Musicians and Drugs

[Kymistry]

Correct me if I'm wrong. But I think if you are a serious musician you should be allowed to the drug(s) of your choice. Some of you may think I must be stoned out of my mine right now but I'm serious. Some of the best of all time past and present were straight junkies. From Jazz (Miles Davis),to rap (2Pac, Lil Wayne), to rock (Elvis,Jimi Hendrix), to Pop (Amy Whinehouse,Justin Timberlake), to Soul (James Brown, Ray Charles), to Country (Wilie Nelson). Drugs were a major influence on they're best songs. And I'm 100% positive that without those drugs those songs would never exist.

Music is a very powerful substance. Somewhat similar to a drug. It can alter your mood. It can change your point of veiw. It can also create a sense of euphoria. I'm sure it's been plenty of times when you've felt like a pile of dog crap:mad: and your favorite song plays next and you find yourself without a care in the world:vibes:! I don't think I would be going to far to say music has saved some peoples lives. People don't spend $100 on concert tickets to go in front of 1000+ people to cry their eyes out and make fools of themselves. They do so because they feel what the artist is relaying. They can relate. They feel like "Hey, he/she's just like me". So in a way they get high off them being high. Don't get me wrong people make music without anything. And I'm sure the artists that are high could sing or rap without it. But drugs just make them feel a certain way. It puts that umf in their voice and that pep in their steps.

The point of all the things I just said is this- Why are the cops doing their best to throw them away. I mean artist like T.I and Lil Wayne. T.I is serving time for possesion of machine guns and suppressors. But Bryan "Birdman" Williams(Along with 18 others) were pulled over in a R.V in Nov/07 and officers found a pound of weed and over $20,000. Lil Wayne was arressted earlier this year for possession of various drugs(Pot,X,Blow). These artist can be thrown away for ever because they were guilty of being themselves. They give to the world the best they know how and look what happens. They're taken away from it. And it's not just rappers. Wilie Nelson was popped in Louisiana in Oct/07. When his tour bus was pulled over. They retrieved over 2lbs. of skunk weed and about a pound of mushroom tops.

I mean does the government and these pussy ass cops really think they can rid the world of drugs. That will never ever happen. You can get life for a 1/4 ounce of heroin in most states.And people still do it. 10yr. min. for one kilo of coke. Yet People bring it here by the boat loads. I believe there is a science to everything (Hence the name Kymistry) including running this country. And I can tell you it's not by spending $50,000,000 on a fighter jet. It's not by throwing people away for life for simple possession. And spend billions....... maybe even trillions of dollars to keep the system like it is. I want you're input on this people. Tell me what you think. Goood or bad. Let's get it.

[Archenemy]

I don't think that you should have to be an accomplished musician to use. That is unfair to the general public... it could also be seen as discrimination. There there is the act of defining a "musician"... and an "accomplished" one.

I feel that drugs should be legal for all to enjoy.

/oh, you missed Kurdt D. Cobain! ;)

[Matt The Funk]

Drugs should be legal for all. I personally think TV, movies, video games, and music are some of the most powerful mind altering substances know to man. And yeah I agree with mint boi, it's not the drug that makes the musician. It's the talent, skill, and experience.

[Mint boi]

These artist can be thrown away for ever because they were guilty of being themselves.

If their drug use is who they are then thats pretty sad! :laugh:

Drugs should be legal for all, i don't believe drugs are vital or even necessary for any musician.
The infamous drug use of big artists comes with the lifestyle of being a big musician, the drugs don't make them who they are.
I get what you're saying, I just don't agree!!!
I don't personally believe that drugs "put that umf in their voice and pep in their step", real emotion is what gives great songs their umph, not drugs.

[Mr. Giraffe]

Is it just me or is anyone else imagining what Steps would sound like if you force fed them downers for two hours. I would pay to see that show.

[chemical brother]

A lot the best musicians in the world have no association with drug problems. Radiohead, the best band in the world (in my opinion) has never been thought of as a group of strung out junkies, but they continue to make some of the best music ever heard on our planet. I think a lot the drug problems associated with musicians comes from giving a young, trendy, and popular artist more money then they have ever had in their entire lives, what else would anybody do with it? They get way more money than they could ever spend and an unadulterated ability to buy and do as many drugs as possible is a pretty tough siren to avoid. If it goes drugs -> music -> fame/money or music -> fame/money -> drugs or any other combination of these is hard to say and is probably a unique timeline for any artist

thats just my 2 cents

[Kymistry]

O.K let's get back to it. I guess I'll start with mint boi. Yeah it would be sad if that's all they really were. But it's not. It's only a part of who that person is. That's why they're musicians. Most people that follow or partake in this lifestyle don't do anything @ all. They just sit there and do nothing until it's time to get high again. Which brings me to another point. There are two different kinds of junkies. Funtional and Non-funtional. Some people can do drugs and live a somewhat normal life. Others can not. Most people associate drug use with other crimes. Like theft, D.U.I, prostitution among other things. Some people like SWIK's dad smoked pot since he was 18 (Now 44). Held a great job where he made a six figure income. Raised three kids and has since then retired. Music is just one occupation where drug use is acceptable. Others are not. You can't be a crane opperator and a heroin addict. You hold other peoples lives in your hand. You can't nod out with a 40ton rail-car hoisted in the air @ 100ft. That one slip can kill a whole crew of men. But then again the governor of Detroit was caught smoking crack on tape. He was re-elected and continues to run a whole city. Don't get me wrong I think all drugs should be legal or atleast decrimalized. But once it goes political it will get technical. Like how would you keep the dope away from kids under the legal age from doing it. Or how would the streets and hwys. be if over 60% of the drivers on them were geeked up on uppers and loaded on downers.

Another thing. I never said one time that drugs are what inabled a musician to sing. I'm 100% positive that Whitney Houston can hit the highest note without a hit at all. Oh, and Archenemy- I sad serious musician not accomplished. You have to take what you are doing seriously long before you become accomplished. That goes for everything and everybody. Chemical brother I'd like to call you on your comment about drugs coming into play after stardom or becoming "BiG" as you say. Drugs are part of most peoples lives long before that. Example: Elvis Presley- started using when he went to the war not after he was in Vegas making $100,000 a week. DMX started using after a robbery. When he was passed a laced blunt. I will not argue the point of drug addiction being a way of coping with ones ordeals. Whether it be having too much money or not enough. The user sees it as a problem and that's his or her way of dealing.

To All That Read This: Don't stop now keep it kickin. Let me know what you think. Good or bad. Agree or disagree.

[Archenemy]

to SWIY Above^ : Oh, and Archenemy- I sad serious musician not accomplished.
If you were talking about Arch Enemy then: Personally I do not like Arch Enemy at all... it just makes a good user name. I dislike hard heavy metal. Now if you were talking about Kurt D. Cobain then I will have to seriously, seriously disagree. Nirvana is proably one of the best bands out there (I don't mean thier 'hits').

But to get back on subject, I really don't think that drug use has an effect on a persons ability to write/produce/preform. It can have an effect on WHAT they write about. i.e. Kurt Cobain heavly used Marijuana at age 14, and started Heroin at age 20.
Using drugs obviously will change a persons life, but I really doubt they will make one more talented.

[Kymistry]

Arch.........buddy.......brothaman. No disrespect but you are tottally taking my words and this post the wrong way. Have you ever seen the movie Ray? Good example. He was writing a song and he came to a wall if you will. Writer's block. He goes to the bathroom or something and shoots up. Comes out and drops a hit single. When artist do things they associate those things with feelings. If they can't feel the beat- Then they can't write the song. When you are high you feel one way. And most of the time when they are writing they are high. Not to say a blunt or line of coke will make anybody an M.C. It's all about how that person was before the drugs. Most artists like myself have been writing songs long before they're first drug experiance. Maybe early childhood 10-12 yrs. old before they even knew what dope was. If you don't believe me go buy some studio time and just watch how the people there are.