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Where many Bostonians would prefer to pretend like the city’s notorious Methadone Mile doesn’t exist, Connor Cassidy wants to tackle the issue of drug addiction in Massachusetts — and America — head-on.
The Boston-based rapper released his video for “Not An Addict” earlier this month (April 16), sharing a delicate view of what it means to be hooked on opioids.
“I don’t hate you enough to tell you to walk in my shoes,” he sings on the chorus. But at other times, it’s Cassidy’s less poetic moments that speak the loudest: “There’s people dying out here.”
“It’s written from the third person, as I’ve never personally suffered from substance abuse,” Cassidy tells Vanyaland. “[It] was inspired by my frequent observations and conversations in the past two years while living in Roxbury, the chaos on Boston’s Methadone Mile, along with the drug use I’ve seen while attending college at both The University of Miami and Northeastern.”
From a lyrical standpoint, “Not An Addict” focuses entirely on opioid abuse (“Wake up to a white capsule,” he raps somberly), but Cassidy shares that at the song’s intent reaches out to folks experiencing all forms of addiction, ranging from the more “socially acceptable” forms of dependency, to the types that have been deemed taboo.
“By ‘addiction’ I’m referring to the state of mind of frequent, uncontrollable dependence on something, with drug use being only one possible symptom,” he explains. “Although the song revolves around opioid addiction because it has been particularly lethal, there are many other addictions that afflict our society: Attention, caffeine, sex/pornography, social media, money, power, etc.”
In the music video’s YouTube description, Cassidy best sums up his thoughts with a single sentence: “Addiction is a disease, not an identity.” It’s a humanizing standpoint on the issue that’s long overdue.
“My goal with the song and video is to shed light on the suffering caused by the rapidly rising rates of substance abuse by both poor and affluent people in America and reinforce the notion that addiction is a disease, not an entirely conscious choice or solidified aspect of one’s character,” he emphasizes. “My hope is that those suffering from addiction will be inspired to seek help without self-judgment and that those not experiencing it will gain more compassion and solidarity for those who are. It is a disease that can be cured by collective effort and support.”