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.
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.
Most recently, Toosii went on Instagram to set the record straight about what he likes to do in his spare time. Speaking in third person, he captioned the post, “Toosii if you don’t smoke or drink how do you have fun?,” dismissing any notion of relying on substances to keep himself busy. “Well… I got a bowling problem,” he continued, evidenced in the 30 plus balls that he was pictured laying in front of.
Other rappers have also sided with sobriety, too. 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. At first, he joked about his past experience with an edible. Then he noted that his “addictive personality” is what could potentially lead to his downfall. “I’m in a financial place where I can enable it myself, and I don’t ever want to be that guy,” he affirmed.
Beyond Toosii and Tyler, there’s of course more to the story. Looking at other rappers like Kendrick Lamar, Vince Staples and various others, below is a full list of those in hip-hop who are proud to be sober.—Derrius Edwards
