Technically, this isn’t true. A number of arbitrary distinctions in American public policy have been made over the years between pharmaceuticals, alcohol, tobacco and what are known as “illicit drugs”.

Of course, this is why Sagan uses scare quotes here. By “drugs”, he is likely referring to those the U.S. government considers illicit, i.e. opiates, stimulants, hallucinogens, depressants and cannabis. Despite the wide range of acute and chronic effects these different illicit drugs have on the human body, they are all addressed as one general group – the bad drugs.

Thus, we see there are two layers to this question: (1) why the lack of distinction between the different types of illicit drugs and (2) why are some drugs considered illicit and others licit?

This is a continuation of the previous two lines, in which Mac asserted his authority over those who thought they had the game on lock.

More importantly, this line demonstrates the connection that Rap culture has with a number of other marginalized cultures, including pimp culture. From Ice-T to Nelly, many artists have borrowed their language and style from pimp culture. This line is just another in a long line of examples of that in Rap music.

Corporate sponsored pimpin'..

This line highlights one of the core values in Curren$y’s music, and that is mental toughness. Not just having the will power to stack up while everyone else is spending, but also to have multiple ventures fail and still get back at it each time.

Considering his history in the Rap game, it’s not all that surprising that Curren$y comes back to this theme again and again in his music. From Money Machine

Try to maintain, under pressure
Only few do it, and that’s what inspires you to try
The gleam in your eye
Manifested in your mind
Then you start your climb

Based on the cash flow provided to him by music, merch, and tour sales, Curren$y is prepared for any storms. His diversification through Jet Life Recordings also gives him a soft landing if anything were to go awry.

Jet Life started the reeferlution
Can’t call it, I’m just doing
what my old heads was doing
and I’m privileged to have
seen them start movements
behaving in a wild fashion, acting unruly
OG, so it take a double-o to school me

Curren$y has said that his biggest inspiration comes from watching other people build their empire and learning from their moves. He learned early on that the game’s got valleys and peaks and you’ve got to be ready for either one.

He manages his expectations for dips by stacking more paper. Curren$y often references the teachings of his old heads, who showed him the game way before.

In the same vein as Hov, Curren$y advises you to pay yourself first.

There’s plenty of financial wisdom throughout Curren$y’s discography, including similar advice on the song Chasin' Papers:

No kidding, this world ain’t Disney
These characters is after your pennies
Stack up – can’t go far with the dealings

Curren$y is comparing his hustle to that of Tommy ‘Buns’ Bundy, from the movie Belly.

After robbing a nightclub the previous night, Buns (DMX) shows up to Sin’s (Nas) house at 5 in the morning threatening to blow the horn if Sin doesn’t hurry up and come outside.

Despite a sub-par performance on the last job, Buns was ready to get after some more money – this time stemming from reports of a new, more potent form of heroine.

Just as Buns was always eager to get after some money, Curren$y keeps the same mindset in his own line of work.

Internalized racism, sometimes called “colorism”, describes the process by which oppressed minorities begin to internalize the social values of the dominant majority, especially as they relate to racial/ethnic identity.

Though anecdotal evidence abounds, even today, we first saw evidence of this phenomenon during the well-known doll experiments of the late 1940s, carried out by Drs. Kenneth and Mamie Clark. Testifying in the case of Briggs v. Elliott, Kenneth Clark described his research:

I found that of the children between the ages of six and nine whom I tested [n=16]…that ten of those children chose the white doll as their preference; the doll which they liked best. Ten of them also considered the white doll a “Nice” doll. And, I think you have to keep in mind that these two dolls are absolutely identical in every respect except skin color. Eleven of these sixteen children chose the brown doll as the doll which looked “bad.” This is consistent with previous results which we have obtained testing over three hundred children, and we interpret it to mean that the Negro child accepts as early as six, seven or eight the negative stereotypes about his own group

Although Malcolm is speaking in the contexts of his own time period, this is as great an issue today as it ever was. Actress Lupita N'yongo spoke out against it at the 2014 ESSENCE award show, and research is beginning to connect levels of internalized racism with poor health outcomes for minority groups.