The song touches on themes like ambition, the allure of wealth, and the complexities of life in a city shaped by gang culture and poverty. In the song, the “recipe” symbolizes the formula for success, which, for Kendrick, involves a mix of staying true to oneself, hard work, and understanding the realities of his surroundings. Sadly, Lamar was eventually sucked into the gang lifestyle almost synonymous with growing up in Compton. While still in high school, the rapper joined a group of friends with whom he would carry out several illegal activities, including home invasions and robberies.
- Simmons is perhaps one of the most surprising of the sober celebrities on our list.
- “And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one.”
- When Lamar poses the thought, “I wonder what Lecrae would do,” my simplified answer is, “whatever Lecrae wants,” because he has the freedom and ownership to do so.
- In 2014, the rapper embarked on a five-stop world tour for charity.
- For example, OJ Simpson is more a Black villain than a Black hero, a quick throwback to his ‘I’m not Black I’m OJ’ comment speaks volumes.
Dandy Smoke
The use of any information provided on this website is solely at your own risk. Explore lifestyle hacks, how-to guides, and the latest in cannabis news. Whether fans were tuning in to see the worst-dressed stars at the Grammys or to see who would win what, they saw Kendrick Lamar sweep does kendrick lamar do drugs the awards. His parents didn’t have much when they moved to California, and little changed as they struggled to make ends meet over the years.
Kendrick Lamar and the Constant Battle of Depression
“I’m in a financial place https://lichenlekar.com/2024/05/02/just-say-no-10-rappers-who-don-t-smoke-or-drink/ where I can enable it myself, and I don’t ever want to be that guy,” he affirmed. Like Kendrick Lamar, Vince Staples has avoided taking drugs and drinking alcohol. The Long Beach, California rapper’s decision to stay sober stems from the traumatic events he witnessed during his childhood. In an appearance on Drink Champs, Vince expressed that he never wanted to get caught with drugs and always wanted to stay alert when growing up in an area filled with gang violence. Additionally, he elaborated that his father was addicted to drugs and did not want to follow the same path. Fans of Kendrick Lamar’s music have analyzed the lyrics in many of his songs over the years — even we’ve said what we think Lamar’s “Humble” track really means.
Rappers Who Are Sober
He states in his TEDx Talk that the biggest consumers of Hip-Hop are not Black and Brown youth, but rather white suburban listeners. Dr. Patricia Rose, a long-standing scholar in Hip-Hop Studies, also implicitly voiced this argument in 2016 when she spoke on the White House Chronicle show. She states that motifs in Hip-Hop emerge from Black criminality stereotypes demanded by consumers, although she is not direct in pointing out the categories of listeners influencing these stereotypes. And Lecrae has kept that memory of Hip-Hop culture alive in his own music. He grew up in an era when hip hop was at its highest point in its indigenous roots.
I think the feelings she’s expressing a just as complex as the style she composes. The beat shifts, the tone is more aggressive, and Kendrick delivers one of the most emotional verses on the whole Sobriety album. Each line is a masterpiece, the juxtaposition of what these reporters think he is insinuating, and the violence white Americans commit against black Americans is nearly comical. They could not have it more wrong of what Kendrick Lamar stands for. So, when Lamar raises the question, “I wonder what Lecrae would do,” this may be a question of, “What would Lecrae do after everything that’s been done to him? ” Lecrae attempted to keep Hip-Hop indigenous, which resulted in placing him in a “faith only” category and limiting his influence on larger Hip-Hop culture.