Rapper Dax on his hit ‘Dear Alcohol’

For Canadian rap artist Dax, his latest hit ‘Dear Alcohol’ started as a poem. It reflected his drinking habits once he moved to LA to become a full-time music artist. Many of us have written a letter to our demons during a time of change, a ‘Dear John’ letter that allows us to break up with our old relationship with alcohol. For Dax, this poem-turned-hit was his own swan song before turning to a more moderate, mindful way of looking at his own drinking patterns. He tells Laura about his journey to stardom, and how the pandemic gave him time to reflect on his new lifestyle.

How ‘Dear Alcohol’ came to be

As a new artist on the US rap scene, and having ‘escaped’ Canada for the bright lights of LA, Dax found that the music wasn’t his only full-time habit. With three or four music events to attend every day, and with alcohol in plentiful supply, Dax was soon drinking to pep himself up, and then to relax.  

‘I just found myself being more social, and more confident. So then it became a thing where it was almost like I wish I could be this super confident all the time. So I just felt like I was chasing him and trying to like bridge the gap between this super confident person when he’s drunk and my normal…shy self.’

And then the pandemic hits. Alone at home, Dax has time to reflect on his drinking habits. And ‘Dear Alcohol’ was born. Listen to ‘Dear Alcohol’ below:

Who is Dax?

Daniel Nwosu Jr is a Nigerian Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, and poet. He moved from his hometown of Ottowa, Canada, to Wichita, and then on to Los Angeles, to follow his dream of being a basketball star. In LA, he went to Newman University and played basketball for the Newman Jets, writing poetry as a side hobby during his Uni days. Initially, he didn’t take music seriously as a career, but after impressing his basketball friends with his rhymes, he began releasing his music on Soundcloud.

Now, Dax is an international star, with over 1.3 million followers on social media, and 2.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify. With ‘Dear Alcohol’, Dax has connected with the mindful drinking community in a way that a modern artist has not done in recent history. While he’s not saying he’ll never drink again, Dax has over 30 days of sobriety under his belt. We think that the bravery and openness of ‘Dear Alcohol’ make it an anthem for those struggling with alcohol, and the visibility of grey area drinking in rap is sure to make a huge impact on many people worldwide.

How to look at your own drinking habits just like Dax

If you’re inspired to follow your own moderate drinking journey, then why not take a look at our in-depth, guided course, How to Drink Mindfully? This online course will help you discover how to cut down your drinking, and include alcohol in your life in a way that helps you live well. Packed with detailed information, tools, and support, How to Drink Mindfully will help you change your drinking for good.

How to listen to other inspiring podcasts

Club Soda is a community of people drinking mindfully and living well. And the Club Soda podcast is a great way to discover what we are talking about. Our podcast is available on all your favourite podcasting platforms, like Apple, Google and Spotify. Subscribe today and get all our latest news, interviews and drinks reviews.