Macklemore & Ryan Lewis have unveiled a new single "Drug Dealer" featuring Ariana DeBoo. As one might expect, the song is a quite personal reflection on Macklemore's own struggle with prescription drugs and a wider look at how prescription drugs plague American society today.

The song is a topical continuation from "Kevin," which appeared on This Unruly Mess I've Made.

It is a soft and introspective track. Macklemore tackles the issues of society in the first verse, listing off some of the big names who have died from drugs, "That's Prince, Michael and Whitney, that's Amy, Ledger and Pimp C / That's Yams, that's DJ A.M," he raps.

He goes after the drug makers who get rich off of the stuff, while others abuse it.

"The whole while, these billionaires, they kicked up / Paying out congress so we take their drugs / Murderers who will never face the judge / And we dancin' to a song about our face goin' numb."

The second and third verses he turns on himself and his own struggles, taling about how he would forge prescription sheets or shut out the world to get high.

"Death certificate signed the prenup / Ain't no coming back from this Percocet / After this ambien, adderral, xanax binge / Best friends with the thing that's killing me," he raps in the third verse. It is a bleak and hard view at what can happen with prescription drug abuse that is becoming more common in the United States.

The duo released their new album This Unruly Mess I've Made in February and has been touring almost nonstop since. This new track comes as a surprise, but does arrive in conjunction with an MTV special alongside Barack Obama about opioid addition set to air tonight.

Listen to the song below and pick up a copy here.

Join the Discussion