I know I’m asking at a time where the new social media challenge includes a song with hook who main words are “Percocet. Molly Percocet” but I really want to know. I feel like the drug culture is officially playing out. If it’s not playing out it seems like artist and fans are moving away from it in 2017.

I know. Travis Scott and Future are still very popular. However, it feels like we are getting a boom of rappers that are either rapping about selling drugs again or rapping about world, social and black issues in general.

In the present time Kendrick Lamar, Rick Ross, Big Sean, Conway, Uncle Murda, Kodak Black, Joey Bada$$ and Gucci Mane are the most talked about names in the game. It’s safe to say next week that will be the case even though music moves too fast for you to enjoy thoroughly. The one constant I notice in all of the above artist music is that the over promotion of using pills, potions, lean, coke [geeking] are minimal if not non existing.

I would like to say things like “rap fans are getting smart” and “socially conscious rap is winning”, but I honestly don’t feel that’s the reason. I think one person is responsible for the fading of Drug Culture in Rap music. That person is Gucci Mane.

Since Gucci Mane’s release he’s been sober, in great shape, eating right, engaged and positive. All the things that hip-hop and specifically black people should be doing in their late 30’s. Gucci’s even rapping better and making sure he puts out his best work instead of any and all of his work. His influence is off the charts and I can’t really speak to another artist or public figure in the game that could have caused the shift. Specifically in rap music.

We have a legion of artist that are rapping because of Gucci Mane and homage is paid often. Under the radar we’ve had a few artist hit rehab or quit their vice of choice cold turkey. That all seemed to happen noticeably after May 2016. We’ve had newcomers, legends and icons in black music die from drugs over the last few years, yet the drug culture was still thriving. Gucci gets his prison release and all of a sudden you can’t name 10 new popular songs in 2017 that promote the using and abusing of drugs. The East Atlanta Santa comes home smiling and working out and showing love to other artist and things change. I don’t think that’s a coincidence.

Gucci Mane, Thank you. You prove time and again that for better or worse, you are the culture pusher. The trendsetter. The Social Influencer that these young people gravitate to. Thank you for giving your life a 180 and sharing your process in becoming a great respectable black man in this more than difficult time for Black America. BehindTheRhyme wishes you nothing but prosperity and positivity in the year of 2017.