East Coast or West Coast, Old-School or New-School—there are plenty of stances you can take when it comes to rap music. But it’s hard to ignore the significance of cannabis in hip-hop culture.
Today, the number of weed-loving rappers we could mention in an article like this is sky-high. And chances are, weed’s roots in hip-hop culture have been there since the beginning. Can’t you imagine a few people bopping along to the music at DJ Kool Herc’s 1973 Back-To-School Jam (regarded the birthplace of hip-hop culture) with a joint or blunt in hand? Fast-forward 50+ years and many of hip-hop’s biggest icons are open consumers and advocates for the herb—sometimes for deeply spiritual reasons.
So, who is it that’s keeping the flame in weed and hip-hop’s love affair well-lit? Below, we shine a light on some of hip-hop’s most influential weed-loving icons. And if you’re intent on toking along with them, make sure to check out the **favorite strains of some of the hip-hop elites mentioned here.
**favorite strains of the hip-hop elites – https://www.zamnesia.com/us/blog-10-favourite-cannabis-strains-hip-hop-elite-n1794
Snoop Dogg
No list of cannabis-loving rappers would be complete without a mention of The Doggfather. Easily one of the most influential rap artists of all time, Snoop’s been working weed into his West Coast rhymes ever since his guest appearance on Dr. Dre’s debut 1992 single “Deep Cover.”
But Snoop doesn’t just rap about weed—he makes bank with it, too. In 2015, he invested in Eaze (California’s “Uber Eats of cannabis”) and started Merry Jane—his own branch of cannabis media. That same year, he also launched Leafs by Snoop, which he called “the first mainstream cannabis brand in the world.”
In interviews, on stage, or at home, you’ll be hard-pressed to find Snoop without a blunt burning in his hand. In an interview for TechCrunch, he says that his love for weed is driven by the peace it produces. “Every time I’ve been around it, I’ve seen beautiful things happen. I’ve seen people manifest love, peace, happiness, and harmony,” Snoop said (TechCrunch, 2015).
B-Real
Like Snoop, it’s impossible to leave Cypress Hill’s B-Real off any list of iconic rappers—let alone weed-loving ones. Since his debut releases alongside Sen Dog and DJ Muggs, B-Real has been slinging rhymes about weed. He is also involved in multiple cannabis business ventures, including Dr. Greenthumb’s, BREALTV, Insane Cannabis, and Phuncky Feel Tips.
But despite being considered a High Priest of Cannabis, B-Real’s relationship with weed is much less romantic than you might expect. In an interview with Christina Rowatt for Into The Void (2024), B-Real has confessed that, though he consumed cannabis at a young age, it didn’t become part of his life till later. “It wasn’t based out of activism or advocacy, it was us being mischievous kids hanging out with older kids that were slightly more advanced than we were,” he said.
While B-Real uses cannabis to meditate and enhance other aspects of his life, he says he’s never wanted to rely on it for creative purposes. “If I’m leaning on cannabis to be creative, what happens if there’s no cannabis?”, he said.
Wiz Khalifa
Wiz Khalifa has never once tried to hide his love for cannabis. Weed is a part of his lyrics, brand, and lifestyle—so much so that he even developed Khalifa Kush, his own cannabis brand with a namesake strain packing velvety Kush aromas and a creative, cerebral high.
Countless interviews have touched on how much Wiz smokes a day (close to a pound, apparently) and how much that costs him—up to $10,000 a month when he’s traveling. But it was on the Joe Rogan Experience where the famous rapper first opened up about when and how he started smoking (PowerfulJRE, 2019). “I started when I was 16,” Wiz said. “It actually helped me get through high school.”
In other interviews, he’s also confessed that cannabis has become an important player in his creative process, helping to keep him inspired and make his musical ideas a reality. Outside of his music, Wiz also says that weed helps to fuel his mental and physical health by keeping him connected to his workouts, diet, and even martial arts.
Curren$y
“Everything I’ve pretty much done since I’ve been successful or gotten any kind of notoriety in music, I was probably stoned the whole time,” says Southern Rap Poster Boy Curren$y in an interview with Monogram’s HIGH TALES (2021). And he’s not exaggerating; it’s hard to find a Curren$y verse that doesn’t mention blazing. Why? Simply because it’s a huge part of his life.
Asked about his prolific musical output and writer’s block, Curren$y told GQ, “When you rapping about s*** you not really doing, you get writers’ block. I only rap about what I’m doing so I kind of been making the same song for **** four years. I rap about driving around in old Chevys, smoking weed, watching old movies, eating snacks, surfing the Internet,” (2011).
But that’s not really all Curren$y gets up to—he has countless business ventures, including an apparel brand and even his own line of THC soda. Besides simply being part of his daily ritual, Curren$y says weed has helped him make major connections in the rap game, contributing to his present success.
References:
Barshad, A. (2011, July 27). Curren$y: The secret chief of rap’s weed wing. GQ. https://www.gq.com/story/currensy-interview-covert-coup
Christina Rowatt. (2024). B Real (Cypress Hill) on Mental Health, Cannabis Culture, Black Sunday Stories & Overcoming Anger [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeVgjeBulrI
MONOGRAM. (2021). HIGH TALES: Curren$y [Video]. YouTube.
PowerfulJRE (2019). Joe Rogan Experience #1306 – Wiz Khalifa. [Video]. YouTube.
TechCrunch. (2015). Why does Snoop Dogg like cannabis so much? [Video]. YouTube.