Eminem’s battle with addiction is documented in some of the rapper’s albums. Relapse and Recovery, in particular, are two concept albums that detail the rapper’s relapse and recovery from drug addiction. However, he did not put much effort into fighting it until 2014.

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It was suggested that Meek Mill’s brief incarceration for a probation violation set the foundation for his 2018 comeback and No. 1 album, CHAMPIONSHIPS. While his popularity has decreased over the years, Cheapy still remains the only MC from the Sutherland Shire to ever get successful so far in the Australian rap scene and acts as a mentor for young, upcoming rappers. These artists demonstrate that success and creativity are not dependent on substance use and that sobriety can be a source of strength and inspiration. These quotes reflect the diverse perspectives and experiences these artists have with drug addiction sobriety, offering insight into their personal lives and the challenges and benefits of living sober. In fact, here is a list of performers that don’t drink at all, which which challenge society’s alcohol-soaked stereotypes of rock stars and famous singers.

From Eminem to Kendrick Lamar, Rappers Who Embraced Sobriety

• But he continued to battle depressive thoughts, including suicidal ideations.
• Rap’s obsession with Xanax began in 2011 when Tyler, The Creator mentioned the pill on “Yonkers.” Since then, Young Thug, Future, and 2 Chainz have all mentioned Xanax in their music.
• In an interview with Billboard, fans were generally overjoyed to hear Chief Sosa admit he “don’t sip the lean no more,” considering the sloppiness of his last two mixtapes.
• At times, it might seem like the mentality of rappers today is that the more drug references they insert, the more fame they will achieve — that somehow, alluding to drugs is a guaranteed pathway to fame.
• It wasn’t just the most successful rap debut ever, it was the biggest debut in music history at the time.
• 10+ years of heroin addiction took it’s toll of Keidis but thankfully he is now clean, sober and still a rock god.
• The thing that I have faith in is that everybody else is going to have one or two drinks, and by the time everybody gets to two drinks, you’ll feel like you’ve had two drinks—but without the hangover,” she added.

However, Tom admitted that after two months, he was still “really struggling” and that it was a challenge for him to attend work and social events and not have a drink. So, he decided to try and stay sober until his birthday, June 6. When the date came up, Tom revealed that it was the “happiest he’d ever been” in his life and that he’s decided to keep his alcohol-free outlook up. Recently there has been a noticeable shift in the mindset of some MCs when it comes to self-medicating on opiates. 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.

• 2Pac might seem like an LA rapper, but he only lived in the city for a couple of months.
• Let’s jump in and find out about the sober rappers who are shunning drugs and liquor today.
• Kid Cudi had a difficult upbringing that ultimately made him turn to drugs.
• From the beginning, TDE’s original flagship artist has commanded respect, his bellowing vocals adding increased gravitas to every word he utters.
• Before his death from a suspected overdose in 2017, Lil Peep talked about his depression in an interview with Pitchfork.

Danny Brown’s clean slate

It can include cultural influences, socioeconomic backgrounds, mental health struggles, and the desire to portray a particular image. Fortunately, artists who struggle with addiction often take the bold step of going to rehab. Over the years, many rappers have sought help in an effort to deal with their addictions. Also, some artists proudly speak out against the current drug obsession in Hip Hop.

Steven Tyler

“Making this album, I didn’t know if I was gonna get a chance to make another one,” he says. Clapton has been sober for almost 30 years and wrote very frankly about his struggles with addiction in his memoir, Clapton. Katy Perry was fully sober for three months after divorcing Russell Brand and now although she doesn’t drink cocktails, she does occasionally indulge in a glass of wine. As a general law of the universe, rappers never think they get enough credit, and when they rattle off their list of accomplishments, it can verge on cartoonish levels of cappery. But, when Dr. Dre spits lyrics like the ones above, any educated rap fan would have no choice but to say Dre’s place at the most extreme end of the “Him” spectrum.

• Before Kendrick Lamar took up the torch as Top Dawg Entertainment’s leading figure, Jay Rock was the one to push the brand into the mainstream.
• “6 in the Mornin’” offered a vivid lyrical depiction of street life.
• While we’ve all had one too many cocktails or whatever it may be at that Thursday evening happy hour, many, including some of our favorite celebrities, have chosen to abstain from the act of drinking alcohol all together.
• Despite the setbacks, DMX made several attempts at recovery and even entered rehab facilities.

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. To anyone who’s had even a mild exposure to rap songs, you’ve probably found the music replete with drug references. In addition to the usual alcohol- or marijuana-related ones, there’s a plethora of allusions to other drugs — “purple drank,” “popping pills,” “milly rock,” etc. At times, it might seem like the mentality of rappers today is that the more drug references they insert, the more fame they will achieve — that somehow, alluding to drugs is a guaranteed pathway to fame. I’ve often questioned how representative this alleged lifestyle is of their reality, and how many of them actually do the drugs they claim to do in their songs. It was a rappers who are sober deeply personal album that separated him from his Slim Shady alter ego.

• Future’s artistry in particular is deeply rooted in drug use as a method of self-medication to cope with heartache, pain and suffering.
• 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.
• He credits his family, his faith and his newfound dedication to sobriety as the driving force behind his success.
• According to his own social media posts Ice-T is pretty much – if not entirely – sober.
• It’s hilarious that Usher’s “U Don’t Have To Call” falls into this story.