Drug And Music : The Effects Of Electronic Drugs And Drugs

There are two ways that popular songs portray drugs there are the songs that glorify them and tell the story of the “party-life” and others tell the “after-story” that tell of the addiction, of hitting rock-bottom, of how it can ruin your life. More and more of the popular songs are pro-drugs and pro-“party-life” or they are slyly double sided such as Eminem’s Drug Ballad, songs that tend to be lesser known or less popular tell the story of the addiction, about hitting rock-bottom, and of recovery such as D.L. Downer A.K.A. James Williams’ Suga Boom Boom (Chasing Dragons). Drug Ballad, was released on May 23, 2000 in the album The Marshall Mathers LP (www.sing365.com). Suga Boom Boom (Chasing Dragons) was written and sung by D. L. Downer a.k.a. James Williams and his 16-year-old niece Laleazy was produced as a single by MajorEpic music label and was released on October 26, 2014. Both of these songs are within the rap and hip-hop genres. When analyzing and comparing and contrasting these two songs we need to consider why one is more popular than the other, why and how has drugs become such a prevalent problem, why are drugs portrayed differently, and how can we help those that are addicted and keep others from becoming addicted themselves.

In the end, the analysis conducted above makes it ultimately clear that drugs’ influence on rock and roll has been dualistic in nature. While it has indeed contributed to the creative genius of bands and artists such as the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Black Sabbath, it has also brought about the early deaths of promising artists such as Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, and Kurt Cobain. As such, it is completely impossible to characterize drugs as being either an absolute positive or an absolute negative for rock n’ roll as a genre. This said, and as per the literature reviewed above, it is undeniable that drugs play a significant part in the history and culture of rock n’ roll, and have thus served to significantly influence the style

In the sixties, the psychedelic music scene was at its prime and the world was full of hippie musicians that loved to drop acid and create some of the most interesting and innovative music known to man. During this time, drugs were a very popular part of the hippie culture and the prevalence of LSD helped to create the distinct genre of psychedelic music known as psychedelic or acid rock. Many bands and artists such as Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, The Beatles, and The Byrds were heavily influenced by LSD, which led to the creation of some very popular music. This decade was full of adventure, music, sex, and drugs, and it was all made possible due to this powerfully trippy drug.

Rock and roll is a touchy music genre for some people, mostly older and middle-aged. Younger kids and adults loved it a lot and always listened to it. Older people did not like and see people who listen to rock music as bad people or in other words “associated with drugs” – or something along the lines of that phrase or just simply up to no good. Other older adults also see it as a threat or

By the end of the 50’s and beginning of the 60’s rock had somewhat died down and become tamer. many thought it was dead until the mid 60’s. Rock & Roll had a resurgence, known as “The British Invasion”. While things had settled down in the US, England had been inspired. Groups from Britain like the Rolling Stones and the Beatles brought a fresh style, infusing British Rhythm and Blues and Jazz into what they played. This revival propelled the genre down two different paths. Many groups came onto the scene and continued to make more of the same teen-appropriate pop-style music. others pushed boundaries in an industry heavily influenced by drugs, spawning the phrase, “Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll”. The Beatles were at the center of it all, experimenting with different sounds and instruments. Their experimentations became part of a larger movement, known as psychedelic rock, which included the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd. Pink Floyd was one of the first bands to use laser lights in their concerts. What’s more psychedelic than that? Hendrix even took it a step further, creating what many call Acid Rock. Additionally, the Beatles were not just trendsetters with their music, but also with fashion, sporting hair that was abnormally long for men at the

As more people encountered the Grateful Dead and the Acid Tests, more people wanted to join in on the ‘group mind,’ thus growing the use of LSD. The Grateful Dead were not famous when they began playing the Acid Tests, but as LSD and the Acid Tests grew in popularity, the band’s own popularity grew with them. The members of the band itself had not used psychedelics (other than marijuana) before they started playing at the Acid Tests, but they quickly became immersed in the culture thanks to those around them. Owsley Stanley, a Grateful Dead soundman and underground chemist, would synthesize his own LSD to give out free samples outside of Grateful Dead concerts so no one felt left out of the experience (Gitlin). Pairing LSD with music was all anyone ever knew because of the Acid Tests and made the experience what it was. Michael J. Kramer describes the culture surrounding the Grateful Dead in his book The Republic of Rock as, ”a way for strangers to establish bonds of affiliation and connection through risk-taking particularly through drug use and electronically generated chaos” (Kramer 35). The Acid Tests reflected a popular opposition to the mainstream. LSD was marketed as a daring, exciting substance and more people became eager to try it, especially alongside the Grateful Dead. This direct pairing of the band with drugs through the Acid Tests is the first way that the Grateful Dead directly influenced the proliferation of LSD and continued to do so even as political views began to be associated with the

During this period, mind-altering drugs were entering public awareness. LSD and magic mushrooms were used and their effects compounded with the mix of alcohol and marijuana lead musicians to have out of body experiences, the music that was made in this world of hallucinogenic drugs, came to be known as psychedelic rock. The two hits “White Rabbit” and “Somebody to Love” defined the hippie culture of San Francisco.

Beginning with the late 1960’s counterculture in San Francisco, music and drugs will forever be inter-linked. Hippie bands such as the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers, and Phish are associated with marijuana, mushrooms, and LSD. Modern electronic “rave” , or club music is associated with MDMA or Ecstasy. When one thinks of rock and roll, sex and drugs immediately come to mind. While the use of drugs is not essential for the creation or performance of all new music, it was certainly in important factor for the counterculture music of the late 1960’s. While some of the most important and influential music was made with the help of psychoactive drugs, it was often to the detriment of the artist. Janis

In the 20s, Jazz was evil, rock ‘n’ roll was considered the “devil’s music” in the 50s, and rap in the 80s was thought to have created problems such as drug use and teen pregnancies. Today, many people dislike EDM, also known as Electronic Dance Music, the main reason being because they don’t consider EDM real music. However, it is rapidly growing and becoming mainstream through means of festivals and live shows, EDM in pop music, social media and technology.

this competition. Each person 's job or company has to be bigger and better than

With the culture built around these two elements, an interesting type of music emerged. The music of this time protested war, promoted love and peace, and was the perfect melody for LSD users. LSD gave us a lot of legendary rock gods. Musicians like Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, and Jefferson Airplane. A lot of these musicians might not have made it in the music industry without the time of psychedelic music and LSD. During this time previously popular band were experimenting with the new sound of psychedelic music also. With the help of new and old bands we get a growing popularity in music festivals. Music festivals have lasted throughout the years and are still enjoyed today. This time of psychedelic music also had its down falls, for example it lead to people experimenting with other types of drugs, and this lead to the pop culture concept of the 27 club. With everything in life there are positives and there are negative, and the “Summer of Love” is no exception, it had its ups and its downs.

Media plays a large role in the lives of American's today especially the adolescent population. According to Marcella Nunez-Smith the average teenager spends 45 hours per week around some type of media.(Nunez-Smith et al, 2010) This amount of time is more than a child spends in school and quite often more than the child spends with their family. With that said, the media is likely to be the most influential part of a childs development. Each decision a person makes it based off of the knowledge he or she has about the subject. How drug use is introduced early in a child's life is likely to influence how an individual views drugs as a whole. The media plays a large role in societies opinion of drugs as well as how they view drug use.

The Beatles have always been influenced by drugs, even before their visit in 1964 to Ed Sullivans studio in New York City making their clean-boy band image nothing, but a cover up. The Beatles openness to usage of drugs really tarnished that image. Throughout the 1960’s we can see how drugs influenced their lifestyles, music, and relationships not only with fans, but with each other as well. Many fans today view their drug use as historical content. However, many fans today deny the beatles being an influence towards drug use.

Many psychedelic bands came from San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district. The Grateful Dead was one of the most popular psychedelic rock bands ever. Although they did not sell many records, they were very well known for their live performances, and their music was often used as a soundtrack for LSD parties. While the Bay area, and especially the Haight-Ashbury, was good for producing great bands, there was a downside as well. Other than the many people dying LSD related deaths, many of the early bands were exploited by the record companies. The record companies wanted to profit from the hippy movement, but they did not like their music. Some producers were paid specifically to change a band’s original sound into a more popular sound, such as

There is an increasing mutual exchange as the synthetic and the human-made equally invades what we once thought of as natural. In electronic music, the human element that people input in their work is crucial to say the least. People provide the unpredictable pieces in their work to make it stand out from the rest. Most robotic or technologic generated music often is in the form of a pattern. Without human interface, electronic music, for the most part, is predictable. When electronic music is played without the human element, a sense of something that is missing usually occurs. Today, technological advances allow electronics to replace most of the human interactions. Now technology can mimic the sounds of non-electronic instruments. Instruments such as the flute, violin, and guitar are just some of these mimicked sounds that could be replaced. In this “genre” the human body is often held as a relatable tool. The audience notices the human element and realizes that they can create such works as well. Electronic music to some may feel that it is missing the human component in the normalized concept of seeing the artist. However, when developing the art itself, electronic music, whether it be in live performances, editing the material, or commercializing the music for use, the human element is still very prominent. The human component is implicated in music directly or indirectly.