Haftbefehl’s lyrics prominently feature cocaine and cannabis references

In popular music, references to (illicit) drugs are widespread and may influence attitudes and behaviors in relation to substance use and abuse, especially among younger generations. While substance-related content in international pop and rap music has been studied extensively, the German rap scene has received comparatively little attention thus far. This study aimed to systematically analyze the lyrics of one of the most well-known German rappers, Haftbefehl (literal translation: "arrest warrant"), regarding pharmacological and toxicological references to psychotropic substances. To this end, a content analysis was performed on the lyrics of the artist's seven studio albums released between 2010 and 2022, comprising a total of 121 songs. The lyrics were obtained from the online platform genius.com. Both explicit and contextual references to psychotropic substances were recorded and assigned to pharmacological substance classes. Also, slang terminology and contextual references to drug consumption or trafficking were documented. Descriptive statistical methods were applied to summarize the distribution of references to psychotropic substances. In addition, inferential statistical techniques were used exploratively for cross-album comparisons. A clinical trial number is not applicable. Substance-related references were highly prevalent in Haftbefehl's lyrics. Cocaine was the most frequently mentioned substance (being referenced in 82.6% of songs), followed by cannabis (52.9%) and alcohol (38.0%). References to μ-opioid receptor agonists (9.1%) and amphetamine-type substances (7.4%) were less prominent, while there were no references to benzodiazepines. Also, it was noted that Haftbefehl's lyrics contained a large variety of slang terms, particularly for cocaine. In conclusion, psychotropic substances constitute a prominent stylistic element in Haftbefehl's oeuvre. These findings point to the importance of rap lyrics as a cultural medium that may reflect and shape the approach to drug-related content within music-related youth culture.