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Audrey Trick

Professor Russell

English 1110.01

11 December 2018

Drug Culture Influence in the Media

Music impacts the daily lives of many people, as it is played in stores, on the

radio, and even in leisure time. Music is constantly evolving, branching into new styles

and genres with the changing times and diversity of newly discovered artists. In the

1970’s, rap music, a subgenre of hip hop, was introduced to the public. Since the first rap

songs were released nearly fifty years ago, rap music has become iconic among teenagers

and young adults. Rap artists add their own unique elements to each song to draw in

listeners that are anxious to hear modern, popular culture music. “Young, Wild & Free”

is an American rap song by well-known artists Wiz Khalifa and Snoop Dogg. Released

in 2011 by Atlantic Records, the song quickly became popular and was nominated for the

“Best Rap Song” award at the 2013 Grammys. The song discusses activities that twenty-

first century teenagers often seem to take part in and do for fun. The lyrics mention

drugs, alcohol, parties, and the inevitable roles they play in the life of an American

teenager growing up and experiencing the party scene. This song, along with other

similar forms of popular media, has become an anthem for younger generations,

representing the common lifestyle of parties and substance use chosen by many teenagers

and young adults, and displays the biased stereotype that they are often labeled with.
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The “Young, Wild & Free” music video pictures the two artists, Wiz Khalifa and

Snoop Dogg, and many other students throwing a party at their high school, using alcohol

and marijuana. Teachers in the school are unsuccessful in their efforts of ending the

party, and the students are shown holding a banner that reads “N. Hale High Forever.”

Although these acts of rebellion are exaggerated and fictionalized for the purpose of the

music video, underage drinking and use of recreational drugs are considered by many to

be common activities among teenagers. Studies and surveys have shown that the

frequent alcohol advertisements in the media may be unintentionally influencing this

underage consumption. The “Early Adolescent Exposure to Alcohol Advertising and Its

Relationship to Underage Drinking” article states that over fifty percent of adolescents

have consumed alcohol, and many others have been exposed to it by their peers. A study

of middle school and high school students in South Dakota reported that the exposure to

alcohol and alcohol advertisements at sporting events consistently led to consumption by

the first year of high school (Collins, Rebecca L., et al, 1-2). When youth are exposed to

alcohol at such events, by family member and peers, and through advertisements, their

likelihood to experiment with the advertised product increases. Along with alcohol, a

survey of students in the United States included in the “Functional Consequences of

Marijuana Use in Adolescents” article shows that fifteen percent of eighth graders and

forty-three percent of twelfth graders have used marijuana at least once, while six percent

of twelfth graders use the drug daily (Bava, S., et al, 1).

Because rap music has become popular among these adolescents, lyrics of songs

such as “[s]o what we get drunk? / So what we smoke weed? / We’re just having fun,” in
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“Young, Wild & Free,” may seem to influence these young listeners to believe

involvement in the party scene is the “popular” thing to do, and that they may have more

fun by using the mentioned substances. Another popular rap song, “Pursuit of

Happiness” by well-known rap artist Kid Cudi also includes alcohol and marijuana

references within the lyrics such as “[c]rush a bit, little bit, roll it up, take a hit” and “I

don't care, hand on the wheel / Driving drunk, I'm doing my thing.” With rap music’s

wide popularity among teenagers, these lyrics and others like them are being heard

repeatedly by adolescents and young adults that may still be in their developmental

stages, making them a possible contributor to the typical teenage lifestyle. Listening to

songs of this type and following artists such as Wiz Khalifa, Snoop Dogg, and Kid Cudi,

who often write about drug use, include drug use in music videos, and perform concerts

intoxicated or use recreational drugs on stage, could potentially have the same effects as

substance advertisements. It is a popular belief that listeners who idolize their favorite

artists are often influenced by their actions, which may include how they dress, what they

listen to, and what activities they are publicizing.

Rebecca L. Collins, et al. further mention the risks associated with alcohol

consumption such as driving under the influence, disabilities, and sexually transmitted

diseases caused by unprotected sex. Excessive alcohol consumption may also negatively

affect school work and cognitive brain functions (1). Similarly, marijuana use may also

lead to dangerous actions such as intoxicated driving and unprotected sex. Marijuana use

during adolescence, when the brain is still in developmental stages, may affect cognitive

functions and have negative effects on the sleep cycle. The “Functional Consequences of
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Marijuana Use in Adolescents” article notes that “[s]tudies report deficits in learning,

memory, sustained attention, mental flexibility, and processing speed,” as well as a

pattern among marijuana users becoming less involved with school work, truants,

dropouts, and eventually unemployed (2). Present day musical artists and celebrities use

their songs and social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram to publicize their

flashy lifestyles of throwing and attending parties, where many of the guests are often

underage. With the extreme popularity of social media and the massive fan base of such

artists, these photos, videos, and songs can be easily viewed by teenagers which may

have the same effects as advertisement. The “Young, Wild & Free” music video has

been viewed over 422 million times, while “Pursuit of Happiness” has been viewed over

174 million times. These massive audiences hear the promotion of drugs and alcohol by

popular artists, making it seem likely that they would then expose themselves to the

behavior mentioned in the songs. Because alcohol is possibly one of the easiest

substances for underage youth to acquire, marijuana is becoming more common because

of new recreational legalization laws that are a topic during nearly all present-day

American elections, and popular culture figures such as musical artists consistently

publicize their use, these drugs are consistently prevalent at teenage social events.

The lack of effective authority shown in the “Young, Wild & Free” demonstrates a

common stereotype given to younger generations. Throughout the years, teenagers have

been known to defy figures of authority such as parents, teachers, and the police.

Students around the high school age are notorious for their rebellious habits, disregarding

authority, and throwing parties. These rebellious habits of underage partying and
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defiance are not only prevalent in today’s society, but are also depicted in countless

movies, television shows, and music videos, such as the “Young, Wild & Free” video. In

the music video, Wiz Khalifa and Snoop Dogg display the common activities that an

American teenager may encounter on their journey through high school as they sing “[s]o

what we go out? / That’s how it's supposed to be / Living young and wild and free”

while they consume alcohol, use recreational drugs, and dance with one another (“Young,

Wild & Free). The teachers become enraged with the students doing drugs on school

property, which suggests adults’ common disapproval of substance use by the youth. The

substance use in the school is uncontrollable, even by figures of authority, which shows

the audience that the teenagers are “wild and free,” as mentioned in both the title and

lyrics of the song. The massive drug use on school property and the teachers’

unsuccessful efforts to prevent it represents the drug culture that is present among

younger generations and the lack of progress in stopping it. Lyrics in Kid Cudi’s song,

“Pursuit of Happiness” incorporate the party atmosphere by saying, “[f]eeling lit, feeling

right, 2 AM, summer night.” These popular culture songs and videos support the

argument that many teenagers are often labeled under a stereotype of partiers and

delinquents. Although underage alcohol consumption and recreational drug use are still

prevalent in the lives of teenagers, in an interview discussing a 2016 survey of high

school students, Dr. Nora Volkow mentions that there have been substantial decreases in

alcohol, tobacco, and e-cigarette use among adolescents in the recent years. Marijuana

use among eighth through tenth graders has decreased, while use among twelfth graders

has remained at a steady rate (“Dr. Nora Volkow Discusses the 2016 MTF Results”). In
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the 2008 book, Monitoring the Future: National Results on Adolescent Drug Use, Lloyd

J. Johnston, et al explain that in 1975, fifty-five percent of high school graduates had

experimented with illegal drugs. By 1981, the number had risen to sixty-one percent, and

decreased again to forty-one percent by 1992. In the last decade, the number of graduates

that have tried illegal drugs has been recorded at forty-seven percent, which is

considerably lower than the studies from the 1970’s and 1980’s when many popular

music artists died from drug abuse (5-8). Evidence from the National Institute on Drug

Abuse of decreasing recreational drug habits among teenagers proves that the present day

younger generations may be somewhat undeserving of the biased and antiquated

stereotype with which they are typically labeled, and the drug use and disrespect towards

authority in the “Young, Wild & Free” music video is exaggerated for the purpose of a

hyperbole that viewers may be able to relate to the artists and their lifestyles. The video

shows what is assumed to be the typical activities adolescents are supposed to take part in

before they reach adulthood. The carefree, nonchalant elements incorporated in the

“Young, Wild & Free” lyrics and music video may be somewhat unrealistic, as statistics

show that underage drug use has decreased, even with the surge of popularity of rap

music that publicizes alcohol and drug consumption within the past several decades.

“Young, Wild & Free” effectively demonstrates and emphasizes the typically

rebellious aura of teenagers and the activities that they have taken part in for many

generations. With the popularity of social media and the followers of artists such as Wiz

Khalifa, Snoop Dogg, and Kid Cudi, photos, videos, and songs can be easily viewed by

teenagers which may have the same effects as advertisement. Although underage drug
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use is prevalent in today’s society, the stereotype of teenagers constantly partying and

defying figures of authority may be outdated, as studies show that illegal, underage drug

use today is lower than in the past, and continues to decrease. Although popular music

may seem to have similar effects on listeners as advertisements may have on viewers,

there is no statistical evidence proving that rap music fans are more likely to partake in

recalcitrant activities, even when the songs and music videos portray substance abuse.

Standards set by past generations of underage users that are now portrayed in the media

may be what causes the flawed mindset that adolescents and teenagers are bound to be

rebellious partiers. Many people are familiar with the teenage lifestyle of parties and

underage drug and alcohol abuse, but the consumption among adolescents may be

generational and influenced by other forms of media and advertisements, rather than a

result of persuasion from the rap music that is popular among youth in today’s society.
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Works Cited

Bava, S., et al. “Functional Consequences of Marijuana Use in Adolescents.”

Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, vol. 92, no. 4, 2009, pp. 559-565.

Collins, Rebecca L., et al. “Early Adolescent Exposure to Alcohol Advertising

and Its Relationship to Underage Drinking.” Journal of Adolescent Health, vol.

40, no. 6, 2007, pp. 527–534.

“Dr. Nora Volkow Discusses the 2016 MTF Results.” Youtube, uploaded by

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA/NIH), 12 December 2016,

www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=134&v=kZVaoRbr7vU.

Johnston, Lloyd J., et al. National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of

Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Monitoring the Future:

National Results on Adolescent Drug Use. National Institute on Drug Abuse,

2008.

Kid Cudi. “Pursuit of Happiness.” Man on the Moon: The End of Day. GOOD

Music and Universal Motown Records, 2010.

Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa. “Young, Wild & Free.” Mac & Devin Go to High

School, Atlantic Records, 2011.

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