On the heels of rapper Rich Homie Quan suffering a massive seizure after allegedly hitting the lean hard, we take a look through the prescription-strength drug and its history.
We reported on the “Type Of Way” rapper being rushed to the hospital in Atlanta after he collapsed at a video shoot, which his rep called “heat exhaustion”. With the word going around in the industry that sizzurp, that purple stuff, aka promethazine codeine, played a part in the health scare, all eyes are keeping notice on Quan.
He’s not the only one shy about his love for lean, as rappers are offering up to $100,000 for bottles now that the stuff is being ripped from the shelves. Actavis, the makers of Phenergan-Codeine cough syrup, had enough with the charges and deaths on their hands due to those who want to be like Lil Wayne, and yes, Justin Bieber.
With that said, we’re taking a look at the prescription-strength drug’s history within Hip-Hop.
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Big Moe
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One of the original founding members of Screwed Up Click, Big Moe mixed rap with singing that he called “rap singing”. His songs celebrated the codeine-laced drink as a form of fun and recreation. He sadly died at the age of 33 after suffering a heart attack one week earlier that left him in a coma.
Juicy J
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The father of the “Stay Trippy” movement and author behind songs such as “Sippin’ On Some Sizzurp” is well-known for his double cup advocacy. While he and his Three 6 Mafia partner DJ Paul have never suffered a seizure, the belief is still “whatever a person wanna do, I can’t tell ’em what to do,” according to The Juice Man.
Mac Miller
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During his ascent into rap megastardom, Pittsburgh rapper Mac Miller admitted to MTV how hard it is to kick the cough syrup addiction. “I love lean; it’s great. But it’s not good for you.” He quit hardcore shortly after another member of this list experienced a seizure.
2 Chainz
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Atlanta rapper 2 Chainz just recently joined the straight-edge society, revealing to MTV’s Rob Markman, “I don’t drank no more.” Making the change his New Year’s resolution, Tity Boi is sobering up before he enters a drug diversion program that will have him rehabbing for 18 months. Say goodbye to the Codeine Cowboy.
Paul Wall
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Houston rap legend Paul Wall confronted his own demons, coming clean about his addiction to lean even after Pimp C, Big Moe and others passed on. “I kinda made excuses,” he said. “I said it was other things that killed them. That’s part of being an addict.” Since then, he’s cleaned up his act, shed some pounds, and even reunited with Chamillionaire.
Lil Wayne
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It’s no secret that Weezy F. Baby enjoyed imbibing on that purple drank. He’s written songs about it and been filmed holding the double cups. Eventually, his vice caused him to be rushed to the hospital. Unnamed sources would say that Wayne’s 2013 seizure experience was due to a great deal of codeine in his system. Most notedly, there’s that gripping scene with manager Cortez Bryant in the QDIII documentary on the former Hot Boy.
Soulja Boy
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No one knows what’s going on in the mind of the now-23-year-old Soulja Boy, but he’s not quite there. The rapper who has made controversial statements before has recently started a petition to get Promethazine Codeine back into the market. After Actavis was pulled from shelves, Soulja Boy pleaded for the product by creating a petition. This kid needs serious help.
Pimp C
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UGK’s Pimp C was a prohibitor of the prescription-strength cough syrup in his rhymes and lifestyle. On December 4, both those energies came to a halt when he was found dead in a Los Angeles hotel. The rapper had a combination of codeine and promethazine in his system, which coupled with the sleep disorder apnea, caused his death.
DJ Screw
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The fathering voice about the purple drank, DJ Screw would mix soda to add a bit of spice to the cough syrup which imbued his creation of the “Chopped ‘N Screwed” movement. His usage of the drug would halt his life in 2000, when DJ Screw was found dead inside his Houston recording studio. The young music mogul had died of a codeine overdose in addition to mixed drug intoxication.
Danny Brown
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The Motor City motormouth has had his fair experiences with the lean concoction. Last month, he explained why he quit drinking the substance with Tim Westwood, saying, “I was getting too fat man, I gained like 15 pounds!” After admitting that he might “drink a two litre of soda in a day,” Danny Brown emphasized the hazards that come with drinking syrup, saying, “Once you get addicted to that taste man, it’s a brain thing. It’s stuck there.”
Did we miss anybody? Do you believe syrup to be a problem in Hip-Hop? Speak on it below!
