Biggie was an incredible storyteller and a budding entrepreneur. Tupac was making an impact as an artist, actor, and activist. After they died, many music lovers thought there would be an East Coast–versus–West Coast war, but thankfully a battle didn’t happen.

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His addiction resulted in broken relationships and a lack of productivity. Six months later, he moved back to Chicago, his hometown, and stopped using drugs. Xanax is a benzodiazepine that is used to treat anxiety and panic disorders. The drug slows brain activity, helping people feel relaxed. Because of its euphoric properties, a host of rappers over the years — from Eminem to Kanye West — have espoused the drug in music.

Kamala Harris’ stance on marijuana has certainly evolved. Here’s what to know.

• Jones’ mother, Sandrikas Mays, was at Monday’s news conference but didn’t speak at the podium.
• The man who built his career on rapping about drugs or the things he did while on drugs is sober today.
• In 2017, Beeson and a team of researchers at Northwestern University conducted an analysis of the Billboard Hot 100 year-end charts from 2007 to 2016 to determine the frequency of alcohol-related terms in popular music.
• Because it is cheaper and more readily available than powdered cocaine, crack quickly took hold in poor urban communities.

Eminem has spoken candidly about his past struggles with substance use. Several other rappers, from Macklemore to Kendrick Lamar, have relayed the dangers of drug abuse through song. Instead of glorifying the behavior, a bevy of rap artists speak of addiction in a more somber tone. Rap music may have affected adolescent substance use in Texas.

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This is our generation’s responsibility as much as it is for the young MCs. 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.

• Before Harris took the stage, Grammy-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion, wearing a royal blue pantsuit, performed a handful of her hits, including “Savage” and “Mamushi.”
• “Surveillance video was critical in this investigation as suspects were seen on video following Jones from location to location,” he said, noting Jones posted his locations on social media several times that night.
• First on our list of rappers who overdosed is multi-platinum rapper DMX.
• DJ Screw passed away in 2000 and UGK’s Pimp C died from a codeine overdose in 2007, right around the time Lil Wayne was diving in head first.
• Ice actually tried to kill himself with a heroin overdose in ’94, but his friends found him and saved his life.

This evolution in rap music may be one that benefits society. In his music, he reveals the mental health problems that have plagued him for years. Drug and alcohol mentions can influence adolescents to engage in substance use, according to Eric Beeson, a licensed professional counselor for the online master’s in counseling program at Northwestern University. Frequent collaborators Lil Pump and Smokepurpp blacklisted Xans, announcing in January 2018 that they were leaving the habit in the past.

Though some listeners may disagree, these artists have continually shown that they’re more than capable of making quality music without the enhancement of drugs. Macklemore has struggled with remaining sober his whole life. In a recent interview with MTV, the platinum-selling rapper revealed he developed a drinking rappers who do drugs problem at the age of thirteen. In his past, oxycontin and syrup have caused him near-death experiences. On “Otherside,” Macklemore raps about Lil Wayne being a major influence of his personal codeine addiction. Minus one relapse he’s had with codeine, Macklemore has been clean since August of 2008.