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It’s no secret that hip-hop has a newfound love for molly, the MDMA drug short for molecule.

It’s everywhere from the lyrics of French Montana’s “Pop That” and Kanye’s “Mercy,” to being the sole focus of its own tune by artists like Tyga, who recently released the single “Molly” featuring weed-toting rapper Wiz Khalifa.

Illegal drugs are no stranger to hip-hop, or any other genre for that matter. But when did there become a culture shift?

At one point, hip-hop was the home of drug pushers from every ghetto across the world. Now it’s where proud drug users boast about their wild nights they once had, or hope to have.

Furthermore, wasn’t pill-popping more of a “White” thing? Nothing rappers or urban youth dabbled in.

From music to designer drugs, nothing is racially exclusive. Not anymore, at least. One could argue that hip-hop is the new rave culture with its borrowed EDM beats and little white pills.

MDMA drugs originally gained popularity in the nightclub scene. According the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the drugs were more common among predominantly white teenagers, but have since made a transition to African-Americans who are in their late 20s and early 30s.

We don’t know why there is a shift in the use of these drugs, but many suggest it is the drug’s popularity in music that makes it so mainstream. Music isn’t exactly influencing the use of the MDMA drug, but is giving it exposure on a larger scale. Mainly in hip-hop, which is aiding its increase among African-Americans.

With rapper T.I.’s prior 2010 arrest for a having a small amount of ecstasy in his possession, and Lil Wayne notorious for his rhymes involving his pill-popping antics, we know this isn’t new to hip-hop. But the trend of making strong references to the drug, and the urban culture’s involvement in the elusive molly certainly is.

Many rappers don’t even take the drug; they just reference it for the sake of their music.

Some are pinning the drug’s popularity on Trinidad Jame$ for his popular line “Popped a molly / I’m sweatin’” from his 2012 hit “All Gold Everything.”

During an appearance with Rap Fix, Jame$ said, “All the people was like ‘I don’t know what it is, but every time I hear the song I just want to do it.’”

Jame$ admitted to using the drug, but said he only uses when it feels right. Sometimes he goes months without using anything.

Could the use of molly in hip-hop be a trend that will soon die once something else comes around, or is she here to stay? 

@nieshamiller