Bow Wow is coming clean about his addiction to lean.
In the wake of Mac Miller’s death from an apparent drug overdose, the rapper-actor opened up about his own life-threatening battle with substance abuse and issued a warning to youth.
“To the youth- Stop with these dumb ass drugs,” he tweeted before revealing that he was addicted to lean while recording 2007’s Face Off with Omarion. “Im going to let something out. When me and omarion worked on FACE OFF album. I was high off lean everyday! When yall saw me on BET going off on torae i was high off lean. My attitude everything changed.”
He said that he was drinking lean seven times a day while touring with Chris Brown on the “Up Close and Personal Tour” in 2007-2008. It got so bad that he was hospitalized.
“My fans started to turn on me my family too. I never promoted lean in my songs. The whole time i was on the UCP tour with chris I WAS SIPPING 4’s atleast 7 times a day,” revealed Bow Wow. “I was addicted until our show in Cincinnati.. i came off stg and passed out woke up in the hospital i was having withdraws.”
It eventually started affecting his work. “I never felt a pain like that ever. It was summer but i was walking round with 3 hoodies on because i was so cold. I missed the chicago show of that tour baltimore show BECAUSE I WAS FUCKING HIGH AND SICK!!!! that shit is not cool and i was doing it to be cool!”
People tried to make excuses for him and say he was dehydrated, when it was actually the side effects of promethazine codeine. “Go back and watch the face off show BET gave us! Look how dumb i looked. My ranting i was angry every day. They try to protect the truth by saying i was dehydrated… nawww bro. I WAS HIGH OFF PROMETHAZINE CODEINE! Actavis. SAY NO TO THESE DRUGS.”
He hopes his candid confession serves as a cautionary tale to others. “Kick that shit! Be a good son or daughter. Be the best you,” he said. “Ima start being more vocal. We gotta save the youth from going out early. Parents watch your kids. Explain to them. We want yall to live man. I almost died fucking with syrup. To this day im affected my stomach will.”
Bow Wow isn’t the only artist offering his advice. J. Cole also shared his support for anyone dealing with substance abuse.
“This is a message for anybody in this game that’s going through something,” tweeted Cole. “If you don’t feel right, if you feel you have a substance problem, if you need a ear to vent to. If you uncomfortable talking to people around you. Please reach out to me.”