On Friday afternoon, prolific rapper and producer Mac Miller[1] was found dead in his San Fernando, California, home from an apparent overdose. He was 26 years old.
In an eight-minute confessional typically reserved for a therapist’s couch, he divulges, “They don’t want me to OD and have to talk to my mother/ Telling her they could have done more to help me, and she’ll be crying saying that she’ll do anything to have me back.” He also confesses that “white lines be numbing them dark times/ Them pills that I’m popping, I need to man up/ Admit it’s a problem, I need a wake up.”
But considering the millions of dollars his transparency and torment generated for Warner Bros., would Mac have been allowed to “wake up?” In an industry in which artists are encouraged to profess their love for opioids, alcohol and other destructive vices, does sobriety benefit the bottom line?
Last month, during a rare interview with the popular morning radio show ”The Breakfast Club,” legendary music executive Lyor Cohen volunteered his thoughts on this unique dynamic. After co-host DJ Envy expressed concern about rap music’s open endorsements of drug abuse, Cohen concurred. “It’s the most dangerous thing that’s facing our society,” he said, sounding disgusted.[2]
Like a lot of listeners, co-host Charlamagne Tha God was baffled, because Cohen has done a great deal to contribute to rap’s new status quo. From helming Def Jam, to serving as chairman and chief executive of Warner Music Group, to introducing the world to the likes of Young Thug, Fetty Wap and Migos (all of whom helped usher in this phenomenon), Cohen has promoted and profited from the very content he was rebuking. “So why sign an artist that would