9 Sober Musicians on How They Thrive Creatively Without Drugs or Booze

Pharrell once ate six weed brownies and passed out in a bathroom, as he recalled in a 2013 interview with Nardwuar. Kanye has spoken publicly about his struggles with alcohol and drug abuse in the past, and in 2019 he revealed that he is now a year sober. It’s fair to say that the genre has a close association with drugs and alcohol. 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. Unlike some of his fellow Odd Future members, Tyler, The Creator made a deliberate decision to not smoke or drink.

Sober Rappers Who Dont Drink Or Do Drugs

This is the theme of Cole’s new record, K.O.D. — namely, the pain that makes people escape into drugs, alcohol, money, sex, social media and other vices. Cole’s biggest escape these days is his work, and during the week in late March that I visit him, he is shooting two music videos. Royce Da 5’9”, Eminem’s fellow Bad Meets Evil partner and former Slaughterhouse signee, went through his own struggles with alcoholism. The Detroit lyricist has rapped about his addiction and recovery in his music. Back in 2020, during an interview with Converse for their Creative All Star Series, Tyler, The Creator shared that he’s never been interested in drinking, though he’s tried weed twice. Then he noted that his “addictive personality” is what could potentially lead to his downfall.

Living Sober

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. 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.

In that same piece, Em is quoted as saying, “I had to regain motor skills, I had to regain talking skills.” His drug use affected him so severely that he had to relearn how to talk and how to rap. Relearn he did, but as much as we all might want a new, incredible Eminem album, I try to mostly just stay thankful that he’s still alive. Notably, drug usage has troubled the career of Glo Gang boss Chief Keef.

Thailand Yoga, Culture, & Adventure Retreat in Chiang Mai with Bigger Life Adventures

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. 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. 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. Lil’ Kim’s debut solo album, Hard Core, became a critical and commercial success.

Sober Rappers Who Don’t Drink Or Do Drugs

  • With a background in academia, he is passionate about bringing rigour and insight to music journalism.
  • Originating in Chicago, and created by brothers Brian and Brett Berish, 3 Vodka was distributed by Sovereign Brands.
  • In June 2022, he violated a protective order filed against him by his ex-girlfriend and was subsequently sent to jail.
  • Relapse and Recovery, in particular, are two concept albums that detail the rapper’s relapse and recovery from drug addiction.

“I’m in a financial place where I can enable it https://georgeandsonstowing.com/sober-living/alcohol-intolerance-wikipedia/ myself, and I don’t ever want to be that guy,” he affirmed. Quaranta chronicles Brown’s journey starting from scratch after substance abuse wrecked his life. “I was really just thinking about my mortality a lot,” he says on a call with NPR. He’s reckoning with all that he’s lost, and, after finally going sober, figuring out how to stay joyful while remaining present. “But when is the party going to be over? You can’t be 40-years-old and still in the club. The party don’t have to stop, but the party is gonna stop you.”

  • All irony aside, it’s nice to see that the Chicago beatsmith doesn’t partake in any of Chief Keef’s wild shenanigans.
  • He rapped about drug use on his first few albums, but it was not until after 2004’s Encore that he sought help.
  • Let’s jump in and find out about the sober rappers who are shunning drugs and liquor today.

sober rappers

While many musicians struggle with drugs and alcohol, others choose to remain sober or get clean after experiences with addiction. Some famous rappers who don’t drink or do drugs went to rehab while other sober rappers quit cold turkey. A few famous rap stars who are sober even inspired other hip hop stars to kick their addictions for good. The partnership comes at a time when alcohol use is rising and overdose deaths are at an all-time high. CLEAN Cause donates 50% of its net profits to help people in recovery, a cause the rapper is passionate about. Our favorite Gossip Girl star revealed in her Allure cover story back in 2012 that not only does she not drink alcohol, but that she’s also never touched drugs.

Stay Sober: Rappers Who Don’t Smoke Or Drink

Unfortunately, drug use in hip hop is nothing new, as we have lost talents like Pimp C, Mac Miller, and Juice WRLD to overdoses. 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. Some of today’s biggest names like Lil Wayne and Kid Cudi, among others, have spent much of their careers looking for a way to cope with their own personal traumas. Many times, the glamorization of substance use is in their rhymes, peppering hooks with one-liners that speak to those internal struggles. But despite drug culture’s influence over music and trends, a number of the game’s favorite artists embrace sobriety.

J. Cole Talks New Rappers, Drug Abuse and Calls His Critics “Idiots” In New Interview

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 sober rappers helped him better himself as an artist. His sobriety also spelt the beginning of better health and fitness for the rapper, who shed some serious weight.

Official List of the Hottest Women in WWE

In an interview with G-Unit, Tony Yayo confirmed that 50 Cent abstains from drugs and alcohol. 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 Sober living house shenanigans.

sober rappers

Yet the stereotype of the drug-addled rapper doesn’t apply universally. Several dinosaurs are out there living by the drug-free, or straight edge, code. Many rappers abstain from drugs and alcohol for personal and/or professional reasons. Take a look at this list and find out which of your favorite rap stars abstain from drugs and alcohol. He raps about drug use to relate to a specific market but says in his personal life it’s really not for him. The road to addiction treatment can be very challenging, especially with the media glamorizing drug and alcohol use.