, there is marijuana presented.  It is being rolled and put into a “blunt" as already explained from rapper Cheif Keef's.  The main parts of the lyrics to CoCo are “I'm in love with the coco (coco, coco),” and “Bakin’ soda, I got bakin’ soda.”  CoCo is a term that O.T. Genasis is using to refer to cocaine and process of making it.  This video is an extreme example of rap culture and drug culture combined.
 Along with song lyrics and music videos, a big part of Hip Hop Culture’s relationship to drug culture is how rappers behave in  the media.  There have been many events in which these artists talk about their own drug use on live television, radio stations, or social media sites.  For example, rapper, Snoop Dogg, films and produces his own talk show on YouTube.  On this talk show, Snoop Dogg has different rap guests to discuss various rap topics.  This is not as significant, except for the fact that "Uncle Snoop," as most younger rappers would refer to him, has yet to have an episode where he is not smoking while recording the episode.  On many occasions, his rap guests will partake in the smoking of marijuana on a video stream that countless amounts of people have access to. If a rap icon like Snoop Dogg promotes the idea that drugs are acceptable, listeners will be inclined to agree.
Over the years, the Hip Hop Culture has grown to accept and promote the drug culture.  These examples are just a few of many, that emphasize the relationship between Rap music and drugs.  Lyrics have become more and more explicit, graphic and inappropriate videos have been accepted as forms of entertainment, and successful musicians have become inclined to post or talk about illegal drugs carelessly, as if it were no big deal.  The drug culture has been a big contributor in Hip Hop’s reputation as violent, sexual, and inappropriate music.