"Drug Dealer" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Macklemore featuring Ariana DeBoo | ||||
Released | October 11, 2016 | |||
Genre | Conscious hip hop | |||
Length | 3:43 | |||
Songwriter(s) |
| |||
Producer(s) | Macklemore | |||
Macklemore singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Ariana DeBoosingles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Drug Dealer" on YouTube |
"Drug Dealer" is a single by American rapper Macklemore featuring American singer Ariana DeBoo,released on October 11,2016. It was produced by Macklemore.
Macklemore has struggled with drug abuse in the past and publicly spoken about the issue,including in previous songs such as "Otherside". "Drug Dealer" was released in preparation for his discussion with President Barack Obama about the opioid addiction epidemic on the MTV documentary Prescription For Change:Ending America's Opioid Crisis,which aired on the same day of the song's release. [1] [2]
Backed by an instrumental of "subdued piano progression" and "frantic" percussion,the song deals with the themes of drug abuse, [2] [3] [4] [5] and criticizes drug companies (such as Purdue Pharma),their CEOs and business with the Congress,and doctors who overprescribe painkillers for their own profit. [5] In the first verse,Macklemore addresses the political pull of pharmaceutical companies, [3] [5] the drug-related deaths of musicians Prince,Michael Jackson,Whitney Houston,Amy Winehouse,Heath Ledger,Pimp C,ASAP Yams and DJ AM, [3] [5] [6] and the ongoing opioid epidemic in the United States. [3] He also references the song "Can't Feel My Face" by The Weeknd ("And we dancin' to a song about our face goin' numb"). [7] In the chorus,Ariana DeBoo compares a doctor to a drug dealer:"My drug dealer was a doctor,doctor / Had the plug from Big Pharma". [2] [3] [5] [6] Following the hook,Macklemore covers his own struggles with addiction ("Four Horseman,they won't let me forget / I wanna forge a prescription,cause doctor I need some more of it / When morphine and heroin is more viewer budget / I said I'd never use a needle,but sure,fuck it") [3] [4] and the consequences of opioids. [4]
The music video was released on October 25,2016. Directed by Jason Koenig,it opens with Macklemore sitting naked and hunched over in a shower as he battles withdrawal symptoms. [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] Throughout the video,he is shown sitting,lying,tossing and turning in a stripped down mattress and sweating, [7] [10] [11] [12] [13] in a room surrounded by drugs; [10] his eyes are swollen and filled with tears. [12] [14] He is also seen chain-smoking cigarettes [11] and vomiting. [7] [14] [15] Ariana DeBoo appears buried in a pile of red and white pills as she sings. [7] [10] [16] [17] The clip ends with Macklemore at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting and hugging others. [14] [15]
On November 16,2016,Macklemore performed the song with Ariana DeBoo and The Roots on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon . [18]
Chart (2016) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [19] | 56 |
Oxycodone,sold under various brand names such as Roxicodone and OxyContin,is a semi-synthetic opioid used medically for treatment of moderate to severe pain. It is highly addictive and is a commonly abused drug. It is usually taken by mouth,and is available in immediate-release and controlled-release formulations. Onset of pain relief typically begins within fifteen minutes and lasts for up to six hours with the immediate-release formulation. In the United Kingdom,it is available by injection. Combination products are also available with paracetamol (acetaminophen),ibuprofen,naloxone,naltrexone,and aspirin.
Purdue Pharma L.P.,formerly the Purdue Frederick Company (1892–2019),was an American privately held pharmaceutical company founded by John Purdue Gray. It was sold to Arthur,Mortimer,and Raymond Sackler in 1952,and then owned principally by the Sackler family and their descendants.
Benjamin Hammond Haggerty,better known by his stage name Macklemore,is an American rapper. A native of Seattle,Washington,he started his career in 2000 as an independent artist releasing:Open Your Eyes (2000),The Language of My World (2005),and The Unplanned Mixtape (2009). He rose to international success collaborating with producer Ryan Lewis as the duo Macklemore &Ryan Lewis (2009–2016).
Marcus Jamal Hopson,known professionally as Hopsin,is an American rapper,songwriter,and record producer from Los Angeles,California. He is known for his use of white colored eye contacts in his music videos and performances.
Malcolm James McCormick,known professionally as Mac Miller,was an American rapper,singer-songwriter,and record producer. Miller began his career in Pittsburgh's local hip hop scene in 2007,at the age of 15. In 2010,he signed a record deal with independent label Rostrum Records and released his breakthrough mixtapes K.I.D.S. (2010) and Best Day Ever (2011). Miller's debut studio album,Blue Slide Park (2011),became the first independently distributed debut album to top the US Billboard 200 since 1995.
The Heist is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Macklemore &Ryan Lewis. It was released on October 9,2012,by Macklemore LLC,distributed under the Alternative Distribution Alliance. The album was independently self-produced,self-recorded and self-released by the duo,with no mainstream promotion or support. After the album's release,the duo hired Warner Music Group's radio promotion department to help the push with their singles for a small percentage of the sales.
"Thrift Shop" is a song written and performed by American hip hop duo Macklemore &Ryan Lewis featuring vocals from American singer Wanz,released in 2012,as the fourth single from the former's debut studio album,The Heist (2012). The lyrics tell of Macklemore's esteem for going to thrift shops and saving money,rather than flaunting expensive items like many rappers. The song was met with universal acclaim,with various music reviewers praising its humorous lyrics and social critique.
"Same Love" is a song by American hip hop duo Macklemore &Ryan Lewis,released as the third single from their 2012 debut studio album,The Heist. The track,featuring vocals by Seattle-based singer Mary Lambert,talks about the issue of gay and lesbian rights and was recorded during the campaign for Washington Referendum 74,which,upon approval in November 2012,legalized same-sex marriage in Washington State. The song reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and reached number 1 in both Australia and New Zealand. The song was nominated at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards for Song of the Year.
Kenneth Edward Bailey,better known by his stage name Young Scooter,is an American rapper from Atlanta,Georgia. He was among the first artists to sign with fellow Atlanta rapper Future's record label,Freebandz in 2012,having known its founder since childhood. The following year,he jointly signed with Waka Flocka Flame's Brick Squad Monopoly,an imprint of Gucci Mane's 1017 Records. He first gained regional recognition for his collaborations with the rappers,as well as his mixtape Street Lottery (2012) and its lead single,"Colombia". His guest appearance on Future and Juice Wrld's 2018 song,"Jet Lag" marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100.
"White Walls" is a hip-hop song by an American hip-hop duo Macklemore &Ryan Lewis,taken from their collaborative debut studio album The Heist (2012). The song's hook is performed by singer Hollis,while American rapper Schoolboy Q,performs a guest verse. "White Walls" was released to American contemporary hit radio on October 8,2013 as the fifth and final single from The Heist. The song debuted at number 100 and has since peaked at number 15 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and has sold 1,000,000 copies as of January 2014.
Migos were an American hip hop group founded in Lawrenceville,Georgia,in 2008. The group was composed of rapper Quavo,his late nephew Takeoff,and their mutual friend Offset. Quavo is from Athens,Georgia,while Offset and Takeoff were born and raised in nearby Lawrenceville. As a group,they were managed by Coach K,the former manager of Gucci Mane and Jeezy,and frequently collaborated with producers DJ Durel,Murda Beatz,Zaytoven,and Buddah Bless. Recognized for their contribution to trap music in the 2010s,Billboard stated that the group "influenced pop culture and the entire English language by bringing their North Atlanta roots to the mainstream".
Isaiah Rashad Joel McClain is an American rapper. His mainstream breakthrough followed after his performances on the 2012 Smoker's Club Tour alongside rappers Juicy J,Joey Badass and Smoke DZA. He is a founding member of the Chattanooga,Tennessee-based hip hop collective The House,which he formed with rappers YGTUT,Michael Da Vinci (MikeyD),Chris P,and Brian Brown.
Willie Junior Maxwell II,known professionally as Fetty Wap,is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He quickly rose to mainstream prominence in late 2014,after his single song "Trap Queen" was re-released as his debut single for 300 Entertainment,an imprint of Atlantic Records. The song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100,and was followed by the singles "679" and "My Way",both of which saw similar chart success throughout 2015. The trio of hits—along with his single "Again"—preceded the release of Fetty Wap's eponymous debut studio album (2015),which peaked atop the Billboard 200 chart. During this time,he became distinctive for his melodic blending of singing and rapping,lighthearted lyricism,"bouncy" production,and exclamation of various catchphrases such as "1738!"
This Unruly Mess I've Made is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Macklemore &Ryan Lewis. It was released on February 26,2016,by Macklemore LLC and Alternative Distribution Alliance. Following the success of the duo's hit album The Heist (2012),which earned them their first Grammy wins,the duo delved into lyrical themes that tackle political and social issues,including white privilege,fame and the scrutiny of the media and tabloids. The album was supported by two singles:"Downtown" and "Dance Off",along with "White Privilege II" featuring Jamila Woods,which was released as the album's promotional single.
"Marmalade" is a song by American rapper Macklemore featuring fellow American rapper Lil Yachty. It was written by the artists alongside Tyler Andrews &Joshua Rawlings and producers Joshua Karp &Tyler Dopps. The song was released through Bendo on July 26,2017,as the second single from Macklemore's second solo studio album,Gemini (2017).
Gemini is the second solo studio album by American rapper Macklemore. It was released on September 22,2017,via Bendo &distributed by Warner Music. The first album he released without producer Ryan Lewis since his 2005 solo effort The Language of My World,Gemini is devoid of any political subject matter and just about having a good time.
Richard Stephen Sackler is an American billionaire businessman and physician who was the chairman and president of Purdue Pharma,a former company best known as the developer of OxyContin,whose connection to the opioid epidemic in the United States was the subject of multiple lawsuits and fines,and that filed for bankruptcy in 2019. It has been claimed that Richard Sackler's Purdue is among "the worst drug dealers in history" and the Sackler family have been described as the "most evil family in America". The company's downfall was the subject of the 2021 Hulu series Dopesick and the 2023 Netflix series Painkiller.
"Watch" is a song by American rapper Travis Scott featuring fellow American rappers Lil Uzi Vert and Kanye West. Written alongside producer Pi'erre Bourne,it was released by Cactus Jack,Grand Hustle,and Epic Records on May 4,2018. It was expected to be the second single from Scott's third studio album Astroworld,before being excluded when the album was released on August 3,2018.
"Lean Wit Me" is a song by American rapper Juice Wrld. Written alongside producer Nick Mira,it was released as the third single from Goodbye &Good Riddance,a day ahead of the album's release on May 23,2018.
"Faithful" is a song by American rapper Macklemore,released on October 28,2022 as the third single from his third solo studio album Ben (2023). It features American rapper NLE Choppa and was produced by Budo.