The Dual Meaning Of 'Blue Strips': From Pop Culture Slang To A Public Health Warning

The phrase "blue strips" has exploded in popularity in late 2024 and 2025, but its meaning is surprisingly two-fold, encompassing both a viral pop culture reference to money and a critical, life-saving term in public health. As of December 15, 2025, this term is primarily recognized by millions of music fans as high-value slang, thanks to a chart-topping track, yet its other context involves a deadly synthetic opioid and crucial harm reduction efforts. Understanding which "blue strips" are being discussed is essential, as the difference separates a catchy lyric from a serious health warning.

This deep dive will break down the two dominant, and vastly different, interpretations of "blue strips," revealing how a single phrase can occupy such contrasting spaces in modern society. We will explore its origins in US currency, its cementing in the music industry, and its vital role in the ongoing public health crisis involving illicit substances.

1. The Pop Culture Phenomenon: 'Blue Strips' as High-Value Slang

The most widely recognized, and certainly the most glamorous, interpretation of "blue strips" is a contemporary slang term for a significant amount of money, specifically referring to the United States $100 bill, or a "Benjamin." This meaning is directly derived from a prominent security feature on the newer hundred-dollar notes.

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The Origin: The Security Ribbon on the Benjamin

The US Bureau of Engraving and Printing introduced a distinctive 3-D security ribbon on the redesigned $100 bill in 2013 to combat counterfeiting. This woven blue ribbon, which contains images of bells and the number "100" that move and change appearance when the note is tilted, is the literal "blue strip." The slang term is a quick, visual shorthand for a high-denomination bill, representing wealth, luxury, and power. The use of this slang is a natural evolution from older terms like "Benjamins" or "C-notes."

In hip-hop and trap music culture, where discussions of wealth and conspicuous spending are common lyrical themes, "blue strips" has been adopted as a potent symbol. It’s a modern, visually descriptive way to reference stacks of cash. The term is often used to convey financial independence or a carefree attitude toward spending.

Jessie Murph and the 'Blue Strips' Anthem

The term was undeniably cemented in mainstream consciousness by the massive success of the 2025 hit song "Blue Strips" by American singer-songwriter Jessie Murph. The track, which blends elements of country, pop, and trap music, became an anthem of post-breakup empowerment and financial freedom.

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• Lyrical Context: Murph uses the phrase to describe throwing $100 bills at a strip club as a defiant act of independence after a relationship ends, directly linking the "blue strips" to lavish spending and emotional revenge.
• Impact: The song’s popularity, including a high-profile remix featuring rapper Sexyy Red, propelled the term far beyond niche slang into the everyday lexicon of millions of listeners.
• Thematic Entities: The song’s themes revolve around empowerment, revenge, financial freedom, strip clubs, and Benjamins, all tied together by the visual of the blue security ribbon.

This context of "blue strips" is purely about money and cultural cachet, dominating music news and social media discussions throughout 2025, and earning Murph significant recognition, including a 2025 ACM New Artist nomination.

2. The Critical Public Health Context: 'Blue Strips' and Fentanyl Safety

In stark contrast to its musical meaning, "blue strips" also carries a critical, life-saving meaning within the context of harm reduction and the ongoing opioid crisis. In this scenario, the term refers to fentanyl test strips—small, inexpensive tools used to detect the presence of the potent synthetic opioid fentanyl in illicit drug supplies.

Fentanyl Test Strips: A Life-Saving Tool

Fentanyl is a drug 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, and its presence in counterfeit pills and other street drugs is a major driver of overdose deaths. Fentanyl test strips are a crucial tool for users to check their substances before consumption.

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The "blue strips" reference here can mean two things:

• The Strip Itself: The test strips often have a dark blue or light blue line/mark on one end, which is the part to be held or dipped into the drug mixture.
• The Results Line: The test results are determined by the appearance of colored lines. While the colors can vary slightly by brand, a common configuration is:
  • One Line (Positive): Indicates that fentanyl has been detected in the sample.
  • Two Lines (Negative): Indicates that no fentanyl was detected.
  The blue line or marking serves as a guide for how far to dip the strip or as a point of reference for the control line.

This interpretation highlights a profound public health issue. These strips are a key component of drug checking and overdose prevention efforts across the United States and other countries battling the crisis. Public health entities, including the Baltimore Bloomberg American Health Initiative and state-level programs like Save Lives Oregon, actively promote the use of these strips to reduce fatalities.

The discussion around these strips involves key entities such as naloxone (Narcan), synthetic opioids, illicit drugs, harm reduction, and overdose deaths. The availability and legality of fentanyl test strips have been a significant legislative and public health topic in recent years, making this a highly current and critical context for the term "blue strips."

3. Navigating the Contextual Divide: Slang vs. Safety

The stark difference between a term for money and a term for drug safety underscores the fragmentation of modern language and culture. The phrase "blue strips" acts as a powerful example of how context completely dictates meaning, requiring the listener or reader to be aware of the surrounding conversation.

Topical Authority and Contextual Clues

To determine which "blue strips" is being referenced, one must look at the surrounding entities and themes:

• Music/Financial Context: If the conversation involves Jessie Murph, Sexyy Red, strip clubs, Malibu, mansion, cash flow, or Benjamins, the reference is almost certainly to $100 bills. The term is a symbol of status and success.
• Health/Safety Context: If the discussion includes terms like fentanyl, opioids, overdose, naloxone, drug checking, public health, or harm reduction, the reference is to the life-saving test strips. The term is a symbol of risk and prevention.

This linguistic duality is not uncommon, but the high-stakes nature of the public health meaning makes the distinction particularly important. While one context is a celebration of wealth, the other is a desperate measure to save a life from a powerful and often deadly substance.

The Broader Impact of Modern Slang

The rapid adoption of "blue strips" highlights how quickly new slang terms can move from niche use (like the drug culture or specific music genres) into the mainstream. Jessie Murph's ability to merge country-inspired melodies with trap elements and slang accelerated the term's journey, making it a ubiquitous part of the contemporary lexicon.

Furthermore, the term "blue strips" is often interchangeable with similar slang terms for money, such as "blue cheese," which also references the blue strip on the $100 bill. The rise of such visual slang reflects an increasingly image-driven culture where the physical characteristics of currency become as important as its value. Whether you are discussing the latest music charts or the most urgent public health initiatives, the context is everything when deciphering the meaning of "blue strips."