JAY-Z and his cannabis company, Monogram, reportedly quietly backed out of business with its affiliate, The Parent Company (TPCO), before SFGate reported that it suffered over $500 million in losses in 2022, earlier this week. “JAY-Z stepped away years ago and it just went up in a mess,” a source told TMZ Hip-Hop on Tuesday.
Beginning in 2020, Monogram attempted to sell patrons a luxury cannabis experience and, as cannabis expert Seth Yakatan told SFGate, spent “mind-boggling amounts of money” to do so. The brand had features published in GQ, Vogue, and Vanity Fair. It also worked on marketing campaigns with iconic director Hype Williams. In the overpopulated California market, however, Monogram struggled to sell its pricey $50 pre-rolls. “Monogram was supposed to be an ultra-premium product, and I don’t know anyone who tried it and thought it was anything more than mid-tier,” Yakatan said. As for The Parent Company, it has since been absorbed by another company, Gold Flora. The new company has reportedly suffered losses of $56 million this year.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 18: (L-R) Michael Rubin and JAY-Z enjoying his Iconic The 40/40 Club in partnership with Fanatics Sportsbook at the center of Fanatics Fest NYC at Jacob Javits Center on August 18, 2024, in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Fanatics)
When the huge losses were initially reported, they came as a surprise to many fans of the hip-hop mogul who boasts a net worth of over $2.5 billion, according to Forbes. Through his work with Roc Nation, JAY-Z has built an impressive reputation for having great business acumen. He became hip-hop’s first billionaire in 2019.
JAY-Z & Monogram Work With Hype Williams
In other news, JAY-Z announced earlier this week that he’s releasing a coffee table book, The Book of HOV: A Tribute To JAY-Z. Roc Nation and luxury publisher Assouline collaborated on the 432-page project. Check out one of the ad campaigns for Monogram below.
An investment company representing 2 Chainz has filed a lawsuit against a dispensary shop called Pineapple Express Hollywood in Los Angeles Superior Court. They claim the cannabis company scammed him out of $1.5 million that he put into the opening of the store. It was originally supposed to open by April 2021, but a series of delays occurred and caused that date to be pushed back to March 2022. When he made the investment, 2 Chainz claims he was given the option to withdraw 110% of his money with 30 days’ notice.
The lawsuit states that the company failed to comply with the investment group’s request for a return of the investment in May of that year. Eventually, in that December, Chainz personally reached out to co-founder Vincent Zadeh to inquire about the delay. Zadeh apparently told him his return agreement would no longer be honored. According to Hot 97, several other investors and business partners have already taken legal action against Zadeh for his dealings. In one instance, the firm is accused of never filing its income taxes and owing nearly $1.69 million in back taxes.
2 Chainz Performs During A-Town Music Festival In Georgia
SOUTH FULTON, GEORGIA – AUGUST 03: Rapper 2 Chainz performs onstage during the A-Town. Music Festival at Wolf Creek Amphitheater on August 03, 2024, in South Fulton, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
Pineapple Express co-founder, Matthew Feinstein, told the SFGATE that the lawsuit is inaccurate and they don’t owe the rapper anything. While the location has since closed, they plan on reopening in September. In 2 Chainz’s lawsuit, he notes that Snoop Dogg’s tour manager Damien Roderick introduced him to the company. He has yet to comment on the lawsuit publically.
In other news, 2 Chainz recently made an appearance on Denzel Curry’s latest album, King Of The Mischievous South Vol. 2, for the song, “G/Z UP.” Be on the lookout for further updates on 2 Chainz on HotNewHipHop.
Happy 4/20 Day. To commemorate cannabis culture, it’s important to understand the strides that the agricultural business has made. Marijuana is still considered illegal on a federal level, but get this: it is legal in most states for medical or recreational use.
Just in November 2023, voters in Ohio chose to make cannabis the 24th state to approve recreational use of marijuana. What’s interesting is the conservative state of Florida will vote on recreational use in November. In 38 states, including Washington, DC, voters and/or legislators have approved some form of cannabis program.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear signed a law in late March to legalize medical use in the deeply red state, which will remain in effect until 2025. Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia have passed adult recreational use policies as law.
There is a lot of gray area regarding legalization policies across medical and recreational. There is much variance between the states regarding the complex nature of regulation and taxation. For example, when it comes to D.C., Congress stopped legal sales, so possession is allowed, but sales are not, technically. That’s weird, but some say it is progress. Now, other states are rolling that way, pun intended, and allowing for small amounts for medicinal use, under strictly mandated situations.
California was the first state to legalize medical cannabis. But it wasn’t until 2012 that Washington and Colorado became the first states to approve legal recreational use.
Since then, the majority of Americans have been increasingly supportive of legal cannabis measures. In 2022, President Joe Biden pardoned a wide range of individuals convicted for simple possession under federal law. He also ordered an official look at marijuana’s status as a Schedule I drug. Schedule I drugs, under federal law, do not have legitimate medical use. If the federal laws reverse this, then that will be a game changer that some believe is long overdue.
Ask your parents (heck, even your grandparents) to say one thing they know about Snoop Dogg, and they’ll probably mention that he smokes a lot of weed. The question, though, is how much?
How Much Weed Does Snoop Dogg Smoke Per Day?
The answer has a bit of history to it.
In a 2013 Q&A on Twitter (now X), Snoop said that he smokes 81 blunts in a day.
81 in a day – do tha math ! #snoopchat RT: @KaylaBradley1 How many blunts do you smoke in one hour? @SnoopDogg#snoopchat
In 2022, Snoop’s personal blunt roller (that’s a thing, yes) backed up that number: In an interview, she was asked how many joints she has rolled for the rapper since working for him and she answered, “I calculate it at over 450,000. I do about half a pound a day, which is 75 to 150 joints.”
However, Snoop refuted that claim shortly after. In a video shared on Instagram, Snoop said, “B*tch said I smoke 450,000… b*tch, this is all in a day’s work. Stop lyin’. [How the] f*ck am I gonna smoke all that weed in one day? What am I, a f*ckin’ machine? B*tch, this is the roaches. See? Roaches.” In frame was a pile of ten roaches.
So, it might be the case that while the lofty numbers used to be true, Snoop has perhaps toned down his usage in recent years and is closer to ten blunts per day.
Last month, when Snoop Dogg said he was “giving up smoke,” some more skeptical commentators speculated that he was gearing up to announce some product designed to deliver THC alternatively, like a line of edibles or a drink. And while that turned out not to be the case, it didn’t take long for the international cannabis mascot to actually announce such a product — albeit with much less hoopla this time around.
Snoop’s new hemp-infused beverage line comes courtesy of Hill Beverage Co. and includes multiple flavors, with CBD-only, and versions with CBD, Delta-9, and THC. The drinks include Doggy Spritz in Cherry Limeade and Peaches N’ Honies flavors, and Do It Fluid in Blood Orange and Blue Razz flavors. Give that man points for consistency — and levels!
Originator Studios for Hill Beverage Co.Originator Studios for Hill Beverage Co.
Snoop’s been expanding his portfolio a great deal lately, with the new sports comedy movie The Underdoggs coming to Amazon Prime Video early next year, his Funko store in Inglewood doing brisk business for the collector community, and his ongoing interest in NFTs and blockchain all looking to make up the deficit in streaming royalties.
But the high point of his year was undoubtedly getting to try a roasted marshmallow for the first time while shooting the commercial for the smokeless Solo Stove.
It appears that Snoop Dogg has set a trend. After his announcement to quit smoking came yesterday, another rapper has followed suit. Meek Mill has now announced his decision to quit smoking, following in the footsteps of fellow hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg. Snoop’s revelation that he was bidding farewell to his beloved “smoke” on Thursday (November 16) sent surprise through the industry, prompting Meek to make a public commitment to kick the habit as well. Taking to Twitter to share his resolution with fans, Meek Mill declared, “Ima go to Dubai and completely stop smoking. ima follow snoop, my doctor said I got a lil bit emphysema in a chest if I don’t stop smoking it cuts my lifeline in half. I was addicted to the nicotine and this new weed got too many chemicals and too risky to play with my mental!”
The unexpected declaration sheds light on the often-overlooked health risks associated with prolonged cannabis use. Meek Mill’s reference to emphysema serves as a reminder that even seemingly harmless habits can have severe consequences. Emphysema is a chronic lung disease that can significantly reduce one’s quality of life, making it a serious concern for individuals who engage in smoking, whether it be traditional tobacco or the increasingly potent strains of marijuana.
Ima go to Dubai and completely stop smoking … ima follow snoop, my doctor said I got a lil bit emphysema in a chest if I don’t stop smoking it cuts my lifeline in half, I was addicted to the nicotine and this new weed got too many chemicals and too risky to play with my mental! https://t.co/NYAJ9BzJ6e
The rapper’s decision to quit is not only a personal health choice but also a candid acknowledgment of the evolving landscape of cannabis consumption. Meek’s assertion that the “new weed” contains too many chemicals highlights a growing concern within the industry regarding the potential risks associated with modern cultivation practices. This unexpected announcement by two prominent figures in the rap world may trigger a broader conversation about the impact of substance use on mental and physical well-being within the music community.
In addition, Coi Leray was another person who announced she’d be following suit after Snoop. While Coi announced her departure from marijuana, she said she’d be doing so after Thanksgiving. Moreoever, as Meek Mill and Snoop Dogg embark on this unexpected journey to a smoke-free lifestyle, their candid admissions serve as a testament to the changing attitudes towards substance use in the music industry. It remains to be seen whether their choices will influence others to reconsider their habits and prioritize a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.
Parenthood isn’t easy at any age. For young people in particular, it can be difficult to find yourself growing up alongside your child. 26-year-old Blueface was thrust into the role of a father in his early 20s when he and high school sweetheart Jaidyn Alexis found out they were expecting. Their oldest, Jauvaughn, is now six years old. He’s been making frequent appearances on his parents’ social media accounts this year. Of course, not everyone approves of the way the California native chooses to raise his little ones. Still, that’s never stopped Blue from being himself.
The Cr*zy In Love star faced backlash just a few months ago for keeping his sons in the same house as strippers while filming a music video. Now, he’s being slammed for including his adolescent son in an Instagram advertisement for a cannabis company. As the video begins, we see the young boy running around shirtless as his famous father follows before stopping to address the camera. “Hey, I want y’all to tap in with Verified Members L.A.,” Blue urges his followers. “They got the best quality for the best quantity. Highs and lows. All you gotta do is click this code. They gon’ pull up to your doorstep,” he adds while Jauvaughn watches on from behind.
The MILF Music founder doesn’t explicitly mention weed around his little one. However, seeing as he’s still in hot water for the NSFW post of his and Chrisean Rock’s son that hit Twitter over the weekend, followers made it clear that they’re not impressed with these antics either. “Your actions warrant you being CANCELLED,” one user declared. “That d**n fire alarm!!! Change the d**n battery’s so it will stop beeping,” multiple others chimed in.
As Blueface attempts to strengthen his bond with his and Jaidyn Alexis’ two sons, the “Thotiana” rapper has once again been raising speculation on Twitter about whether Chrisean Rock’s baby is his or not. After the new mother liked a tweet suggesting that her ex could be responsible for fathering the little one, Blue publicly called her out. Read what Rock’s former lover had to say about the situation at the link below. Make sure to check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.
It’s no secret that Snoop Dogg is one of the biggest weed advocates in the entertainment industry. In fact, although some have tried, not many can out-smoke him. Snoop has even admitted that Willie Nelson is the only person to ever out-smoke him. Given how much the rapper smokes, and talks about weed in his music and lifestyle, it’s fair to assume that he smokes a lot. However, in a recent video he shared on his Instagram account, Snoop decided to provide a bit more insight as to just how much he smokes in a day exactly. And it might be less than you think!
In the video, Snoop is in his hotel room watching some Monday night football when he pans to a window sill of 11 blunts total lined up. “Show you what I been doing today, all in a day’s work,” he says. “Oh, wow. That’s some good work, Dog. What kinda pack was it?” Snoop then showcases a pack of Death Row Premium cannabis that he used to pack the blunts. The presence of just 11 blunts on the windowsill contradicts previous theories that he smokes over 150 blunts daily. This statement was made by one of his professional blunt rollers during an interview.
In previous years, Snoop famously went viral for putting out a position to hire a personal blunt roller. In a 2019 interview, Snoop disclosed that the person responsible for rolling blunts makes an annual income ranging from $40,000 to $50,000. The girl who got the job, Ranagade PerRana, said she had to compete in a roll-off with others who wanted to land the competitive position.
During one interview that PerRana did, she talked about her position and how much weed she has to roll. She claimed that Snoop consumed upwards of 150 blunts per day. However, Snoop quickly shut down that rumor. Following this, Snoop Dogg definitively squashed any lingering speculation regarding his daily cannabis intake. Responding to her remarks, the rapper stated, “That b***h is conning u man.” He proceeded to show audiences a video of the roaches he smoked that day, and it appeared to be roughly 10. “F**k I’ma smoke all that weed in one day,” he said in the video. “What am I, a f***in’ machine? B***h, this is the roaches. See, roaches.”
Diddy was one of rap’s original moguls, with interests in fashion, beverages, tech, and more. Unfortunately, he’ll need to find a new way into one of the most lucrative growth industries available today after his plan to purchase a pair of cannabis companies for $185 million fell through. According to TMZ, Diddy had designs on buying the merged Cresco Labs and Columbia Care once their merger was completed — but was forced to cancel his deal, as shareholders of the two companies were unable to reach an agreement.
Per TMZ, the deal would have made Diddy the biggest Black cannabis business owner, with nine stores in Illinois, Massachusetts, and New York. Each also had its own production facility — vertical integration, baby — so it’d basically have been darn near all profit. Diddy would have joined a large — and growing — list of rappers with weed companies, which includes Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, and more (this also brings to mind those Hair Club For Men commercials where Sy Sperling informs viewers he’s not only the president but also a client of his own business).
The west coast is spoiled when it comes to weed. Not only do we have some of the best brands on the market — California is still the capital of weed in the United States, that’s not up for debate — but even our celebrity brands are high quality. Seth Rogen’s Houseplant, Bella Thorne’s Forbidden Flowers, and Shavo Odadjian’s 22Red (also available in NV/AZ) are all legit top-shelf lines that can compete with the very best strains on the market. And while I don’t think that’s going to change anytime soon, as more states and cities legalize recreational weed usage, brands nationwide are going to keep coming for California’s crown.
This brings us to the latest celebrity weed brand — Vic Mensa’s 93 Boyz. Right off the bat, here’s what I like about 93 Boyz: instead of relying on the star power of Mensa, the brand focuses on the fact that it’s the first black-owned cannabis brand in Chicago. The weed is Chicago-owned, Chicago grown, hand-trimmed, and makes reinvesting in the community core to the overall 93 Boyz mission.
The community-first branding isn’t lip service, either. 93 Boyz is made in partnership between Illinois growers Aerīz and Mensa’s nonprofit SAVEMONEYSAVELIFE, an Indigenous and Black-led organization that advocates for sustainable community change. 93 Boyz has committed to using portions of its profits to sponsor initiatives aimed at prison reform and equity in the cannabis space.
The products available from the brand include flowers, pre-rolls, and vape cartridges. To get a sense of what 93 Boyz has to offer, we sampled each form factor. Here are our thoughts, starting with my favorite of the trio.
Before we get into the flavors and the high, we need to talk about this packaging. I don’t like it. I’ll always take a glass jar over a thick zip lock bag, I find that it tends to keep the bud fresher, and stickier, and helps to retain the natural flavors.
Both my Jealousy Thin Mints and Jet Fuel strains lacked stickiness. Would a glass jar have stopped that from happening? We can’t say for sure, but I’m going to guess “yes,” considering I have weed that is from 2022 in my bedroom and it’s still sticky as f*ck.
Luckily, Jealousy Thin Mints and Jet Fuel still provided a lot of flavor and a strong high — at the end of the day that’s all that matters.
The Jealousy Thin Mints is a hybrid strain made from a crossbreed of, as you might’ve guessed, Jealousy and Thin Mint, two beloved strains, and the result is great. It’s sweet and tantalizing on the nose, smoking through my vaporizer I tasted hints of chocolate, lavender, mint, and pine.
After just a few hits, I felt a strong full body buzz as my eyelids got heavy, and feelings of euphoria rushed in. This is a great, feel-good strain, and while it’s incredibly relaxing, I never felt too tired to get up, manage tasks, and generally just change my environment to experience the high in new ways.
This is a stay-at-home high though — I couldn’t imagine myself out in the open while on this stuff, it’s too relaxing.
Dane Rivera
This brings me to the Jet Fuel, which offers the opposite experience. The strain is bred from Aspen OG and High Country Diesel and has that pungent skunky smell typical of Diesel strains. That experience transfers over to the taste as well, it’s earthy, citrusy, and a bit peppery but with a sweetness that balances out the harsher aspects.
The high had me hyperactive and euphoric, I wasn’t content with sitting around and taking in the experience so I threw some headphones on and went for a mid-afternoon walk. This was the best experience, I found myself fixated on the colors around me, particularly transfixed by blue sky and white clouds.
I probably looked insane walking around looking at the sky, but I was too in my own world to care. Unfortunately, this was followed by a very sluggish crash that had me pretty tuned out for the rest of the day. That could be easily remedied by smoking more though. Or maybe a solid nap.
The Bottom Line:
Both strains offer a pretty great experience. For flavor and relaxation, go with the Jealousy Thin Mints, if you’re looking to be high on the go, Jet Fuel is your herb. Just be careful with the latter’s crash.
Starting off with the packaging, I wish the pre-rolls gave me more. All that was available on the label was the strain’s THC content, nothing about what type of strain I was smoking or the terpenes. Obviously, I was able to find this information, but it would be great if it was on the packaging.
93 Boyz pre-rolls come in .5 and 1.0-gram sizes, both form factors are pretty small. As a relatively heavy smoker, the pre-roll was good for a nice strong head change but it isn’t the type of thing I’d want to share with another smoker.
Lotto is a crossbreed of GG4 and Do-Si-Dos and sports a super skunky diesel smell. Luckily the taste is more citrusy than it is earthy and harsh, with a strong zesty finish that gave me a sneezing sensation. The high was a feel-good stress buster, strong enough to feel the buzz but light enough to keep me on my feet.
I can see myself smoking this tiny joint during a break between tasks.
The Bottom Line:
A nice strong steady high that results in a refreshing head change. A great option for those who want to get high but don’t want to be pushed into the psychedelic stratosphere.
The 93 Boyz vape carts are pretty standard stuff, a mix of plastic and metal housing a thick distillate that fits into standard battery vape pens.
Super Donutz is a cross between Banana Creme Cake and Jealousy and that lineage results in sweetened top notes with a bright citrusy character, and a little bit of funk on the backend.
The high knocked me the f*ck out. After a single hit, a rush of euphoric feelings hit my senses, which had me supremely couch-locked. It’s the sort of high that makes you feel good to lie down and do nothing. So if that’s not your speed, be wary — there is no conquering that feeling for a few hours.
My suggestion would be that if you plan on doing anything while under the influence of Super Donutz, you get it prepared in advance. That includes getting your snacks, picking any movie or tv show you plan to watch ahead of time, or queuing up the right playlist.
The Bottom Line:
A highly euphoric experience that’ll make you content with laying around and doing nothing. Just don’t try to do anything else (unless you have a sturdier constitution than me). This is the sort of high that comes across like a mini vacation. Save it for your most stressful days when you need a respite from all the noise.
93 Boyz isn’t just a celebrity-endorsed brand that tries to sell weed on a big name. It’s a passion project from Vic Mensa that reflects how much he cares for both the city he calls home and good quality herb.
93 Boyz is a brand exclusive to Illinois, shop the herb at a dispensary near you here.
