Could Social Media Have Helped Lil Peep?

On November 15, 2017 rapper Lil Peep was found unresponsive on his tour bus after a fatal drug overdose on Xanax. This 21 year old rising SoundCloud sensation’s tragic death has opened up a much needed conversation about mental health and addiction in the music industry.

Substance abuse has been a long standing issue in the music industry, as we have seen many of the greatest stars of our time fall to this tragic disease. However, the most concerning part about this addiction problem in the music industry is the is the glamorization of drug use in song. I’m guilty of this too, it is easy to get wrapped up in the catchy beat and unique flow of a song, such as Xanny Family by Future, without realizing the message this song is really relaying to the public. Drug use is an integral part of hip-hop and rap music and with every song this disease is perpetually promoted.

The more pressing issue with this discussion of drug use in music, is that it normalizes the behavior and may blind the public from noticing some of the larger mental health issues that may be at hand. This is where Lil Peep’s social media accounts become an integral part of the conversation. In the days leading up to his death, Lil Peep was posting a number of concerning posts regarding his mental health and drug abuse.

Because this type of behavior was a part of Peep’s persona people likely did not think much of these posts. However, if these posts were treated like a true call for help, which many would say they were, perhaps Peep could have begun to seek treatment and things would have ended up differently. This is not to say that mental health is easily identified and solved by an Instagram post, however it is the sheer fact that we are so desensitized to this type of content since it is so prevalent in the industry and on social media.

Although the conversation is coming too little too late, it is necessary to have. Music stars like Post Malone and Diplo expressed their condolences and addressed the need for discussion about an issue so prevalent in the industry.

#celebrity #socialmedia #rap #lilpeep #addiction