The Memphis hip-hop scene mourned the loss of two major artists in the past few weeks, not to violence, but to accidental overdoses, both involving fentanyl. Big Scarr, 22, died on Dec. 22, and Gangsta Boo, 43, died on Jan. 1.
Scarr was a member of the 2022 XXL Freshman List and was signed to Gucci Mane’s 1017 Records. Boo was the second female to join Three 6 Mafia, and most recently was a part of a collaboration with GloRilla and Latto for the single “FTCU.”
Dr. Rasean Hodge recently spoke to rolling out about the dangers of fentanyl use, and how to prevent future tragedies like the recent ones in Memphis hip-hop.
What are the dangers of using fentanyl?
We’re about six years into an opioid epidemic. We can debate the opioid epidemic. Things have progressed from heroin, which is 100 times more potent than morphine. Now, you have fentanyl, which is 400 times more potent than morphine. Fentanyl is a very dangerous drug. Just touching can cause CNS suppression … by the time you feel the effects of it, by the time you realize you can barely breathe, your heart rate has slowed down, you’ve passed out. How can you administer yourself Narcan? Even though there’s a Narcan spray, there’s a Narcan intra-muscular injection, but it’s too late.
Who have these opioids historically affected more? Black or White people?
You have a lot of White and Black people who are just abusing opioids … for my folks who are struggling with opioid use disorder, which is very common among teenagers. Teenagers are getting a hold of them, and call them schedule parties, where they do Xanax and Percocet. They’re taking those pills that could be bought off the street. That person could be intending to take a perc, and it has some fentanyl in it. That person didn’t intend to overdose, he or she didn’t ask for fentanyl, they wanted Percocet. He or she wanted heroin, he or she wanted Xanax.
My theory is you have this dealer [who] needs people that have opioid disorders because a lot of people with disorders are seeking that original high, and if they … get close to death, they’ll risk it.
What can users do to be safer?
If you’re going to get it off the street, if you’re going to not use a prescription and buy it off the street, you should have a drug test.
A drug test kit, though I wouldn’t even handle it because just touching it, again your breath can stop within two minutes if you don’t have Narcan. Fentanyl is absorbed through your skin, and it could kill you, so you didn’t have to even digest the pill. A test kit would be first and foremost, Narcan again at your side. Then if it’s something new, you might need to have a friend or buddy; a buddy system.
