Many MCs today talk about both consuming and selling drugs. However, not all of them necessarily use them to the extent they say they do. However, one iconic rapper once admitted that he used to spend “$2,600 a day” on drugs.
Many incredible artists, from Eminem to Kid Cudi, have been transparent about their previous drug use, which is more common than many fans realise. However, specific eras were really affected by the presence of drugs, and the 1980s was a disastrous decade concerning drugs.
The crack epidemic was a dire period for the African-American community and wiped out much of America’s population as it swept the nation. However, the poorest were affected, but in many cases, even those with money got caught up in the mess.
In a sit-down interview with DJ Akademiks for his Off The Record podcast, the iconic Public Enemy emcee Flavor Flav opened up about his previous addictions and revealed its financial toll on him. Unveiling the various narcotics he used, the artist (real name William Drayton Jr.), the 63-year-old rapper, shared that he was addicted to cocaine, crack, weed, alcohol, and cigarettes “for 18 years straight.”
In an honest reflection, Drayton revealed, “There was a time that I was spending $2,400 to $2,600 a day for six years straight, you do the math. That’s how much I spent on drugs.” This dependency lasted for almost two decades, according to Flav.
Flavor Flav disclosed to Akademiks that even during his time as a member of the highly successful collective Public Enemy, he was still selling drugs, divulging, “I ain’t gonna lie, I sold a lot. But I was my best customer,” Flavor Flav said. “I had a lot of money at the time, too. I was just doing the wrong things with my money.”
However, the rhymer expressed his disdain for how the new generation of hip-hop artists glorify the ingestion of narcotics, proclaiming, “Today’s music, they’re talking about doing drugs! There’s a big change within the music. Not only that, it’s giving younger kids the wrong idea.” He continued, “The reason why is younger kids emulate off of what we [rappers] do.”
Drayton thanked god for his recovery and current sobriety, exclaiming, “I guess God wanted me to live. And he knows that I’m a mouthpiece to the world. So, I feel that God let me live through that so that way, I could teach people about the mistakes that I made. And hopefully, they won’t make them later on in life.”
You can watch Flavor Flav’s interview in the video below.
