Substance abuse has run rampant through the Hip Hop community. We've lost several artists over the years to accidental overdoses, while others have watched their careers fold due to their addictions. Those who have survived harrowing experiences have come forward to share their stories, including French Montana who was hospitalized back in 2019.
Since that time, the rapper has shared that he has decided to live a healthier, more sober lifestyle, and he's taking his concerns about opioid abuse to Capitol Hill.
“He wanted to come here to talk about the opioid epidemic sweeping through the country, especially disproportionately hitting the African American community,” Mike Rubino, a representative for Montana, told The Hill. He added that French spoke "very candidly about his own sobriety" while also detailing his new effort, Pure.
Rubino said the effort will mirror how Montana “managed to get sober and it's for people that want to get sober in a more unconventional way that doesn't involve taking more drugs.”
“He's also spoken to people about immigration as an issue as a naturalized citizen,” the representative. “He went through the entire process and just feels that there's an onerous burden put on people who want to do things the right way and it’s too long and lengthy of a process.”
Additionally, Montana spoke with several politicians during 13 meetings about how he can maximize his platform to help spread awareness about pressing issues. Those officials included "Reps. Shontel Brown (D-O.H.), Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), Dina Titus (D-Nev.), Susie Lee (D-Nev.), Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.), Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), Byron Donald (R-Fla.), Ben Cline (R-Va.), Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) and Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.). He also met with Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.)."
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