Rappers Kanye West, French Montana and Rick Ross have all been blamed for the rise in use of MDMA – known as molly.
Researchers name-checked the stars on the back of a new study which shows hip-hop music is coaxing black listeners into using the drug.
Four fifths of African American adults surveyed admitted the genre influenced their decision to try molly, confirming a link that has existed for decades.
University of South Florida scientists have warned of the dangers of the drug, which has the potential to kill unaware teenagers seeking a quick thrill.
Fellow high-profile rappers Lil Wayne and Jay-Z were also mentioned in the study, which quizzed 100 adults of African American descent.
The researchers, led by Dr Khary Rigg, warned these artists were encouraging use of the drug because they are viewed as ‘highly regarded and trend setting’.
Researchers name-checked rappers Kanye West (left) and French Montana (right) on the back of a new study which shows hip-hop music is coaxing black listeners into using the drug
Dr Rigg commented: ‘Molly, although not as dangerous as opioids, has been linked to psychiatric problems, sexual risk taking and adverse health outcomes.’
She warned it is linked to seizures, irregular heartbeats and even death, with 63 known to have died from taking MDMA in 2016 in the UK.
Kanye, who married influential TV personality Kim Kardashian in 2014, is one of the most respected names in the hip-hop genre.
He has mentioned molly in his song ‘Blood on the Leaves’, which reached 89 in the US Billboard 100 charts in 2013. The drug was also mentioned in ‘Mercy’.
French Montana, who has 2.9 million Twitter followers and used to date Kim’s sister Khloé, has dedicated an entire song to the drug, titled molly.
Rick Ross, followed by more than 4 million on Twitter, referenced putting the drug in a girl’s champagne in his ‘U.O.E.N.O’ song.
And Lil Wayne, who has released 12 studio albums, mentioned ‘popping’ the drug while featuring on Nicki Minaj’s ‘Roman Reloaded’.
However, Jay Z, who recently admitted to cheating on his wife Beyonce, rapped the lyric ‘I don’t pop molly’ in his song ‘Tom Ford’.
WHEN HAVE HIGH PROFILE HIP-HOP STARS MENTIONED MOLLY IN THEIR SONGS?
Molly is also known as MDMA
Kanye West
BLOOD ON THE LEAVES – Let’s take it back to the first party, when you tried your first molly
MERCY – Something about Mary, she gone off that molly
French Montana
MOLLY – Baby trying to leave this party, we can roll up on some molly
POP THAT – Let’s get these h*** on that molly
Rick Ross
U.O.E.N.O – Put molly all in her champagne, she ain’t even know it
Lil Wayne
ROMAN RELOADED (NICKI MINAJ’S SONG) – Pop a molly, smoke a blunt, that mean I’m a high roller
Jay Z
TOM FORD – I don’t pop molly, I rock Tom Ford
Source: RapGenius
Fellow high-profile rappers Lil Wayne (right), Rick Ross (left), 50 Cent and Jay-Z were also mentioned in the study, which quizzed 100 adults
Participants said they felt comfortable trying the drug only after trendsetting rappers like Kanye and French mentioned it in their lyrics.
They said molly, a synthetic drug, was depicted by rap stars as the new ‘it’ drug that has no serious consequences, unlike heroin or crack cocaine.
One volunteer, whose named was withheld, told researchers: ‘I’m just trying to party like a rock star, not get strung out.
‘Whenever they [rappers] mentioned it [molly], they are either partying, drinking [alcohol], smoking [weed], or having sex. All of the things I love to do most.
‘I never heard about anyone getting addicted or dying. That made me feel better about trying it.’
There is an abundance of song lyrics that glorify the drug, describing it as a way to party and lower sexual inhibitions, researchers said.
Links between taking molly and listening to hip-hop music have become prominent in recent years.
But previous studies mostly focused on populations that are white, European, and regular listeners of electronic dance music involved in the rave scene.
The new research is believed to be the first of its kind to delve into whether hip-hop is actually influencing some African Americans to try molly.
Dr Rigg said: ‘The behaviors of millennial African-Americans are probably the most likely to be influenced by hip-hop music as the artists themselves are typically from that demographic.
‘This suggests rappers may be effective sources for prevention, health promotion, and harm reduction messages aimed at African-Americans.’
The study, in the Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse, follows the claims that British grime artists, such as Stormzy, were fueling the use of cannabis.
Ian Hamilton, based at York University, warned the popular music genre contains hundreds of lyrics glorifying the use of the class B drug.