Which Rapper Makes The Most Drug References?

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Those statisticians are at it again. After numbers were crunched just last week to find the largest vocabularies in hip-hop, wherein Long Island-born rapper Aesop Rock took the number one spot, a new study has emerged analysing specific drug references in rap music over time.

The study, undertaken by drugs awareness group Project Know, utilised Rap Genius‘ lyrics database to compile charts which not only show the peaks and troughs of usage of a particular word pertaining to a particular drug itself, but also which rappers are the biggest repeat offenders.

The result is an interesting look at the historic intersection of culture represented through rap, as they document societal trends by year. Reviewing the results, it’s apparent that as references to weed dips in popularity, codeine increases, and on the alcohol scale, as Patron wanes, Grey Goose jumps up.

Coke references in rap peaked in 2004, the same year that marijuana references were at their lowest. Project Know notes that between 1996 and 2009 cocaine was the most commonly rapped about drug, but they also point out a correlation between the decline of cocaine in the late 00’s and the rise of references to MDMA or “molly”.

Project Know‘s data set concludes with the crowning of rapper Lil B as the king of references to cocaine, codeine, and MDMA, though, as Spin points out, this could very well be just because Lil B has so many songs.

Check out the charts below.

Gallery: Study of Drug References in Rap (via Project Know)