Drug term trends in American hip-hop lyrics
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-05-2015-0019 |
| Date | 21 September 2015 |
| Published date | 21 September 2015 |
| Pages | 169-173 |
| Author | Becky Inkster,Akeem Sule |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Mental health,Public mental health |
Drug term trends in American hip-hop lyrics
Becky Inkster and Akeem Sule
Dr Becky Inkster is based at the
Department of Psychiatry,
University of Cambridge,
Cambridge, UK; Wolfson
College, University of
Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
and Cambridgeshire &
Peterborough NHS Foundation
Trust, Cambridge, UK.
Dr Akeem Sule is based at
Cumbria Partnership NHS
Foundation Trust, Cumbria,
UK; South Essex Partnership
University NHS Foundation
Trust, Essex, UK; Department
of Psychiatry, University of
Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
and Wolfson College, University
of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Abstract
Purpose –Many young people around the world embrace hip-hop music and culture. Since the genre’s
conception in the 1970s, hip-hop music and lyrics have made regular references to drugs. Understanding the
relevance of these documented trends is important, especially as adolescence is a period of high risk for
substance misuse. The purpose of this paper is to explore how and possibly why different lyrical trends in
hip-hop music have emerged, risen and fallen out of popularity by examining word usage frequency of drug
terminology in hip-hop lyrics spanning several decades of this genre.
Design/methodology/approach –Electronic searches were completed using an open source
database known as Rap Genius Rap Stats, which contains verified annotations and text. Word frequency
was plotted against time using data available from 1988 to 2015. Word frequency was defined as a
percentage of the number of hip-hop songs containing a specific drug-term (per year) based on the number
of hip-hop songs recorded/produced (that year). Standardized “medical/pharmaceutical”terminologies
and common “street”terminologies were plotted independently for time series visualization. Drug terms
were represented using the highest frequency search term. Generic “street”terms with multiple meanings
were excluded.
Findings –As might be predicted, the usage of “street”terms in hip-hop lyrics was more frequently observed
than the usage of “medical/pharmaceutical”terms. An exception was the term “crack”, which was included in
both plots as this word could be referenced as a “street”term and as a “medical/pharmaceutical”term.
The authors observed larger fluctuations in “street”term usage across time relative to only slight fluctuations
of “medical/pharmaceutical”term usage across time.
Originality/value –In this study, the authors illustrate several drug terminology trends in hip-hop lyrics.
The authors discuss some of the socio-political, socio-demographic and geographical implications that may
have influenced these trends, such as the rise of the “street”term molly that emerged when references to
molly made by hip-hop artists became increasingly popular and a more suburban demographic transpired.
This preliminary work may help to enhance two-way youth-oriented communication between health care
professionals and service users, possibly improving the translation of drug-related medical messages. The
preliminary work may also inform future research to consider whether such lyrical trends precede or follow
changes in population substance use.
Keywords Codeine, Ecstasy, Hip-hop, Lyrics, Cocaine, Crack, Promethazine
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Drug culture has influenced a wide range of music genres. In particular, drug terminology has
been documented regularly in hip-hop lyrics since the genre’s conception in the early 1970s.
A striking demonstration of this phenomenon occurred in the mid-1980s into the 1990s when
crack-cocaine surged through inner cities of America (Reinarman, 1997). Hip-hop artists
became “street epidemiologists”who witnessed and documented these toxic environments.
Symbiotic relationships developed between drug dealers and rappers, which transformed
hip-hop culture. Many “dealers-turned-rappers”described the pervasiveness of this highly
addictive substance that was destroying their communities. Several influential hip-hop artists
began campaigning against “the crack game”by promoting socio-politically conscious lyrics.
Received 19 May 2015
Revised 19 May 2015
Accepted 20 May 2015
DOI 10.1108/JPMH-05-2015-0019 VOL. 14 NO. 3 2015, pp. 169-173, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1746-5729
j
JOURNAL OF PUBLIC MENTALHEALTH
j
PAG E 16 9
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