Purple Drank

"Purple drank” (also called “drank” and many other names) is a potentially dangerous drink that mixes cough syrup (containing codeine) with another drink, such as Sprite or rum or vodka. Purple drank either started or was popularized in Houston, contributing to its nickname as the “City of Syrup.”

Purple drank is mentioned in many hip-hop lyrics and is associated with the Houston-based musical beats of “chopped & screwed.”


Wikipedia: Purple drank
Purple Drank is an recreational drink popular amongst the hip-hop community of the Southern United States. Its main ingredient is prescription-strength cough syrup containing codeine and promethazine.

The purple-ish hue of Purple Drank comes from dyes in the cough syrup. Recently, the term has expanded to cover mixtures including over-the-counter cough syrup. Other terms for Purple Drank include Purple Oil, Sizzurp, Drank, Purple Tonic, Serbian Intestinal Scum Drizzank, Southern Lean, Texas Tea, Memphis Mud, Mrs. Dranklesworth, Derek’s Dookie Sauce, Tsikuni, Lean, Syrup, P-Flav, Slip, Purple Sprite, Surp, Bazzigazzulp (a portmanteau of Big Gulp and hip-hop slang), PG Tips, and Purp.

History
Houston, Texas producer DJ Screw first popularized the concoction, which is widely attributed as a source of inspiration for the “chopped & screwed” style of hip hop music. Originally, the active ingredient of “Syrup” was cough syrup containing promethazine and codeine. The concoction first gained popularity in the underground Houston, Texas rap scene and later spread to other southern states.

In June of 2000, Three 6 Mafia’s single “Sippin On Some Sizzurp,” featuring UGK and Project Pat brought the term “purple stuff” to a nationwide audience. In addition, Three 6 Mafia’s single “Rainbow Colors” featuring Lil’ Flip pertains to the consumption of purple drank; furthermore, the addition of a jolly rancher to a cup of purple dranks creates a spectrum of colors, hence “rainbow colors.” On November 16, 2000, several months after the video to Three 6 Mafia’s single debuted, DJ Screw died of a suspected overdose of codeine and alcohol. The mixture has also been referenced in lyrics of other rappers, including UGK’s “Sippin and Spinnin” and “Purple Drank”, as well as tracks by Big Moe, Paul Wall, Mike Jones, T.I., Lil’ Flip, Lil’ Wyte, Three Six Mafia, Project Pat, T-Pain, Chamillionaire, Big Moe, Slim Thug, Pat Cash and Z-Ro. In September of 2006, Terrence Kiel, a San Diego Chargers player, was arrested during practice for the possession with intent to sell of what authorities referred to as “Lean”.

New Orleans rapper Lil’ Wayne frequently mentions drinking Purple Drank. In the Duffle Bag Boy music video he can be seen holding a Styrofoam cup with “RIP DJ Screw” written on it. In the remix to “Throw Some D’s” on his mixtape Da Drought 3 he claims “I’m not a rookie, I’m a pro..methazine fiend” as well as stating “You know what’s in my Styrofoam...what? S-Y-R-UP.” He also refers to the substance in the song “We Takin’ Over,” where he says that “I like my Sprite Easter pink,” an overt reference to the color of the beverage. Lil’ Wayne also refers to Purple Drank in the freestyle rap “Live From 504,” where he rhymes “And yep I sip that lean.” Other references include the song “I Know the Future,” where Wayne states, “I’m on that lala, twist it up, I’m on that syrup slow it down,” an overt reference to the drug as well as a reference to marijuana.

Ingredients
Active ingredients
The active ingredient of purple drank is codeine, a narcotic medication contained in prescription cough syrup. It is, however, not made with over-the-counter cough syrups such as Robitussin, which may contain dextromethorphan as well as other drugs. Although dextromethorphan is sometimes used recreationally, it has different effects. Some prescription cough syrups also contain antihistamine medications, such as promethazine, which have a mild sedative effect. When taken in large quantities, both medications can lead to sedation and altered levels of consciousness. The syrup usually used in purple drank contains 10mg of codeine and 6.25 mg of promethazine per 5 mL. Users ingest roughly 120-250 mg of codeine with this dose. When hydrocodone is substituted, the dose can be overwhelming at higher common doses, leading to vomiting and other mild opiate overdose symptoms.

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