Rapper Lil Peep Passes Away at 21
Mason Masotta
For the Clock
mtmasotta@plymouth.edu
On November 15, self-pro-claimed “emo-rapper” Lil Peep died of a drug overdose in Tucson, Arizona shortly before a performance. Lil Peep was born Gustav Elijah Ahr in 1996, and hit his initial success after gaining recognition from releasing some of his music on the music-sharing site SoundCloud.
He continued to release mix tapes, such as “Hellboy,” online, and began an ascent from the underground to the mainstream. He would go on to get his first taste of major success with the release of his official debut album, “Come Over When You’re Sober.”
He is best known for “lo-fi ” rap songs, such as “Benz Truck,” “The Brightside” and “Awful Things.”
Lil Peep’s death came during his first touring of the album only two weeks after turning 21. The cause of death was released to have been an overdose of Xanax pills that had been laced with fentanyl, an infamous opiate that is currently wreaking havoc within the opioid epidemic.
Lil Peep, though deceased before he was able to fully enjoy the mainstream, was a young individual who used social media like Instagram and Twitter to establish himself as an artist. He also used social media platforms and the lyricism in certain songs to speak out about his issues with depression and substance abuse, which now makes select posts and lyrics all the more eerie.
Rappers such as Post Malone, Juicy J and Lil Pump have publicly addressed their sadness and condolences regarding the young artist’s premature demise.
Lil Peep’s death only highlights the growing epidemic of both mental illness and addiction that has gripped America. The National Institute of Drug Abuse states that there were over 64,000 drug overdose deaths in 2016.