Hip-hop’s drug problem has been one of the biggest talking points in the genre lately, especially towards the end of the year with the sudden death of artist Lil Peep after an apparent Fentanyl overdose. Lil Uzi Vert used the instance to get sober, and fellow genre-bending trap rapper Famous Dex recently said he was done with lean from a hospital bed, where he laid suffering an unknown ailment likely related to his use of the dangerous concoction.
It feels like artists and fans are getting more responsible about drug use and its consequences – at least felt that way before Young Thug posted a picture which depicts himself injecting lean through an IV, with a caption that reads: “f*ck a double cup I wanna feel it faster.”
The picture appeared on his Instagram story last night. No one knows if the picture is from a music video photoshoot, or if it’s supposed to be a joke. His 2016 GQ feature did offer the bizarre nugget that he injected himself with vitamins once a month in lieu of a proper diet.
Maybe he’s decided to use the equipment for his high as well. Whatever the case, it’s an alarming picture. As cool as the oneupsmanship may appear to some, he’s lying with the IV in the same way that many of the 91 people a day who die from opioid addiction spend their last moments.
At “best” this is the kind of irresponsible glorification of lean that Russ has been talking about, but at worst it could be a sign of an addiction spiraling out of control. Thugger is seen as an innovator in hip-hop – but this is one thing no one needs to emulate.
