Watch Macklemore Fight Addiction Demons in Chilling ‘Drug Dealer’ Video
Seattle MC teams with singer Ariana DeBoo for ballad about drug abuse, opioid epidemic
Macklemore strips down in the brutally honest new video for his song with Ariana DeBoo about addiction, “Drug Dealer.”
The Jason Koenig-directed clip opens with a shot of the tormented rapper in a shower, followed by a raw close-up of his face that moves in and out of focus as he rhymes about the scope of substance abuse, from celebrity deaths to the questionable practices of pharmaceutical companies. DeBoo croons the song’s poignant hook as she’s buried up to her neck in pills, and Macklemore powers through the rest of “Drug Dealer” amidst a harrowing withdrawal sequence that ends with peace and recovery.
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis penned “Drug Dealer” for the MC’s recent MTV documentary, Prescription for Change: Ending America’s Opioid Crisis. The doc notably featured Macklemore discussing opioid addiction with President Barack Obama.
Macklemore has tackled substance abuse and addiction on previous songs, including “Kevin,” off his most recent LP, This Unruly Mess I’ve Made, “Starting Over” from The Heist and 2010’s “Otherside.”
