The era when nations target "rappers"
Why are only rappers being arrested? Why do “marijuana” and “expression” have such an unstable relationship? In the 2020s in Japan, the majority of celebrities arrested for marijuana possession or use are hip-hop artists, an unusual phenomenon that continues. Name Tatsuma, Kan a.k.a. GAMI, D.O, Chinza DOPENESS, ¥ellow Bucks, and many unknown rappers. Almost without exception, they have careers as “artists,” have publicly admitted to “smoking,” and have been cracked down on by the police as a “warning.” Is this trend simply “law enforcement”? Or is it a modern form of “ideological oppression”?
An era in which words and smoke are considered dangerous
Unlike entertainers and actors, rappers are in a profession where they confront society with their own words. Their lyrics candidly depict the “underside” of society – politics, police, discrimination, violence, and death. Therefore, the marijuana that rappers smoke carries a “symbolism” that goes beyond that of a mere illegal drug. For example, Han a.k.a. GAMI says in his lyrics: “I’m smoking grass, I’m spitting out words.” This line was intended to assert that “smoke” is “sin” and “voice” is “freedom.” But the reality was the opposite. The more he held a microphone and had influence on radio and TV, the more “crackdowns” became a reality. Is this a coincidence? Or is it that only “smokers with words” are being targeted?
Is the essence of the Cannabis Control Act "thought suppression"?
Japan’s Cannabis Control Act (enacted in 1948) was introduced under the initiative of GHQ, and historically has been used as a tool for “thought control” and “disconnection of culture.” In fact, there are multiple records of jazz musicians and avant-garde poets being arrested for cannabis use for “disrupting public morals” in the 1950s and 1960s. In other words, has the Cannabis Control Act not functioned to “control substances” but to “monitor values”? And if it is now being applied to hip-hop, a “youth culture that uses words as weapons,” shouldn’t it be seen as a 21st-century form of “oppression of thought”?
"Music" or "Crime"? The boundary between journalism and society
How did the media report it? “Popular rapper arrested for marijuana” “He smoked marijuana but pretended to be a culture figure” Many news outlets portrayed them as “ex-offenders” rather than “opinion leaders”. But what impact does this kind of portrayal have on the artists’ work? These measures, such as deleting recordings, suspending live performances, canceling events, and removing artists from subscription services (“self-censorship” by the platform), have accelerated the “unprecedented erasureism” of “arrest = denial of work”. As a result, Japanese hip-hop culture is being subjected to a “social blacklist” that goes beyond legal sanctions.
Why are rappers viewed as the enemy?
“Violent,” “delinquent culture,” and “marijuana advocate” rappers have often been treated as “foreign elements” in society. However, at the root of their expression is a belief in freedom of expression. Even when they are told not to smoke, not to sing, not to talk, to be quiet — they have “words” and speak out their “own sense of justice.” As a result, aren’t they being “targeted”? The moment that attributes such as those who have words, who have independent thoughts, and who never stop resisting are linked to marijuana, they become “scapegoats” for the police, the media, and public opinion. Isn’t this not a coincidence, but a structural selection?
This is not a matter of "preference." It is a matter of "punishment of values."
The question we should be asking now is not “why did rappers smoke?” but “why are rappers the only ones being targeted?” Should we turn off the music? Should we punish the words? Should we silence the culture? Japanese society has yet to answer these questions. But one thing is certain: those with microphones are not going to be silenced easily.