How Our obsession with celebrity let Dmx die. Not clickbait…
With the recent passing of rap superstar DMX and black Rob, we need to revisit the illusion of celebrity stardom. Despite being liked by millions, no one was able to save dmx from his battle with drugs. Dmx had fame, money, status, women, and was a sex symbol at one time. What more could you ask for? Dmx was the poster child for aspiring rappers and checked off all the credentials. He was respected for his craft as a musician while simultaneously appealing to women and children. Dmx even appeared in several movies and is the only rapper to have 2 number one albums in the same year.. Despite all of these accolades, none of the above was enough for him to kick his drug habit. The life of DMX proves that celebrity isn’t the cure for life’s problems.
Nostalgia is a powerful drug. Under its influence, ordinary songs take on dimensions and powers, like emotional superheroes.
Kate Christensen
This may be a stretch but perhaps DMX never broke his addiction because we didn’t allow him to. Could his fans imagine anyone other than the chiseled, bald, bandanna-wearing rapper? Remember in today’s age when rappers evolve we call them clones.
When Gucci mane was released from prison, the obese syrup-sipping rapper was nowhere to be found. Instead, Gucci had a 6 pack and his fans didn’t want to believe it was him. Maybe DMX drug usage kept him, prisoner, to the same nostalgia as his fans did. Despite bearing his soul in his music, did fans know the real DMX personally?.
Everyone wants to have or be a self-help guru, everyone is about leveling up and “becoming the best version of themselves”. But rappers aren’t allowed to. If we fell in love with DMX while he was on drugs, would we love him the same without it.? Drugs and alcohol are a common ritual during the studio for most rappers. We never allowed ourselves to embrace the sober DMX because we were so infatuated with how he made us feel. Our sadistic addiction to celebrities and the nostalgia they bring us needs to be exposed.
DMX’s drug abuse predates his career as a major label rapper. As a young teenager, DMX was trick into doing drugs and became addicted ever since. For the last 3 decades, rap music has been marketed mainly as a way out of poverty. If you didn’t finish high school, had a criminal record it didn’t matter, you could still be a rapper. It was as if regardless of the bad hand you were dealt for being a product of your environment, there was a way out. Sure there are millions who never made it but that didn’t stop them from trying. Finally, you could express yourself, say what was really on your mind, and create a fanbase around it.
WHY IS CELEBRITY A TOP PRIORITY IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY?
Not to mention the money and women that would come with it. With the rise of Pop culture, MTV, BET, the working man became less appealing when compared to the rapper. Hip hop artist rarely mentions paternal influences and references the men of the dark underbelly of the streets as influences. Going to college, or getting a high-paying job became less and less “cool”. The rap lottery became enticing for a lot of young adolescents, but in the end, is it worth it?
During the golden age of rap, 88-2000’s rappers had A&R’s who helped them develop their brand or image to the public. While the music may be authentic, what is really being sold is the image. Subconsciously, and consciously the message being sent is that you can express yourself and attain these material things. To DMX credit, he wasn’t a flashy rapper at all. However, the same issue DMX had before rap, he had for several decades after being a superstar. Yet celebrity is still being sold as the answer, especially for the black community.
Rappers are more involved politically than ever before talking with presidential candidates and, Basketball players are making rap songs than in the past as well. Not only is rap more socially acceptable in the black community but worldwide. In this age of social influence, rappers are still perceived as the top influencers. Is it because of their music, social engineering marketing, or both? But what good is influence if the influencer isn’t spiritually ok?
Besides rap being a dangerous occupation, many rappers get tired of maintaining a certain persona. This persona that was probably crafted by the A&Rs is what keeps their core audiences intact. Many rappers talk down on the 9-5 man who has a boss but most rappers are slaves to the nostalgia their fans have of them. Many times artists want to evolve or do something different. However, they either fail or lose a lot of their fanbase. Imagine having millions of people watching and judging your every move.
In conclusion, because were slaves to our emotions we like to remember how people make us feel, especially if it’s good. DMX made us feel good, this is our drug that was addicted to. The memories, the fleeting moments of happiness. If we’re being honest with ourselves, we didn’t want DMX to supply us with anything different. We were already hooked, just like he was. And like him, our addiction will lead to our demise.