Lupe Fiasco has tried to convince us of some pretty wild things over the years. Regardless of the topic, he often comes prepared with many sources to cite, proving he has done his research. Therefore, even when he is delineating the medical uses of cocaine and potentially advocating for its legalization (under certain circumstances), I'm open to listening.
Earlier this week, multiple news outlets picked up a story of a Mexican court ruling it legal for two unidentified people to possess, transport and use cocaine, but not buy or sell it. While the ruling must still be approved by a higher court, this decision signified a landmark occasion. The NGO, Mexico United Against Crime (MUCD), was involved in this case. "We have spent years working for a more secure, just and peaceful Mexico," said Lisa Sánchez, MUCD's director. "This case is about insisting on the need to stop criminalizing users of drugs... and design better public policies that explore all the available options, including regulation."
Understandably, this story caught the attention of many, including Lupe. On Saturday, the Chicago rapper posted a screenshot of the reporting on this story and wrote a lengthy caption to share his thoughts on the ruling. He opened with a quote from his song "NGL" off his 2017 album Drogas Light. The quote discusses the legalization of marijuana and how it has led (or is leading to) an industry that is controlled by big name companies. Lupe explains that if Wall Street ends up regulating marijuana's distribution, then black people won't reap any benefits to compensate for them being disproportionately targeted for participating in its distribution and use before. He then predicts that this same process can occur with cocaine, hence the relation to the case in Mexico.
Although the Mexican court decided on this ruling in an attempt to counteract the war on drugs and the threat to public safety it produces, Lupe then went on to list the uses of cocaine in a clinical setting - such as for anaesthetic purposes. Lupe concluded his caption by stating that this news story made him "happy... for various reasons most people won’t understand." Oh, he also threw in a #Popeyes at the end, either to get in on the joke or capitalize on the trending topic. This definitely had a lot of people laughing in the comments.