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.
Wikipedia: Sippin’ on Some Syrup
“Sippin’ On Some Syrup” is a track from Three 6 Mafia’s 4th studio album, When the Smoke Clears,. Pimp C and Bun B from UGK both made a guest appearance. Project Pat provides the hook for the track. A video was made for the song, however it did not get much airtime on MTV or BET. During the video Juicy J can be seen wearing a hat with the design from The Amazing Jeckel Brothers on it.
What is “Syrup”?
“Syrup” (pronounced by some “sizzurp”) is slang for a prescription cough medicine that contains Promethazine and Codeine. The most popular way of preparing the “drank” for consumption is by mixing it with Sprite and Jolly Ranchers in a styrofoam cup. It is also known as “purple drank.”
Urban Dictionary
3. purple drank
Purple Drank is an illegal recreational drink popular in the Southern United States rap community, whose main ingredients originally consisted of prescription strength cough syrup, containing codeine and promethazine, and either a carbonated soft drink (generally Sprite) or fruit juice. The purple-ish hue of Purple Drank comes from the dyes in the cough syrup. Recently, the term has expanded to cover mixtures including over-the-counter cough syrup and vodka in place of prescription cough syrup. Other terms for Purple Drank include Barre, Oil, Purple Tonic, Lean (or Southern Lean,) Drank, and Syrup (which is sometimes slangly pronounced as Sizzurp.)
The active ingredient of purple drank is codeine, an opiate medication contained in prescription strength cough syrups due to its antitussive properties. Some prescription cough syrups also contain anti-histamine 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.
Houston 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.
“purple drank made ma bank”
“drank up in ma cup, mayne hold up”
“purple in ma soda”
“barre baby”
“purple tonic got me leanin”
by Yung Don Houston Texas Mar 3, 2007
(...)
5. purple drank
purple drank is a combination of hydrocodone promethazine and sprite. you add a couple of ounces to your sprite to where it tastes good. you can also add a jolly rancher. its the shit. it is mainly affiliated with texas and other parts of the deep south. such rappers as slim thugg, mike jones, and paul wall sip purple drank.
joe been sippin that purple drank.
by Big Carp san antonio, texas Apr 14, 2006
(...)
11. purple drank
That drank that such notorious rappers such as mike jones, slim thug, Smokedham, and 36 mafia and all those Gz from H-Town drink (Houston.)
Ingrediants are:
4 oz. cough syrup w/codeine
4 oz. rum, vodka, any hard alcohol
1 jolly rancher
purple drank purple drank all us H-town playaz do is sip that purple drank
by PicklishBastard Ottawa. Canada Nov 14, 2005
Google Groups: alt.drugs.hardNewsgroups: alt.drugs.hard
From: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (Steven B. Adams)
Date: 2000/07/19
Subject: Re: OT - Sippin’ on some sizzurp
RÏÞÞeR) wrote:
>Anyone heard this 3 6 mafia song?? It’s DAMN cool. It’s about abusing
>hydrocodone syrup. In fact, I think this is the first song I’ve ever
>actually heard the word “hydrocodone” in… I haven’t paid real close
>attention to the lyrics, but my friend says it’s about some kind of
>alcoholic/hydrocodone syrup that blunt papers are dipped in, then used to
>smoke weed. Anyone ever heard of/tried this? Any good?
>—
Yea, this song is DAMN cool.. its also very popular here (I live in Northern Mississippi and the Three Six Mafia is a Memphis, TN based group). Last week I read an article in the Memphis newspaper about this song. It contained the usual blah blah this is the new drug of choice for kids.. blah blah protect the kids. Then it started rambling on about ‘syrup addicts’ and ‘syrup houses’ (THIS WAS NOT A SATIRE EITHER!) It then proceeded to list all the drugs in cough syrups and said that DXM was similar to codiene in effects! That kind of mis-information should be illegal!
Google Groups: rec.music.hi-hop
Newsgroups: rec.music.hip-hop
From: OT
Date: 2000/07/26
Subject: Re: three six mafia—lyrics to “Sippin’ on Some Syrup?”
Artist: Three 6 Mafia f/ U.G.K.
Album: When the Smoke Clears
Song: Sippin’ on Some Syrup
Typed by: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Sippin’ on some siz-erp, sip, sippin’ on some, sip (Repeat 8x)
[Pimp C]
I’m trill working the wheel, a pimp not a simp
Keep the dope fiends higher than the Goodyear Blimp
We eat so many shrimp, I got iodine poisoning
Fuck niggas make me sick with all that PINCHIN’ and bargaining
You say that you a boss, I ain’t believing that shit
You got the funny Geneva watch, with the Ferrari kit
Take that monkey shit off, you embarrassing us
I got the WET- PROMENTHAZINE, thick orange and yellow TUSS
HYDROCORZONE, on the hands-free phone
The ‘84 ZONE, on them blades, 20-inch chrome
If you got 16, you can get a BIZ-ZIRD
I’m choking on that doja sweet and sipping on that sizz-erp
[DJ Paul]
Some Niggas scared to flaunt it, some niggas they want it want it
Some niggas they JOAN it JOAN it but I be fucked up up on it
WE’RE WIT the Mafia 6, and we ain’t bout that bullshit
If we gon’ get high we gon’ get high, and we gon’ HOUSE a bitch
Two niggas all at the mouth, two niggas all at the ass
And plus there’s some TYPE OF nigga
Dick hard all night and she cool with that
She popped her a pill of X, and drank on some orange juice
And just when you thought she WAS freakin’ she done got super loose
Niggas come in by threes and DEUCES, all in circles like duck-duck-goose
All that want it can bone it, she on that X and that tootie fruit
40 dollars for just one ounce ounce plus
TUSS & X is how its PRONOUNCED
Niggas sipping and dipping and tripping, man I’m bout all out
Sippin’ on some siz-erp, sip, sippin’ on some, sip (Repeat 4x)
[Juicy J]
People always asking me, “Me the Three 6 high on that”
Rolling on them X pills, STUTTERIN’ pu-pu-powder packs
Wuh-wuh-where the weed at, ain’t like that we need that
Nyquil will slow me down, something that keep me easy
Nothing like that yella yella that will have you itching mane
Talking like, “What’s up, fool?” Vocal chords sounding lame
In my days all we did was chief out on a quarter pound
Gone on coke, eyes are buck, this here shit’ll knock you down
Knock you out, make you fall asleep when you’re own them wheels
Ain’t no doubt, hit me when I beep for this refill
Once again, on my wicked high, gotta have that DRANK
Hear my name, Gino, I feel like I’m gone fucking faint
Houston (TX) Chronicle
10 February 2002, Houston (TX) Chronicle, pg. A37:
From Bayou City to `city of syrup’ / `Quiet epidemic’ of codeine abuse centered in Houston, officials say
By KRISTEN MACK
Staff
(...)
Codeine, like heroin, acts as a sedative. In most people, it turns into morphine when passed through the liver, according to epidemiologists. Common side effects include drowsiness and confusion.
On the street, codeine syrup is called “down,” “drank,” “nod” or “lean.” But it’s most commonly known as “syrup.”
alt.drugs.psychedelics
Newsgroups: alt.drugs.psychedelics
From: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (uNivErSaL)
Date: 11 Jul 2003 13:16:01 -0700
Local: Fri, Jul 11 2003 3:16 pm
Subject: More DXM Song Lyrics
From the same group that brought “sippin on some sizzurp.”
Artist: Three 6 Mafia f/ Lil’ Flip
Album: Da Unbreakables
Song: Rainbow Colors
[Chorus]
I got them rainbow colors in my cup
Jollyranchers man that shit be good as fuck
That’s that syrup motherfucker that’s that syrup (Gettin Blowed)
That’s that syrup motherfucker that’s that syrup (I’m Blowed)
[Verse One: Lil’ Flip]
Sippin on syrup cause I love to lean
I’m high as fuck cause I’m puffin green
And I got more amphetamines then Eckers and Walgreens
I get high, as I park my, park my drop on the curb
I’m smokin on that blueberry yeah I gots that good herb
And when you come to H-town just hit me on the phone (Hello)
And I’ma come and pick yall up and we gone smoke and zone (Where yall at)
Cause you know I got that good weed and I got that purple drank
Its one twenty for an eighth and two forty for a pint
Houston (TX) Chronicle
30 March 2006, Houston (TX) Chronicle, pg. B3:
Final two pharmacists sentenced in `syrup’ case / For filling phony prescriptions, they get prison terms of 10 and 12 years
By MELANIE MARKLEY
Staff
The final two of six Houston pharmacists convicted in October of conspiring to fill fake prescriptions for painkillers and codeine-laced cough syrup were handed prison sentences Wednesday.
John David Wiley III, 41, and Anthony Dwayne Essett, 39, were among the six pharmacists convicted of dispensing 2,500 gallons of promethazine with codeine, a highly addictive cough suppressant known on the street by such names as syrup, lean, purple and drank.
The trial helped illustrate why Houston became known as the “City of Syrup” among some members of America’s rap culture. The drug’s popularity even gave rise to a distinctive, Houston-bred style of rap music.
Houston (TX) Press
Houston Hip-Hop
Mike Watts and his stable of northside rappers take a southside legend’s style to the masses
By Roni Sarig
Published: March 22, 2007
(...)
Wall manages to catalog the entire scene in two verses, broken up by a wonderful chorus that collages classic Houston quotes (including Fat Pat’s line, “Third Coast born, that means we’re Texas raised”):
“What you know about swangers and vogues,
what you know about purple drank?
What you know about poppin’ trunk,
with neon lights and candy paint?
(...)
You can catch me ridin’ swang,
what you know about sippin’ syrup?
You don’t know about pourin’ it up,
purple drank so speech is slurred, ...
Houston (TX) Chronicle
20 October 2007, Houston (TX) Chronicle, pg. A1;
CODEINE-LACED COUGH SYRUP / Rapper’s death leads teens to re-evaluate lifestyle / Fans and friends wonder whether drug was a factor in his heart attack
By LESLIE CASIMIR
Staff
(...)
In the streets of southeast Houston, where Big Moe helped give birth to the music that helped put this city on the hip-hop map, his fans and friends alike are now wondering whether cough syrup abuse may have been a factor that led to his death on Sunday. The 33-year-old rapper immortalized Purple Drank, Lean, Sizzurp - monikers for the cough suppressant containing promethazine and codeine - in songs and drank the stuff for years.
(...)
The so-called codeine cocktail of cough syrup is made super sweet with candy, soda and ice. Its users have blamed it for causing weight gain, rotted teeth, urinary tract infections and constipation, said Al D, who has been drinking it for years. He says he gave up the stuff for good two months ago.
(...)
Since the late 1990s, codeine-laced cough syrup has enjoyed a resurgence with the popularity of Screw music, a distinctive sound of rap that has a slow and chopped-up melodic flow. Screw artists such as Big Moe, born Kenneth Moore, praised it for its euphoric effects, the remedy to a hard-knock life.