38 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • SEPTEMBER 2018
PRESS HEALTH
DOPE BEATS:
CONCERT FOR RECOVERY
By EDEN LAIKIN
Long Island native and former bad
boy Michael Lohan, father of actress
Lindsay Lohan, has joined forces with
a music producer to launch a nationwide
movement to promote anti-drug
abuse messages through music. And
he’s bringing it home.
He and an Atlanta-based partner
started a nonprofit called Recover
or Die America and are organizing
a hip-hop concert fundraiser for it in
Suffolk County. Proceeds will go toward
providing inpatient treatment
to uninsured people suffering from
substance abuse and addiction.
The event, to be held at the Amphitheater
at Bald Hill in Farmingville
on Sept. 29, is one leg of a national
tour. Recover or Die America (ROD) is
aimed at “education and awareness of
the devastating effects of opioid and
heroin abuse and curbing drug addiction
in the United States,” according
to its website.
Famed rappers Fat Joe and Rick
Ross are headlining the September
performance. They’re being joined
by Jacquees and 5ive Mics. Tickets
are available through Ticketmaster.
You might remember Bronx-born
Fat Joe’s “Lean Back” and his “What’s
Luv?” duet with Ashanti. And Ross’s
“Hustlin’” and “Hold me Back.”
Lohan says there will be surprise
celebrity appearances and speakers
in recovery at the event – before and
after the 7 p.m. main performance.
“We’re going to do whatever we can
to make sure that if someone wants
help – to get clean and sober – it’s
available to them,” Lohan says. “Come
down the day of the show and get connected.
There will be a surprise guest
you’ll all love to see.”
His partner, David “Showbiz”
Rosario, is a 28-year entertainment
management and marketing veteran
who says he has witnessed the
effects of substance abuse within the
entertainment industry. He says he’s
promoted performers including Boyz
II Men, Mariah Carey, Naughty by Nature
and Queen Latifah, to name a few.
“Artists’ songs made it cool to be
high, glorified it – and I’ve been the
Rapper Rick Ross is among the headliners for Recover or Die America’s Long Island concerts on Sept. 29 to
raise money for those in drug rehabilitation.
person pushing the message,” Rosario
says. “Perfect example. The rapper
Future had a song called Molly
Percoset. I promoted that album. It’s
about popping pills, being effed up.
And I’m the guy pushing the music.
I’m the pusher, the dope man.”
Rosario said realizing he’s part
of the problem caused him to think
about now becoming part of the
solution.
“That means taking that same
resume, same drive and same experience
and trying to push a positive
message,” he says.
According to its website, Recover
or Die is on a “mission to save lives,
families and the world.”
Since forming in November 2017,
the organization has been joined by
addiction specialists and representatives
from recovery centers across
the country. Among them are Tim Ryan,
recovery advocate and author of
From Dope to Hope and Pastor Jimmy
Jack from Teen Challenge.
Lohan said ROD has already become
so inundated with calls for help
accessing substance abuse treatment
that it’s had to open a call center to
field the requests. He says first and
foremost, ROD wants to help those
without health insurance, pregnant
women, and veterans get substance
abuse treatment. This means everything
from detox to rehab to long-term
treatment centers, aftercare or sober
living, and then on to job training
and placement. Applicants would be
vetted before a scholarship is granted.
THE
OPIOID
CRISIS
“The music industry has a big influence
on kids,” Rosario says. “The
music industry has made millions
off the suffering of these kids; it’s
time they give back. This is a way for
the hip-hop music industry to give
back. All these artists are drug free.
All want to be on board. It’s going to
take us bringing the artist and their
consumer together in concert.”
Lohan said he chose Long Island
because “it’s where I’m from.”
“We know how bad the problem is
here and it’s affected so many people
and families I know,” Lohan says. “We
want to bring people together to fight
this from the ground up.”
To reach an addiction specialist
associated with Recover or Die, 24/7,
call 855-222-8524.