Drugs and German rap go very well together. Arrest warrant raps about amphetamines of all kinds, Yin Kalle indulges in his songs “Lean double cup” (i.e. codeine) and Nura recently said that she used to sell drugs in clubs. The rapper PA Sports, who grew up in Essen, nevertheless managed to trigger heated discussions with a statement about drugs – but in his case, rather atypically for German rap, it was about psychedelic drugs.
PA Sports: “It’s crazy”
In a live stream with rap journalist Rooz, PA Sports spoke about the impact of psychedelic trips on his life. He made no secret of the fact that he had found his previous trips very enriching:
“I can only say that these psychedelic experiences have given me an incredible amount in my life. (…) It was one of the most beautiful moments in my life. (…) You lose all sense of space and time. You go to another world. It sounds crazy, but it really is.”
Although PA Sports emphasized in the stream that it does not want to recommend anyone to use drugs, critics accused it of playing down psychedelic drugs. The rapper then wrote another longer statement, in which he also cited a graphic on the potential for damage from drugs, which is led by alcohol and heroin.
British study: alcohol and heroin are the most dangerous drugs
The graphic, posted by PA Sports, illustrates the results of a study by British pharmacologist David Nutt of the University of Bristol, which he published in the Lancet in 2007. For this, 40 British psychiatrists, epidemiologists, chemists and forensic scientists assessed the dangers of misusing legal and illegal drugs. There were various criteria for this, including the risk of physical damage, the strength of the potential for dependency, possible consequences for the social environment and public health costs. The result of the study was quite clear: according to her, alcohol and heroin are the most dangerous drugs, followed by crack and methamphetamines. Psychedelic drugs, on the other hand, only appear at the bottom of the list of dangerousness – they are comparatively harmless. Nutt said at the time: “From a scientific point of view, the fact that the consumption of alcohol and nicotine is legal seems completely arbitrary”. In his view, the current drug policy is even “sick through and through.”
Consumption to the point of ego death?
PA Sports seems to have a similar view. In an Instagram story, the rapper wrote, “The most dangerous substance in existence is available in our society at every gas station and grocery store.” He also pointed out again that it is extremely important when consuming psychedelic drugs to be mentally stable and to involve a responsible companion. Here is the whole statement:
“Didn’t mean to come across as irresponsible or glorified on stream with Rooz. I have shared my experiences on a certain matter and often pointed out how important it is to have reached a certain age, to be mentally stable and to involve a responsible companion. In this scene, adolescent artists who have an even younger audience have openly glorified the use of opiates and benzodiazepines (Xanax) for years. Nobody cares. Alcohol is de rigueur and is consistently glorified in front of children. Nobody cares. A 32-year-old man livestreams with another adult man about his experience with psychedelics, which has been shared before by the likes of Steve Jobs, John Lennon, Sting, Asap Rocky, Mike Tyson, Joe Rogan and more. have spoken and people feel offended? Germany is extremely behind and it’s just frightening to see how limited our horizon seems to be.”
PA Sports also addressed the use of psychedelic drugs in its music. In the song “ego death” from 2020 he raps about how he consumes various drugs together with a lover, to the point of “ego death”. “Ego death” or “ego dissolution,” as the phenomenon is also known, is a condition that can be induced by high doses of psychedelic drugs, in which people lose all sense of self.
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