by Jared Franciose

Depression and drug abuse are very touchy subjects for many people, and light very rarely gets shed upon them. So when a musical artist opens up and shares his personal experiences concerning these issues, music-lovers are able to understand and relate to the delicate subject of mental illness and drug abuse. In the album Come Over When You’re Sober part 1, rapper Lil Peep addresses his many run-ins with drug abuse and depression. Peep talks about sensitive subjects in a way that can be accessible by teenagers, who may be suffering from depression or drug abuse as well.  Peep addresses the constant pain that he has received through occurrences he has had with relationships in the past, and consequently his attempt to numb the pain with drugs.

Lil Peep addresses his depression and sadness in the song “Benz Truck.”  In this song, he mentioned lyrics such as “I don’t wanna wait now But I know you gon’ make me Who you wanna hate now? Pretty soon you gonna hate me.” Peep delivers his songs in a way that relates to people struggling, and many fans of Peep have come out and said that Lil Peeps songs have helped them with their personal struggles.

Another time in which Lil Peep addressed his depression and drug use on “Come Over When You’re Sober, part 1”  is in the song “Problems”. In this song, Lil Peep discusses the ways in which he turned to drug abuse as an outlet to his problems. This is shown in the lyrics “Took a pill and we passed out, I made a deal with the devil. You know I got my problems (problems).”

By Lil Peep shedding light on such heavy topics, he shows teens that they are not alone and many other people have the same struggles as they do. Peep creates songs about topics that are seldom talked about and therefore allows listeners to feel they are able to openly talk about their various hardships.

Depression and drug abuse have been a severe issue in today’s day and age. The attempted suicide rate is estimated to be around 1,300,000 cases in 2017 and an approximate 183,000 overdose deaths in the last 16 years.

Lil Peep, whose real name is Gustav Åhr, died November 15, 2017, due to an accidental drug overdose. His debut album “Come Over When You’re Sober part 1” has inspired other artists to come out about their struggles, and the openness in Hip-Hop has allowed more people to feel safe when revealing hardships and has given them the strength to confide in others. Although Lil Peep is deceased, his memory and ability to share songs about difficulties in life will never be forgotten.

Rest in peace Gustav Åhr (Lil Peep)   11/01/96-11/15/17

https://afsp.org/about-suicide/suicide-statistics/

https://www.businessinsider.com/opioid-overdose-death-statistics-2017-2016

https://genius.com/albums/Lil-peep/Come-over-when-you-re-sober-pt-1