Vic Mensa says hip-hop’s glorification of drugs is to blame for Juice WRLD’s death.
The Chicago rapper believes his peers are doing serious harm with their lyrics that promote lean, Percocet, and Xanax abuse. In an interview with TMZ, the Roc Nation signee spoke out about the rampant drug references in rap.
“I think as members of the hip-hop community, we need to take responsibility for the things that we say,” said Vic. “We need to recognize that the shit that we talk about influences children and so when we steady pushin’ a message of lean and Percocets and Xans, we are polluting the minds of the youth. We have a responsibility to give it to ’em in a real way.”
He added, “Not to say you can’t talk about your life and the things that are happening, but I think we need to start holding each other and ourselves accountable for our glorification of the drug culture, 100 percent.”
Vic, who’s been open about his past addiction, says hip-hop needs to take accountability. “You gotta be careful about what you say because kids take what you say for real. They take it as the gospel. So give ’em something they can use, not shit that’s killin’ them.”
TMZ clip of me speaking about the rap game taking responsibility for drug culture in the tragic death of Juice surfaced. To clarify for those that just read headlines, I ain’t pointing fingers. I’m saying we ALL need to do better, myself included. Give em something real
— vino valentino (@VicMensa) December 27, 2019
He paid respects to Juice and said hip-hop is “much to blame for it.” Vic also revealed that he himself has come close to death. “I’ve been through the drug addiction in a major way and that shit gives you perspective to be like, man, I have a responsibility to talk about mental health, to give that in a real way to the people listening to my music.”
Juice WRLD died on Dec. 2 after allegedly overdosing on Percocet pills and suffering a fatal seizure following a flight to Chicago. Feds seized 70 pounds of weed and bottles of codeine from his private plane.
During his recent performance at Rolling Loud, Lil Pump dropped “Drug Addicts” from his set list and instead paid tribute to Juice with a performance of “Lucid Dreams.”
In the wake of his death, Trippie Redd has vowed to quit drugs and has encouraged his peers to do the same. “Everybody need to use this time as a wake-up call. If it ain’t weed, we ain’t doing it no more, period,” he said. “If it ain’t weed, we ain’t doing it no more. When I say we, I say us as a group, us as a whole, the whole emo music artists. No drugs.”
