Awful things, tell me awful things, say’s the chorus of Lil Peep’s hit single. And today, we’re horrified to say, the most awful thing imaginable has happened. Lil Peep has died of a drug overdose. Another victim of so called “controlled substances” that are now “out of control.” For those of you who read my last article regarding Lil Pumps lyrics, it was the glamorization of these drugs marketed to young kids in his brand that led me to go on a rant. But Lil Peep was different. Listen to his song and you can feel a troubled youth, pained by societal pressures and marred with low self esteem and self worth. Which leads me to question what the real problem is, is it the drugs that are out of control, or is it the self esteem of today’s youth that’s at an all time low, leading prescription drug manufactures to capitalize on the problem?
Addiction
Addiction is something that’s all to familiar too me, as my sister struggled with synthetic opiate addiction for years that damn near tore our family apart, and the father of her son, Cody Eaton passed away at the age of 24 dealing with the same struggles Lil Peep and an overwhelming majority of todays youth face. It seems that everywhere you turn you hear the same story, friends, family members, and loved ones everywhere are being affected by the travesties of addiction.
I used to put the blame on the users. Judging them for their lack of strength to just “say no”, all the while ignoring my own vices with alcohol and sex, minimizing the similarities and severities of my own battles with self esteem. Why is it that we are our own worst enemies, our own biggest critics? Why do we allow ourselves to be such masochists? It’s easy for self help books to tell us to think positive and love yourself and purge yourselves of all the negative thoughts and emotions floating around in our bodies and minds, but is that a real solution? That in itself can be part of the problem. We’re trying to numb ourselves from these bad emotions, trying so hard to shut them off instead of understanding them, reflecting on them and expressing them in positive ways.
We’re a society of numbers, searching for endless numbing agents to distract ourselves from our pain and problems. Netflix binge watching, endless scrolling through social media feeds, porn, sex, drugs, alcohol and workaholism all have the same affect on us. We need to teach ourselves to be comfortable with our pain. To spend some time with it instead of spending so much time trying to make it go away. Realize that it’s ok to hurt, that it’s ok to cry, it’s ok to feel powerless when all the odds are stacked against us. Lil Peep was trying. his music was a reflection of his search to find some meaning in his pain and connect with others experiencing the same trials. But in the end, his pain was too overwhelming.
Do it for the culture
And it’s no wonder. Our culture continues to glorify the easy way out. Prescription drug companies continue to produce and market a cure for every emotional affliction under the sun, and make it easier and easier for anyone to get their hands on them. Hip-Hop continues to encourage artists that glamorize big pharmaceutical brands as if they were designer clothes and cars. There’s no one like Tupac around anymore to challenge the status quo and call out these lame-brained rappers who are continuing to dismantle the culture. What’s wrong with a bit of good ol’ fashion rap beef? We’re just all too accepting nowadays. Have we become so liberal that we have to accept every ludicrous fad or social statement and call it progression? Have our morals and standards become that diluted?
My heart goes out to Lil Peep and all of his friends, family, and fans who supported him. His death is another reminder of just how real and alive the prescription drug epidemic really is. I hope that this tragedy will bring more social awareness to the battle of addiction that too many families are facing. I urge you to reach out to anyone you know who is affected by this disease to remind them that you love them and that their addiction doesn’t define them.
This article is dedicated to Cody Michael Eaton, his son Gabriel Eaton, and my sister Michelle Ragno.
