Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne, former lead vocalist of Black Sabbath, is a survivor. Ozzy has battled drug and alcohol addiction for a large chunk of his life. He would routinely consume bottles of Hennessy instead of eating proper food, and for breakfast he would snort cocaine to help kick off his day. Doctors revealed a breakdown of Ozzy's blood sample, concluding that "Ozzy is 6.13 times more likely than the average person to have alcohol dependency or alcohol cravings; 1.31 times more likely to have a cocaine addiction; and 2.6 times more likely to have hallucinations caused by cannabis use." Although Ozzy is spiritually connected to music, the effects of his drug and alcohol abuse has taken a tole on his life in the mental and physical aspects of his being.
Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg, a hip hop icon, is famously known for his marijuana addiction. Before his rap career took off, Snoop shed light on the time he almost landed himself in a penitentiary when he was sentenced with joint suspension for selling cocaine. Luckily, he only served 4 months and continued on to enjoy decades of success with his music. As of right now, he is currently using his platform to speak about the drug war that has been going on for quite some time, which involves some hardcore drugs that are extremely dangerous. Snoop was able to avoid that lifestyle back when he was 19. He's a weed smoker, but he is able to use his music to help his mind stay sharp. Snoop isn't ordinary and cliché like the rappers of today, he uses his tracks as a form of recovery.
Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse, a rock and roll icon, died of an alcohol addiction back in 2011. Janis Joplin, another musician who died from addiction told people that, "she made love to 25,000 people at her concerts, but went home alone. It’s that yearning for love and acceptance, that aching but unanswered need for connection that underlies both the drive for fame and the pain of addiction, which may be why the two are so often found together." Amy's legacy will be tragically known for her alcohol abuse that ultimately led to her death, but her music will last many lifetimes connecting people with the many emotions that her songs produced.
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar, one of the greatest rappers of our generation, used music as an escape from his upbringing. Growing up in Compton, life in itself was already tremendously difficult for K Dot, and he was constantly exposed to the violence and drug/alcohol abuse in his neighborhood on a daily basis. Music was the way out. His albums reflect all the struggles he and his family endured in Compton, as well as the graphic scenes he was always exposed to. As a 17 year old African American growing up in Compton, Kendrick feared for his friends, his family, and most importantly himself. Even today, these fears still hold a place inside of his mind that have taken a different form. Money, fame, security. Kendrick fears that those things are too good to be true, but his music paved the way for those things. Music helped him escape.
Sat Bisla
Sat Bisla, one of the most influential music executives in the industry, had to overcome various hardships in his early upbringing to live his dream out in the music industry. Growing up in Wolverhampton, England, Sat Bisla had to deal with childhood bullies, living in an unstable home where his parents could barely make ends meet, and the death of his father. This was a very dark period in Sat's life, where he became extremely depressed and questioned his life and purpose. However, music was always his salvation and light at the end of the tunnel which helped save him from a very dark time and place in his life. Sat was in his parent's bedroom crying when his mom came in the room and said “Never forget what your dad sacrificed; what we sacrificed to get you kids to America from Wolverhampton. And for you to be sitting here, crying and sad, would make him really upset. You need to go out there and make your dad proud, make me proud, and make yourself proud and don’t let his death destroy your hopes and dreams.” Additionally, he gained inspiration from the passing of his father and that led him to helping some of the most iconic artists make it big, such as Coldplay, Katy Perry, Adele, and the list goes endlessly on. Sat Bisla has been overcoming obstacles his whole life, but he is never going to divorce his passion for music. He is and will always be one of the greatest faces of the music industry because of his natural talent, his endless dedication to his craft, and his profound passion for music.