Nearly 60% of top hip-hop music videos on YouTube contained nicotine or cannabis depictions, generating over 100 billion substance impressions
Analysis of 1,160 top YouTube music videos from 2024 found hip-hop/rap videos were 13 times more likely to depict nicotine or cannabis than other genres, with US videos favoring cannabis and German videos favoring nicotine.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
41% of all top music videos contained nicotine or cannabis depictions. Hip-hop/rap videos were dramatically more likely (59.5%) to contain substance depictions compared to other genres (10.1%, OR = 13.11). US hip-hop emphasized cannabis; German hip-hop emphasized nicotine. Estimated 57 billion nicotine and 49 billion cannabis impressions.
Key Numbers
1,160 videos. 479 (41%) contained substance depictions. Hip-hop/rap OR = 13.11 vs. other genres. 4,478 total occurrences. Estimated 57 billion nicotine and 49 billion cannabis impressions.
How They Did This
Content analysis of all German- and English-language videos from the 2024 YouTube Top 100 charts (n = 1,160). Videos categorized by genre and substance content. Occurrences counted. Exposure estimated by multiplying occurrences by March 2025 view counts.
Why This Research Matters
Music videos are among the most-consumed media by adolescents, and substance depictions are an established risk factor for youth initiation. The scale of exposure (over 100 billion impressions) represents a massive, unregulated channel for substance normalization.
The Bigger Picture
While tobacco advertising is heavily regulated, substance depictions in music videos reach billions of viewers with no age restrictions or warning labels.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Content analysis cannot prove viewer behavior changes. Impression estimates assume all viewers saw the depictions. No assessment of how depictions were framed. Single year of data.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would age restrictions or warning labels on substance-containing music videos reduce youth exposure?
- ?How do these depictions influence initiation?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 59.5% of hip-hop videos contained substance depictions vs. 10.1% of other genres
- Evidence Grade:
- Comprehensive content analysis with large sample, but cannot establish causal links between media depictions and behavior.
- Study Age:
- 2026 publication analyzing 2024 YouTube data
- Original Title:
- Depictions of Nicotine and Cannabis in Popular US and German Hip-Hop/Rap Music Videos: A YouTube Top 100 Content Analysis.
- Published In:
- Substance use & misuse, 1-5 (2026)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-08506
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Do music videos cause young people to use substances?
This study measured depictions and exposure, not behavioral outcomes. Prior research has established media substance depictions as a risk factor for youth initiation.
Why is cannabis more common in US videos?
Cultural normalization of cannabis in the US, including expanding legalization, likely influences how frequently artists depict it.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-08506APA
Morgenstern, Matthis; Süßkow, Eddy; Neumann, Clemens; Hanewinkel, Reiner. (2026). Depictions of Nicotine and Cannabis in Popular US and German Hip-Hop/Rap Music Videos: A YouTube Top 100 Content Analysis.. Substance use & misuse, 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2025.2611414
MLA
Morgenstern, Matthis, et al. "Depictions of Nicotine and Cannabis in Popular US and German Hip-Hop/Rap Music Videos: A YouTube Top 100 Content Analysis.." Substance use & misuse, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2025.2611414
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Depictions of Nicotine and Cannabis in Popular US and German..." RTHC-08506. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/morgenstern-2026-depictions-of-nicotine-and
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.