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Any time the subject of hard drugs is covered in pop culture, there's a fine line that needs to be walked between an honest portrayal and outright glamorization. The distinction is one that hip hop has had a hard time making, at least since the mid 90's and the rise of the Players, too often focusing on the Marlo Stanfields of the world without giving consideration to the Bubbles and Dookies left in their wake. So pervasive is this attitude that even the most basic hip hop adjective - "dope" - is rooted in drug culture. Yet for all of the "dope boys" that have found success in mainstream hip hop by telling tales of their alleged success in the drug trade, the genre hasn't been entirely devoid of more realistic portrayals; many underground artists have used their own real life experiences to take their listeners through the brief highs and the deep lows of addiction, and its worth noting that many of the songs that helped establish hip hop were essentially anti-drug PSA's.
The latest entry into this genre comes from Alex Ludovico, an emcee who has become quite adept at baring his soul on wax. Over a beat produced by the uniquely named "D," a friend of Ludovico's, Alex vividly details his own brief experience with heroin. As he told me:
I used heroin once and FUCKING HATED IT. But the conversations with the demons were very real in my head.
Speaking as someone who has never done anything harder than a few rounds of cheap tequila with a chaser of St. Ides, I can't confirm that Ludovico's portrayal of a hit of heroin is accurate, but it certainly rings true. I have no interest in experiencing it, but should I ever feel the urge to chase the dragon I suspect a few more plays of this song will cure me of that. Peep:
Alex Ludovico - Dragon Chaser (right-click to d/l)
Dragon Chaser is off of Alex Ludovico's upcoming album The Thousand Yard Stare, the title a reference to one of the symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder (and, likely, a symptom that manifests itself in young independent artists after years of dealing with the music industry). The album is due out on August 1st, and we'll have more details on it as we get closer to its release. In the meantime, bookmark Alex Ludovico's bandcamp page and keep an eye out for further updates.
And on a completely unrelated note, be sure to check out Zilla Rocca's latest mix, American Absinthe. Featuring artwork from yours truly, along with an eclectic blend of hip hop and Red Hot Chili Peppers, the mix is available for free over at Clap Cowards. It deserves a post of its own, but given my infrequent posting as of late, I figured a brief mention is better than none.
7/12/2010 5:15:51 PM posted by Fresh