Thanks for reading! I’m Ben Westhoff, the author of Fentanyl, Inc., about the worst drug crisis in American history, and Original Gangstas, about the birth of West Coast gangsta rap.
This newsletter is now finished — but it addressed both topics. They seem like separate worlds, but they’re not. Synthetic drugs are taking over hip-hop culture, and the opioid crisis is hitting underprivileged communities mercilessly. I specialize in on-the-ground, deep investigative reporting, and my award-winning work has documented everything from how Tupac spawned a social justice movement to how the Chinese state subsidizes fentanyl production.
The newsletter also includes a countdown of the 25 best rap artists in history, called The Hip-Hop 25. These are long essays featuring rare photos and my never-published interviews with members of acts including Outkast, Run-DMC, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, N.W.A, and many more.
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I’m excited to have you along for this ride!
