Disclaimer: This entry contains material that may be unsuitable for children.
About
Purple Drank is an illegal recreational drink popular in the Southern rap/hip hop scene, a barbiturate cocktail primarily consisting of prescription-strength cough syrup. The purple-ish hue of “Purple Drank” comes from the color dyes used to make the cough syrup.
Origin
Houston-based producer DJ Screw first popularized the concoction, which is widely attributed as a source of inspiration for the “Chopped and Screwed” style of hip hop music. It first gained popularity in the Houston rap scene and later spread to other Southern states.
Popularity & Spread
In June 2000, Three 6 Mafia’s single “Sippin’ on Some Syrup,” featuring UGK brought the term “Purple Drank” to a nationwide audience.
Three 6 Mafia’s single “Rainbow Colors” featuring Lil’ Flip pertains to the consumption of Purple Drank. The addition of a Jolly Rancher candy to a cup of Purple Drank creates a spectrum of colors, hence the name. “Rainbow Colors” can also refer to a mix of different narcotic cough syrups containing anti-histamines, expectorants, and such. Various other cough syrups or combination therein also have nicknames such as “yellow syrup” and “pink syrup”. Many legal cough syrups for over-the-counter purchase in some states sometimes suffice as alternative ingredients to Purple Drank but alter the color.
As popularity of the beverage expanded to an international audience it also spread to the internet. Some miscellaneous message boards still hold discussions on Purple Drank including recipes and means to obtain the ingredients required. Some communities also perpetuate the absurdity and in comedic fashion criticize those who continue to get high off Purple Drank or ridicule the notion of the concoction itself.
Implications
DJ Screw passed away on November 16, 2000. The autopsy records listed an overdose of codeine and alcohol as the cause of death. The DEA began conducting drug busts in relation to the spread of Purple Drank in the following years mostly from within the Southern US.
Insight
The jump in July 2010 is directly related and cited to the arrest of Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell in relation to a series of Purple Drank related drug busts and possession of codeine cough syrup without a prescription.
Chopped and Screwed
Purple Drank is a major influence on a brand of Southern hip hop called Chopped and Screwed. The narcotic effects of Purple Drank slow down brain activity so to compliment the consumption is a style of music with an extremely low beat per minute count.
P2P music sharing hubs like Napster helped distribute this brand of music to a wider audience in the late 1990s. Today there are also many YouTube videos that cater or have been intentionally slowed down or altered to either appeal to people who consume or simulate the effects of Purple Drank.
T-Pain & Ludacris Spoof:
Tay Zonday’s Chocolate Rain version:
Peanut Butter Jelly Time Dance version:
Mariah Carey version:
Lil Wayne & Kanye West:
Leprechaun Remix:
Slap Chop version:
TI – What You Know: