I Financially Support Celebrity Drug Use (Just Like Everybody Else)

The music industry’s downard spiral was momentarily lifted a couple of weeks ago when Lil’ Wayne’s newest CD, “Tha Carter III,” sold over 1 million copies in its first week.  Although the CD got mixed reviews, it was agreed upon by almost everyone that the sales were well-deserved, given all the hard work Mr. Carter has been putting in for the past 10 years.

I, too, was one of the many people that got Lil’ Wayne’s CD.  I’d never been a big fan of his or bought any of his other CDs, but I’ll be the first to admit I bought it purely on hype alone.  Lucky for me, I actually like the CD, and didn’t feel bad about using my money to support him

That is, until I went on YouTube a couple of days ago, and was reminded of what it is I was supporting…

In the video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiiroDHN5EQ), the girl speaks about her distaste for Lil’ Wayne, not so much for his music, but for the stuff he’s done OUTSIDE of his music.  She does make a few valid claims for her disliking, especially when it comes to his recent arrests and court cases, most of which were the result of him being busted for various narcotics violations.  Specifically, he possessed:

• 41 grams of extacy
• 4 ounces of marijuana
• 1 or more ounces of cocaine

I looked up these facts myself, and these charges, which stem from 3 months ago, were true.  Not only that, but I also found out he’s been arrested for similar charges over the years as well as weapons possession charges.

All of which begs me to ask the question: are we partially responsible for funding his drug habit, along with those of other celebrities?

It’s a catch-22 because its not like anyone is handing celebrities money and saying, “Here you go - now, go spend this cash on drugs or we’ll take it back!”  On the other hand, doesn’t the fact that we know a celebrity is using a portion of their money to buy drugs make us a part of the problem?

I think back to stars like Elvis, Chris Farley, John Belushi, and others from the past that died from drug overdoses.  All of these stars may or may not have been doing drugs prior to becoming financially successful, but it’s very clear that they were able to buy even more drugs once the public got wind of their talent and started paying them tons of money for it to be displayed. 

And since these people were now public figures, it was headline news that these people were into numerous narcotic recreation.  They were publically repremanded for their drug use, and yet, at the same time, their talent was still in such high demand, the public continued to support them financially.

So, in effect, we are partially responsible for prolonging these artists’ drug habits. 

Some people may read this and think, “that’s a bunch of crap, Aaron!  Just because I spend a few measily bucks on a CD or concert of an artist I enjoy, that doesn’t make me a supporter of their habit - it just makes me a supporter of their talent!”

You have to understand, though, that the two things are connected.  For example, let’s suppose Lil’ Wayne’s royalty off each CD he sells is $.50 (this, by the way, is a lowball estimate - since he’s been on the same label for 10 years, he could be making as much as $1.25 per CD sold).  You, me, and 999,998 other people go and buy his CD the first week out. 

Financial windfall to Lil’ Wayne: $500,000. 

And that’s just the first week.  His album sold 309,000 in the second week - also known as another $154,000 in his pocket.

In two weeks’ time, that’s over $800,000.  Even if he has to use some of that money for album and lawyer fees, he’s still walking with at least $300,000.  Add in the money he gets for guest appearances, concerts, and endorsements, and he has a LOT of people putting money in his pocket - money that he is able to go out and use on narcotics, weapons, and cough syrup!

To be fair, most people are usually so wrapped up in their own interest, they don’t always think about how what they are doing will affect someone else’s lifestyle, be it positively or negatively.  I bought Lil’ Wayne’s CD because I had heard some of the songs off it and decided I wanted to listen to more.  In the process of doing that, though, it didn’t even enter into my mind that I’d be helping to support his negative habits, activities that I myself have never partaken in and wouldn’t directly encourage others to do.

That’s just some food for thought, people.  We have to remember that the entertainers we give our money to do not always do the right things with those funds, and as such we should be more cautious about what we’re REALLY supporting when we give our cash to them, be it directly or indirectly.

-Aaron P. Taylor