At the beginning of January, Mozzy vowed to quit lean while encouraging young users to do the same. To emphasize his message, he uploaded a video of himself pouring out a full bottle of liquid codeine, a primary ingredient in lean. Speaking with Complex, Mozzy acknowledged that his viral video did better numbers than anything he's ever done, including his music. And while lean has long been mentioned in hip-hop music, heavy use of the drug can definitely have fatal consequences. Now, Mozzy has reached out for a powerful open letter, expanding on his own experience with lean, and the ways his recent battle with withdrawal has affected him.
After opening up with a bit history on his discovery of lean, explaining that his time in the Bay Area really put him onto the drug. "They was pumping it, pushing it: syrup. It was just slimy. We fell victim," explains Mozzy. "I just naturally fell victim of what was going on in my surroundings." He also gives a detailed explanation on the effects of lean, stating:
"Out of all the other drugs, I feel like it’s the coolest. You mellow, you chill, you don’t smell, you don't stink, versus alcohol. You don’t reek, versus marijuana. You can damn near do it secretly. Nobody gotta know what’s in your cup. You ain’t drunk. You might fall asleep, but that’s normal shit. The high is very discreet. Everybody don’t know. And I think it just taste so good — it’s platinum. It got a platinum taste."
Sadly, his lean dependency took a toll on both his health and his productivity, especially after hitting his peak. "[It was] abusive, very abusive. I don’t wanna do too much, but probably about a brick every two days. Every other day, I’d buy a brick. A brick is 16 ounces—it’s a pint. I wouldn’t sip the whole pint to myself," says Mozzy, explaining how the drug took a physical toll on his body. "I couldn’t shit properly. I’m shitting out water. I couldn’t eat properly. Started losing weight. Just my mind—I just felt like my mind was clogged up."
He also opens up about the withdrawals, stating "was sleeping on the bathroom floor, just because it’s cold. It’s cold on the floor, so it’s soothing.... On top of that, that’s where I throw up. I throw up in the toilet. So every five minutes, I gotta throw up. I’m really like literally laying in the bathroom on the cold ass floor, fighting it. Fighting it—can’t eat nothing. Drinking water and throwing that up. It was extreme. I can’t sleep. I ain’t get no proper rest. I’m waking up different hours of the night."
It gets worse. "My bowels was all messed. Cramps, headaches, oh my God! Throbbing, head hurting! It was a struggle," says Mozzy, painting quite an unpleasant picture. However, it seems like he's dedicated to the cause, and plans on toughing it for his children, and for the youth who look up to him. "I never planned to be a role model, but after posting that brick and pouring it out, I seen the influence. I seen how people look up to me, how people follow suit. And if I help save just one person from that shit, it’s a good deed.”
For the complete story, which is well worth the read, check Mozzy's complete account right here.