Take comedian Jon Stewart, for example, who takes magic mushrooms for a week before a set, or social media influencer and professional boxer Jake Paul, who uses shrooms to treat boxing injuries. The impressive list of celebrities who all swear by the psychedelic fungi includes Seth Rogen, Kristen Bell, Andrew Garfield, Mike Tyson, Megan Fox, Machine Gun Kelly, and Harry Styles.
At this point, one starts to ask: who isn’t on shrooms in entertainment?
‘Shrooms Help Me Think Deeper’
American rapper Meek Mill (also known as Robert Rihmeek Williams) is now the latest artist in the industry to have been blown away by psilocybin, the active ingredient in shrooms and magic truffles. The Philly-based hip hop legend recently shared his love for mushies with his 11.2 million followers on Twitter:
“I took some strooms [sic] it made me more smart more happy and have more love in my heart…”
The 35-year-old Dream Chasers leader went on to describe his mind-blowing experience with the fungi:
“I was gone cold this sh*t like medicine ….. micro dose vibes.
“… don’t know if everybody brain structured for this .. but it’s some sh*t in these things lol”
‘I felt so good’
Like many, Meek used to spend his leisure hours with a joint or two of marijuana. The psychedelic leaf does have its merits, but some people may find its effects to be too sedating. This may explain why those in the underground scene have chosen to partake in psychedelics with a more “clear-headed” high such as ayahuasca, DMT, or psilocybin.
Even hip hop legend Snoop Dogg has been known to take shrooms for a more visceral, emotional performance on stage, as he once shared on an episode of YouTube talk show GGN News:
“Run-D.M.C. was on, and I was crying like a moth**f**ker. I don’t even know what got into my emotions, but I felt so good, and the crying just made me feel even better.
“You know what, that’s what made me cry. I don’t know what the f*ck [shrooms] do, but it give an extra emotional kick to whatever the f*ck you’re going through. Anybody got some mushrooms right now?”
‘Happy as Hell, Sober’
It’s a testament to the ego-crushing powers of psilocybin that artists, musicians, and writers seek it out for a genuine spark of creativity. After all, what is art but the highest manifestation of truth? There’s the added bonus, of course, that despite their effects lasting 3 to 4 hours, shrooms and magic truffles are practically the safest recreational drug out there. Non-addictive and with no real risk of overdose!
Hip hop artists are turning to psilocybin because it is proven to be a safer alternative to hard drugs. And, it could also be because shrooms don’t show up in routine drug tests. How so? Why, the fact that psilocybin gets flushed out of your system in the urine within 25 hours.
Meek further explained how his shroom trip was different from his days on weed:
“I smoke weed everyday and get depressed as soon as I get high … [But on shrooms] I be happy as hell sober lol it just helps me think deeper and more realistic….”
Liberating Power of Psychedelics
Abdul Wilkins, better known as “Brother Duli” or the “Beantown Ghetto Shaman”, is a Black intuitive healer on the rise from Boston — and one of the foremost advocates for psychedelics out there. Like Meek, Wilkins had a life-changing experience with shrooms and magic truffles. He had an out-of-body experience, heard drumming from the heavens, and even saw the fabric of reality itself. Today, part of Wilkins’s duties as the Beantown Ghetto Shaman is to hold psychedelic ceremonies for people of colour and low-income communities.
In an interview with okayplayer.com, Wilkins spoke about his people’s rich history with psychedelics:
“Indigenous cultures and Black people have a legacy with psychedelics. Iboga is presumed to have been used by Bwiti practitioners for their religious rituals for centuries.”
The modern shaman recalls his first ayahuasca ceremony. Nearly 40 people joined, mostly former clients from his other work as a massage therapist and yoga teacher. Wilkins had urged them to try psychedelics-based healing at least this once.
Later on, Wilkins saw as one woman, torn by grief over her mother’s death, began to hold a “spiritual conversation” with the departed. Is there anyway to describe such an experience? Brother Duli turns to an iconic Black superhero as his reference point:
“It was like in Black Panther when T’Challa drinks the heart-shaped plant and he gets [in] direct contact with his deceased father.
“[Psychedelic ceremony] is very liberating because it not only heals them but helps them gain spiritual insight.”
Shrooms Can ‘Heal the Hood’
This latest Twitter thread is not the first time Meek has professed his love for shrooms and magic truffles. Back in May, the rapper had already felt that psilocybin has forever changed how he sees the world at large. He tweeted out his belief as follows:
“Strooms [sic] could heal the hood I believe!”
Could Meek be right on the money? His tweet, which won over 1,000 retweets and 6,500 likes on the platform, is far from being the pipe-dream it once was in the ‘90s and early ‘00s. Where is the love, crooned the Black Eyed Peas on their eponymous hit single. A global chart-topper, it soared as anthem of peace. But perhaps not as many people engaged with the true gravity of the song’s subject.
Twitter user @QueenKongDino agreed with Meek Mill’s vision:
“Psilocybin and other Psychedelics absolutely have a place of healing in the Black community. There’s tons of research being put forth to decolonize our healing and bring awareness to the work. There are also Black & Indigenous Therapists who are certified to walk with you.”
Another user, @c0deinecr4zy, had a similar insight:
“Drugs that make people more friendly and more empathetic like shrooms and MDMA are good for some people.”
One thing’s for sure, Meek Mill: we psychonauts are right behind you. Shrooms and magic truffles could change the world for the better!