Lean, also known as purple drank, sizzurp, and a few other names, is a concoction of cough syrup containing codeine and promethazine mixed with soda that originated in Houston hip-hop culture in the 1990s.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: Pitbull lean refers to a variation of lean that uses recipes and ingredients preferred by the rapper Pitbull.
In this comprehensive guide, we will explore everything you need to know about pitbull lean, including its history, ingredients, effects, legality, and potential dangers.
What Exactly is Pitbull Lean?
Basic Recipe and Ingredients
Pitbull Lean, sometimes called “sizzurp” or “purple drank,” is a recreational drug cocktail made by mixing prescription strength cough syrup containing codeine and promethazine with soft drinks like Sprite or Mountain Dew.
The basic recipe calls for a 2 liter bottle of soda combined with 4-8 ounces of cough syrup.
The key active ingredients in the cough syrup are:
- Codeine – An opiate drug that produces feelings of euphoria and relaxation.
- Promethazine – An antihistamine with sedative effects.
When mixed with soda, these substances can produce a euphoric high characterized by drowsiness, dissociation, and lowered inhibition. However, consuming too much can also lead to dangerous effects like suppressed breathing, seizures, coma, or even death.
How it Got its Name
The “lean” name comes from the common side effect of muscle weakness induced by the codeine, causing users to lose motor coordination and “lean” when trying to stand up. The “pit bull” part likely refers to the stereotype of pit bulls being aggressive, tenacious dogs – an analogy for the drink’s potency.
Rapper Three 6 Mafia coined the specific “purple stuff” nickname in their 2000 single “Sippin’ on Some Syrup,” referring to the purple hue of their mixed drink. Over time, these terms were combined into the signature name “purple drank” and the variant “pitbull lean.”
Effects and Dangers of Pitbull Lean
Desired Effects
Pitbull Lean, also known as sizzurp or purple drank, is a recreational drug concoction made by combining prescription cough syrup containing codeine and promethazine with a soft drink like Sprite or Mountain Dew.
The desired effects of drinking lean include feelings of euphoria, relaxation, and pain relief due to the codeine. The promethazine adds a dissociative, psychedelic effect as well. Some lean users report feeling energized, happy, chilled out, and having an overall sense of well-being after sipping lean.
Negative Side Effects and Dangers
While the relaxed high feeling may seem desirable, lean poses many risks and negative effects on health. Some common side effects of sipping lean include:
- Drowsiness
- Difficulty concentrating
- Impaired motor skills and balance
- Nausea and vomiting
- Constipation
- Slowed breathing
- Itching
Drinking lean, especially in large amounts, can be extremely dangerous with potentially fatal consequences. Some dangers associated with lean include:
- Respiratory depression – Lean slows breathing rate, which can lead to coma or death from respiratory arrest.
- Seizures
- Irregular heartbeat
- Liver damage
- Kidney failure
- Fatal overdose
Additionally, lean poses a high risk for addiction due to the codeine content. With frequent use, tolerance builds rapidly, leading to increased dosage and dependence. Lean addiction can cause financial issues, family and work problems, declines in health, and much more.
Popularity and Influences in Hip Hop Culture
Houston Origins and Pioneers
The chopped and screwed music style originated in Houston, Texas in the early 1990s. DJ Screw is credited with pioneering the technique of slowing down and remixing hip hop songs to create a chopped and screwed sound.
Screw began experimenting with turntables and mix tapes, slowing tracks down to between 60 and 70 beats per minute and layering remixes that emphasized repetition and distortion effects. This new hip hop subgenre spread locally through Screw’s mixtapes and car culture in Houston.
Early adopters and promoters included rappers from Houston’s Southside neighborhood like Lil’ Keke, Big Moe, Z-Ro, Trae tha Truth, and Big Pokey who popularized the chopped and screwed sound through their albums and mixtape collaborations with DJ Screw.
The chopped and screwed music scene was also heavily associated with recreational drug culture, specifically codeine cough syrup mixed with soda to create “lean” or “purple drank.” DJ Screw himself was known to consume lean, which resulted in the characteristic slowed down, drowsy sound and permeated the lyrical content and album art of early chopped and screwed tracks.
After Screw’s death in 2000, many other Texas DJs continued releasing their own chopped and screwed mixes and the genre spread beyond Houston, influencing southern hip hop artists throughout the 2000s.
Influence on Hip Hop Artists Like Pitbull
While chopped and screwed originated in Houston, the sound has spread and influenced mainstream hip hop artists from outside the region. Miami rapper Pitbull is one artist who has experimented with the chopped and screwed remix style. In 2007, Pitbull released chopped and screwed remixes of his album The Boatlift.
These remixes slowed down songs like “Secret Admirer” and featured chopped verses and distorted beats. The remixed album The Boatlift Chopped & Screwed blended Pitbull’s Latin hip hop style with the slowed down sound of Houston artists like DJ Screw.
The remix project highlighted Pitbull’s southern hip hop influences and connection to the broader Dirty South rap scene.
More recently, in 2020 Pitbull again embraced chopped and screwed culture with remix releases of his I Believe That We Will Win and Don’t Stop the Party singles. He collaborated with Houston native DJ Buddhakii to create official chopped and screwed versions of the tracks.
The remixes gained significant popularity on streaming platforms like Spotify. Pitbull is one of many contemporary rappers outside Houston who have incorporated chopped and screwed elements into their music.
This ongoing influence demonstrates the subgenre’s widespread appeal and importance within hip hop culture. However, the sound remains deeply associated with Houston DJs who pioneered the remixing technique in the 1990s.
Legality and Availability of Promethazine Codeine
Legal Status in the United States
Promethazine with codeine cough syrup is a prescription-only medication in the United States. It is classified as a Schedule V controlled substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). This means it has a recognized medical use but also carries abuse and dependence potential.
Other Schedule V substances include certain narcotic preparations like lacrisert, paregoric, and lyrica.
Doctors may prescribe promethazine with codeine syrup for short-term relief of cough and upper respiratory symptoms associated with allergies or the common cold. However, its use should be limited to situations where other alternatives are inadequate.
Prolonged use or doses higher than recommended can lead to dependence.
It is illegal to use, buy, possess, or sell promethazine cough syrup without a valid prescription. Those caught doing so may face criminal charges like fines or even jail time. The DEA has ramped up enforcement efforts against illegal diversion and abuse of prescription cough syrup containing codeine in recent years.
Purchasing and Accessing the Ingredients
Promethazine is an over-the-counter antihistamine that can be purchased under brand names like Phenergan. However, codeine is a controlled opiate narcotic that requires a doctor’s prescription.
Still, some try to improperly obtain codeine by exaggerating their symptoms to doctors to get it prescribed. Others use forged prescriptions. A small minority might even steal it from pharmacies.
That said, most abusers get the cough syrup through the following methods:
- Purchasing it from others – Friends, relatives, dealers, etc.
- “Doctor shopping” to get multiple prescriptions from various physicians
- Ordering online or requesting delivery through the darknet
- Purchasing from unscrupulous pharmacists willing to sell it without prescription
- Smuggling or importing from other countries at lower costs
According to a 2013 study, most abusers get codeine cough syrup through their social circle – about 70% obtained it from friends and relatives for free. Far fewer purchased it from a drug dealer or stranger. This highlights the dangers of doctor over-prescription and diversion from those with legitimate medical needs.
Conclusion
While lean originated as a mix enjoyed recreationally in the Houston hip-hop scene, its popularity has spread across the country despite the dangerous effects of mixing prescription cough syrup with soda.
Some artists, like Pitbull, have developed their own signature concoctions which fans seek to recreate. However, the illegality and dangers of lean should not be ignored. This article has provided an in-depth exploration of the history, composition, effects, legality and culture around pitbull lean.
