Drugs and Rock & Roll
It's always devastating when you hear about a famous person passing away from drug overdose. Do you ever think, why didn't someone help them that knew? But a lot of times the people in their circle don't even know the extent (the celebrity) does a certain drug.
There have been too many artists that have died from overdose of drugs including; Whitney Houston, Prince, Amy Winehouse and the list goes on. The death of these music artists creates so much pain for their family, friends and fans. You always wonder how did it get to this point?
But what if they told people and they were more open with their usage. Could someone help them and prevent a possible overdose? Every situation is different and it's hard to say yes, but telling people could make a difference.
Recently, I've noticed music artist are being more responsible and true to themselves and their fans. In June, rapper Future sat down with Rolling Stone Magazine's Brian Hiatt and spoke candidly about his past relationship with Ciara, his son, his music and then his use of drugs and background with them. Hiatt is in the studio while interviewing him and says, "the air seems composed mostly of high-grade kush smoke accompanied by just enough oxygen to sustain life."
Even while getting interviewed Future is open with his use of marijuana. No journalist is going to stop him from doing his thing. In a way I respect that and don't at the same time. It's his space and Future chooses to be true to himself, but it also shows a lack of respect to the guest that is interviewing him for his job.
Anyhow, Future tells his story explaining his drug use. He started selling drugs in high school and dropped out his senior year. Years passed, trouble came and went, then he got into writing raps, including the hook for Ludacris' "Blueberry Yum Yum" (which is about weed) eventually he was introduced to codeine.
Future says, "At first it wasn't something that I loved... til I discovered what I loved about it. It started making me more relaxed. Sometimes you experience anxiety and it did some good for that. I don't feel like I ever abused it. I used it for what I felt was needed."
Maybe many users, not just music artists have that same feeling. If they use it in their own terms of "responsible use" then it isn't such a bad thing. As long as they're not affecting others. Also if it is performing like a medication, they may see it as harmless.
Kid Cudi sat down for a genuine interview with Pharrell Williams and Scott Vener on their show OtherTone on Beats 1 Radio on Apple Music. Cudi opened up about his life and his struggle and comfort with drugs.
He credits being in the circle with Kanye West and Jay-Z to his start with drugs, because he felt the pressure to create some "great shit". Cudi says he was either going to kill himself or do drugs, he chose the latter. In his youth he saw his uncles addicted to drugs so it wasn't that unfamiliar to him. Cudi goes on to say he didn't like the fact that he had success and money and his friends didn't-- it led to more drugs; including weed and cocaine. And thus he created the character "Mr. Rager" and started to enjoy them, the drugs made him feel invincible. Cudi explains how he got obsessed with Kurt Cobain and Jimi Hendrix and felt like they were his heroes and understood him. At the time he thought if he died from drugs it was destiny.
Vener asked him if he ever talked to anyone in the industry or in general that may have went through the same thing. His reply was no.
"I was a considerate little addict, I didn't want people to know and I had my way of hiding it. I could have told my mom or someone, but I felt like I would be disturbing their peace."
That just gives you an insight of a mind of an addict. They don't want others to get involved in their problems, because it may inconvenience them. Some may choose to be helpless.
The turning point for Cudi was when he got arrested and eventually had to get clean. He realized people around him cared, his family, especially his daughter and his fans. He may still dabble with marijuana but not any hard drugs. Unlike Future, he saw his use as more of a negative outlet than positive.
Every user deals with it differently. They have to see it as a problem before any action can be taken to decrease the use.
Early July singer/living legend Chaka Khan entered rehab due to an addiction to prescription drugs, specifically Fentanyl. The same drug that took Prince's life. Prince was a good friend of Khan's and his death motivated her to get help.
She wrote on her website:
"The battle of addiction is a serious and long process, which is why I chose to address my use of prescription medications- which came about as a result of the knee surgery I had a few years ago... So many are not here today and have lost this with addiction. Because these medications are legal, their abuse is often unknown until it's too late. If not handled they are a silent killer."
Chaka Khan went to rehab with her sister and hopes to find healthier ways to medicate her pain in her knee. She had her first performance since rehab the first week of August in Atlanta and received great reviews she thanked God for her recovery and her fans for supporting her.
Like Chaka Khan, music artists have the ability to help themselves, but if they don't have the will or the courage to make a change for the better things will stay the same.
I feel like artists who are more transparent have a certain authenticity with their fans and in turn make them enjoy their music more. I'm not saying every music artists needs to come clean about their drug use. But rather be open and honest about it, just in case it could become a problem, they'll have people who know and could help them. Also it may help a fan (or fans) that are trying to overcome addiction.
Some of the reasons music artists in general choose drugs is because they perform mostly at night, surrounded by people who are drunk or high. The life on the road doesn't allow them to keep and build solid relationships so drugs may help to fill that void. Also they have the money to continue to pay for the drug(s), to sustain the habit. Of course there are psychological reasons and the physical or emotional feeling a particular drug may give you.
Now, there are self-proclaimed users who somewhat endorse their drug of choice. Especially Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa about their affairs with marijuana. It's a little different because marijuana has never been a leading cause of death, so it's generally more accepted.
At the end of the day some music artists are still going to do drugs but hopefully with more of their peers dying from accidental or purposeful overdose they will choose to get help, stop all together or let someone around them know about their addiction. As a fan of music, it makes me feel better knowing an artists dies of natural causes than too many poisons being put in their bodies. I believe with so many legends passing, artists will take more responsibility and positive changes will be made.