The Rapping Community: A War Zone
- Isaac Zimmerman
- Oct 14, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 23, 2020
The number of rappers dying of various causes seems to be increasing exponentially. Drug overdose and homicide are the ways in which many of these young artists die.
Drugs unfortunately play a major role in the lives of many rappers. This was the case in the death rapper Jarred Higgins, aka Juice WRLD. The nation was shocked and heartbroken to hear the Juice WRLD died of a seizure on his private jet. The seizure was caused by an accidental overdose from oxycodone and codeine toxicity, specifically painkillers like the percocet. These drugs contain opiods, which are meant to be used only in the case of severe pain.
Malcolm McCormick, or Mac Miller's death was also the result of lethal amounts of drug and alcohol usage. His autopsy revealed that at the time of his death, Miller had a lethal amount of fentanyl, cocaine, and alcohol in his system.
Another tragic death that shook the rap community was that of Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy aka XXXTentacion. XXXTentacion was shot and killed during a robbery in Deerfield Beach. There was a lot of controversy behind the life of XXXTentacion, including the alleged abuse between X and his girlfriend. Never-the-less, the life and death of X both affected many people.
Another rapper dying as a result of a fatal shooting was Ermias Asghedom also known as Nipsey Hustle. The shooting occurred near Nipsey's clothing store in Los Angeles. Many fans and followers were deeply affected by the death of the beloved rapper, and many memorials have been made to show tribute to the rapper and his life. These tributes have been present in shows as well, for example the Netflix show All-American.
Bashar Barakah Jackson known as Pop Smoke was an upcoming rapper at the time of his death. Pop smoke was killed in a home invasion/robbery. There were four men involved in the shooting besides Pop Smoke. All four were young men ages 15, 17, 19, and 19, two of which were eligible for the death penalty because the murder was part of a robbery.
Rapper Gustav Elijah Åhr aka Lil Peep was another victim of drug overdose, taking his life at age 21. Peeps death is the first death that happened fairly recently that I really remember shaking the rap community.
The music industry is a tough world. It is very sad to see all these famous artists get addicted to drugs and then see them slowly detach from reality. I hope that people can learn from these artists' mistakes and get the help that they need to face their addiction. And because of their deaths, a conversation has begun against the opioid crisis.
It is a tragedy that these men's lives were taken so soon. The men all had families, friends, and fans who cared for them. According to the CDC, in 2018 almost 70,000 people died from a drug overdose, and in 2017 exactly 19,150 died of homicide. Each number in these statistics has people who care for them and maybe someone you know has had problems with drugs or violence. All in all, this is a nation-wide issue and needs to be addressed as such.
CDC Article on overdose: https://www.cdc.gov/injury/features/prescription-drug-overdose/index.html#:~:text=Drug%20Overdoses%20in%20the%20United%20States&text=In%202018%2C%20almost%2070%2C000%20people,synthetic%20opioids%20(like%20fentanyl).
Cdc Article on Homocide: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/homicide.htm