It’s no secret how integral a role weed has played in the world of Hip-Hop. Rappers have dedicated songs, albums, even their image to their favorite girl, Mary Jane, due to the herb’s ability to spark creative genius in aiding studio sessions. It also has an extensive history of being a lucrative, but illegal product on the street.
As archaic lawmakers continue to criminalize the drug on the federal level, relaxed laws on the state level have safeguarded consumers, growers, and sellers from incurring charges that would otherwise land them behind bars. As reported in Esquire, 11 states, plus Washington D.C., have fully legalized recreational and medical weed while 22 states juggle a mixed approach between legalizing only medicinal marijuana and decriminalization.
Nevertheless, relaxed laws mean folks with exclusive connections and a knack for entrepreneurship can make serious bank in the weed business without risking their freedom. In Colorado alone, marijuana generated over $1 billion in state revenue since legalization in 2014. What rapper doesn’t want to get into that type of green?
Here’s a list of rappers getting into the retail side of the marijuana business.
1. Jay-Z
Shawn Carter is officially slanging product again– legally, of course.
Last week the “Entrepreneur” rapper announced his new cannabis brand Monogram to the world accompanied by a Tidal playlist called “Monogram: Sounds from the Grow Room.”
Since 2019, the Roc Nation mogul worked behind the scenes as Chief Brand Strategist of Calvia, but we all should have seen his next move of a brand launch a mile away.
2. 2 Chainz
2 Chainz went legit in the weed business after launching Gas Cannabisin 2018. Green Street Agency, who’s helped Snoop Dogg, The Game, Cypress Hill, Rae Sremmurd with their own launches, partnered with the Atlanta rapper to roll out his first group of products including a line of pre-rolled joints, three strains of flower, edibles, and topicals.
When celebrity jeweler Alex Todd founded Saucey Farms and Extracts, he prioritized selling premium products for recreational users. Focused on high-quality, it was a no-brainer to partner with Dipset rapper Jim Jones to launch CAPO, a brand specialized in pre-rolled blunts. The leaf used is infused with a flavorful tea-leaf mixture wrapped in full-spectrum and finished with a coating kief. “The weed business is actually harder than most others,” Jones told Forbes. “To get an A+ quality product you need a lot of things: you gotta have the right growers, gotta have the right people that know science, you gotta have the right cutters, you gotta have the right trimmers… You gotta have all these different components to get the right product… and you would never think of that when you’re just smoking weed.” Rest assured, Capo has a hands-on approach with his namesake brand.
4. Cam'ron
Capo isn’t the only member of The Diplomats dabbling in the weed business.
In June of this year, Cam’ron and GFive Cultivation launched a line of premium Sativa-forward hybrid strain called Pynk Mynk. According to Harlem World Magazine, “Pynk Mynk is a light green in color with pink accents and is saturated in a high production of trichomes. The one-of-a-kind Sativa hybrid boasts a sweet citrusy flavor and spicy woody aroma and offers an energetic feel.”
The strain is currently sold in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
Earlier this year, Dade County’s own launched his cannabis brand called Collins Ave in partnership with Cookies, a premier cannabis company launched by Bay Area rapper turned entrepreneur Berner.
The infused cookies line has three specially curated strains inspired by Rick Ross’ own identity: Collins Ave (an Indica strain), Pink Rozay (hybrid), and “Lemon Pepper” (Sativa). Customers interested in copping the products can catch it sold at dispensaries in Oakland, Detroit, Portland, Illinois, Michigan, and Oregon.
6. Wiz Khalifa
What started being a hobby for the Grammy-nominated rapper has slowly evolved into an empire, thanks to a string of lucrative partnerships across the cannabis market. Since 2014, the “Kush and Orange juice” lyricist has launched his own line of rolling papers with Raw, created a new strain of flower called Khalifia Kush, curated an entire line of cannabis products with Colorado-based dispensary RiverRock, and ventured into the Canadian market to release infused oils. All legally, of course.
Trees By Game is a cannabis brand launched by The Game, in a partnership with Vertical, to offer weed enthusiasts an assortment of product that includes flower, sealed weed bags, and pre-rolls.
In addition to his own products, West Coast rapper doubles as a brand ambassador for G Brands to promote their line of G Sticks (pre-rolls) and G Drinks (infused lemonades).
In August, Memphis rapper and Three 6 Mafia legend Juicy J synchronized the announcement of his feature-heavy solo album The Hustle Continues with the reveal of his new cannabis brand Asterisk*. Unlike other brands, smokers can cop merchandise along with their greenery.
9. Waka Flocka
Waka Flocka has never held his love for weed a secret. He even offered $50,000 salary to anyone with serious rolling skills. But, true fans of the “No Hands” rapper have been smoking his Flockaveli OG strain in his limited edition 14 Inch Straight Ice Bong since it’s launch in 2016.
These days, you can find him pushing a new line of products for Vitafusion: CBD Full Spectrum Hemp Extract gummies.
10. Freddie Gibbs
Earlier this year Freddie Gibbs teamed up with Passiflora to launch his own cannabis strain called “Alfredo OG.” Named after his well-received album, the product is wrapped with the same illustrations of a pasta dish found on the LP. In 2015 Gibbs and Loompa Farms launched the “Freddie Kane OG” strain.
In 2019, Drake expanded his multi-verticle empire to launch his own cannabis wellness company aptly called More Life Growth Company in partnership with Canopy Growth Corp. Unfortunately, COVID halted product rollouts leaving Drizzy’s weed venture on the brink of a crisis. Canopy’s CEO is working on a restructuring plan to salvage the deal, but it may be a long shot at this point.
“I would say that [More Life] has not been progressing as originally intended and we’re still working on details to determine where it goes,” Klein, who formally took on the CEO role in January, told BNN Bloomberg in a phone interview.
“It may be something that can’t get to where we all want it to go. In many regards, at its essence, it’s almost a real estate play where More Life is going to do a lot of activity on cannabis destinations. I don’t know if that still fits anybody’s way of thinking, at least in the COVID world.”
