# OxyContin, Graffiti, and a Second Chance | J-Mac

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/rideout-the-other-side-of-hard-7580822/oxycontin-graffiti-and-a-second-chance-j-mac
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/rideout-the-other-side-of-hard-7580822/oxycontin-graffiti-and-a-second-chance-j-mac.md
Podcast: [RIDEOUT: The Other Side of Hard](https://stenobird.com/podcast/rideout-the-other-side-of-hard-7580822)
Published: 2026-05-20T08:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/SCIM7729165741.mp3
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/SCIM7729165741.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/rideout-the-other-side-of-hard-7580822/episodes/oxycontin-graffiti-and-a-second-chance-j-mac
Duration seconds: 5912

## Resource

Jason “J-Mac” McDonald grew up moving between Malden, Medford, Chelsea, East Boston, and Revere. Bullied, angry, and constantly trying to fit in, he found identity in graffiti, hip-hop, stealing, and eventually drugs. What started as tagging trains and shoplifting turned into OxyContin, heroin, violence, overdoses, and years of addiction that nearly killed him. This conversation goes deep into Boston street culture in the late 90s and early 2000s — graffiti wars, robberies, fights, train yards, addiction, and the opioid epidemic that destroyed an entire generation. But this isn’t just a story about drugs. It’s about fear.Fear of not being enough.Fear of being judged.Fear of changing. J-Mac talks openly about heroin addiction, relapse after eight years sober, losing friends to fentanyl, getting arrested while living in sober housing, and the moment that finally forced him to rebuild his life for good. Today, he’s sober, works in recovery helping addicts rebuild their lives, speaks in jails and treatment centers, and has turned his graffiti roots into a legitimate art career through murals, canvases, and custom work across New England. This is one of the rawest Boston episodes we’ve done. Thank you to our sponsors Ketone-IQ: ⁠ketone.com/rideout Code “RIDEOUT” Timeline: timeline.com/rideout Code "RIDEOUT" Ken’s book now available here: https://www.theothersideofhard.com/ Chapters (00:00) Meet J Mac (00:28) From Graffiti to Fine Art (02:37) Boston Roots and Opioids (04:19) Fear and Moving Around (06:50) Graffiti Alter Ego (08:47) Sponsor Break (09:37) Seventh Grade Heist Story (15:10) Sneakers and Peer Pressure (17:33) Haters and Self Belief (19:22) Recovery and Connection (24:02) High School Riot and Dad (28:16) First Opiates and Creativity (30:43) Hustles and Shoplifting…

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