At 21 years old, rapper Lil Peep committed suicide via a drug overdose. After death, he has received more social media attention and criticism than ever before. Although seemingly unimportant, the nature of Lil Peep’s death raises questions about how we as a society approach drug use, mental health, and suicide. Emma Ludman, an AMHS senior, saw Lil Peep as “the first of his kind” and believes that through expressing themes of depression, he may have “given voice to people who felt like they couldn’t relate to anyone else.” Leading up to his suicide, Lil Peep tweeted and frequently commented on social media about his depression and suicidal thoughts, although some argue that these cries for help were not well received by fans. Despite the clear symptoms of depression he presented, his drug use tainted the perception of his death. Senior Ian Stadtmueller notes him as “irresponsible” and “stupid” and believes he “deserved it,” indicating a disapproval for his drug use and lack of sympathy for his suicide because of it. Also recognizing his drug use problem, senior Chase Michaelsen describes him as an “addict” but argues that he could have gotten help and that, hopefully, the aftermath of his suicide will provide us with lessons to learn from.

Despite gaining attention after death, many students claim they have never heard his music and only know him for his suicide; as freshman Sophie Ludman claims she “has never heard his music.” Similarly, seniors Belle and Nahom are unfamiliar with his rap game although they frown upon his relationship with Bella Thorne, a social media personality. Generally, students are upset with the suicide of such a young person despite not knowing much about him. Moving forward, we should all keep this unfortunate event in mind and urge anyone potentially contemplating suicide to seek help.