Why One Purple Drink DESTROYED More Rappers Than Gang Violence

Witty Historian · Jun 4, 2026 · 1h 47m

This documentary explores the history of codeine syrup - also known as lean, purple drank, or the purple drink and how it became one of the most recognizable drugs in hip-hop culture. Often mixed with soda and candy in a Styrofoam cup, the drink became closely associated with rappers drinking lean and the rise of Houston’s slowed-down sound. The story begins in Houston’s blues scene in the 1960s, where codeine cough syrup mixtures first appeared, before being transformed by DJ Screw into the sonic foundation of chopped-and-screwed rap. From there, lean spread from the Fifth Ward to the wider…