Rap and weed have always been really closely tied. I don’t know if rappers like to get stoned or if stoners like to rap, but there is definitely a strong connection there. Like with science or something. I can’t think of a really famous rapper who doesn’t have a couple songs about weed. And I have definitely seen all of my stoner friends bust out freestyles like its nothing. Can’t explain it, just something that’s always made sense.
Every drug dealer I know has this t-shirt.
But I don’t give a fuck about history, I’m here to talk about the present, and also the future. Stoner rap has been more in the forefront of popular music in recent years, due to hugely successful albums by dudes like Wiz Khalifa, Kid Cudi, and Mac Miller, who built their entire image out of being guys who smoke tons of weed, and probably have more songs about getting high than songs. I’ve always thought were pretty ‘eh’. Wiz can’t really ever keep my attention, despite usually pretty dope expensive beats, I only like Cudi on songs with Kanye, and Mac Miller is clearly for the high school girls/frat bros, never expected to be into it. There are a bunch of other dudes doin pretty similar stuff, but couldn’t really get into any of them :/
Only dude in this group I could really fuck with was Curren$y, totally solid.
But there’s a new group of stoner rappers coming up that I could definitely fuck with! The type of dudes who probably love Cudi and Drake, but don’t want to be boring as fuck/sad and are more interested in getting fucked up and having chill times than getting fucked up and crying to their girlfriends. Here’s some of the main dudes that should be huge for stoners/rap fans in 2012.
ASAP ROCKY
Probably my least favorite song of his, but this video is almost too ridiculous to the point that I can’t tell if he’s serious or not. He was in a bathtub filled with money watching two girls make out. ASAP Rocky must be 100% about his hoes and money and weed. Got his priorities straight for sure. This dude released a solid album that was one degree away from being too chill to party to, with a bunch of hypnotic beats and shit, perfect for smoking tons of weed, getting drunk, making mistakes, etc. Found him from Big Ghost, who described it as Wiz Khalifa with talent and dignity, which makes a ton of sense. And if this newer song is any indication, dude will be a lot more hype in 2012, which is just what he needed. He’ll blow up easy, you’ll be hearin him in poorly lit basements for a long time.
KENDRICK LAMAR
I always thought Kendrick was right at ‘solid’ but he is pretty much the next big name in hip hop. His album comes out in like March and like 70% of rap dudes are already on his dick. I guess he doesn’t even smoke weed, but he’s got the style, beats, flow, and right friends to be the next go to guy for burn-outs. Dude is conscious as fuck, but I’m sure half of his fans didn’t even notice, they just heard ‘high’ in the song title and started smoking. The other half will respect him as ‘real’ hip hop, so he really can do no wrong. He’s one single away from blowing up, expect all your political stoner friends to get really into his shit this year. I just hope he has another song with sweet trumpets, but either way you should be hearing a lot more of his weird voice.
SCHOOLBOY Q
I thought Kendrick was gonna be the huge name for rap stoners this year, but then this dude stepped the fuck up. He’s the least popular of the dudes I brought up, but this is the only certifiable single out of all of them. Shit is a jam, no doubt. I’ll be surprised when I don’t hear this blasting at stoner parties for the next two years. Even got Rocky bro on there, and his name should have it blow up a little faster. Hoping he and Kendrick take notes and throw in some more bangers with their mellow shit, they’ll need to to really get a huge audience of white people. Dude’s latest mixtape is dope too, great combo of chill and hype, totally marketable. He might have to wait until 2013, but this dude is gonna run shit soon.
This whole group is definitely a step up from the let’s-be-sad-and-emotional type of hip hop I was afraid was gonna take hold soon. Gonna go ahead and thank Common for that. They got some songs for hoes and shit too, but no one’s really perfect. Mix this stuff with the slightly ignant, new Kanye records, and 2012 is looking like some fun times before hip-hop becomes totally sad and conscious and ‘real’ in 2014 :(
some of that stuff is real dope!! thx!!!
boah me da first, got much power!!!! XD
I don’t know if rappers like to get stoned
Oh yeah, they definitely do. Not just the famous successful ones.
Not feelin ASAP too much, but the rest of this stuff is pretty ill. Big Ghost is the troof, though it sounds like he might be burnt out now (hope that doesnt happen here, please be safe Sarge.)
“He’s one single away from blowing up, expect all your political stoner friends to get really into his shit this year.”
You can almost set your watch to that foolishness.
I didn’t really care for ASAP, IMO he sounds just like mellowhype. Except without the OF stuff to scare hipsters away.
alot of mac millers super old stuff and unrealesed tracks go waaay harder than his album and recent mixtapes!
“I liked Mac Miller more before he got popular”
Zing.
no i still like him! idc how popular he gets just trying to say that people only base him off certain songs
the thing about stoner rap is that they talk about weed like it’s this transcendent high, not something that makes you tired and lazy. i used to be a big pothead, but now when i listen to ASAP talking about how awesome it is getting high, i can only think, “dude you’re just gonna get really confused and fall asleep.”
i would much prefer alcohol + coke rap!
Chances of Lil Jon coming back are low, I wouldn’tget your hopes up :/
feelsbadman :(
THIS.
Dipset…. bitch.
word, whenever I (rarely) smoke the greenery, I just get loopy, confused, and sleepy. My African American friend however turns into a freestyling beast after a few hits though.
Coke rap > Sizzurp rap > Weed rap
m-o-b-b
The Clipse
On point with Kendrick. Don’t smoke, but all of my stoner friends jam him while baking out a car.
They always look surprised when I tell him he’s super srs sXe. The black rapper versiom though.
*Version
I.e. Muslim?
I’m really into THAT Kendrick song only. I downloaded the chop/screw version of Section .80, and I just can’t get into any of the other songs. I also can barely stand his “consciousness.” Racism is bad! Fight the system! Yawn. Weren’t Public Enemy on this same shit YEARS ago?
I’m really down with Asap Rocky too. Don’t care for either of the songs you posted, haha, but “Trilla” and “Bass” go hard as fuuuuuuck.
I love that one Kendrick song too, and a few others are solid. He seriously just needs some more singles to get up there, and he probably will. I just picked a solid ASAP song at random, never really had a clear favorite.
Curren$y is official. I’m glad he was first. A few years back I was a major pothead and nothing beat rolling a jizzle and gettin blowed listenin to some Spitta or some Wiz Khalifa!
Also, Asap is pretty sweet too. Make’s me feel like I’m dippin’ drippin candy paint in my Cutlass rolling through the hood in Houston.
P.s. I’m super white.
the JETS thing was marketing genius but I feel like if he doesn’t get off his high ass and make some hits to support it, it will be an embarrassing passing trend for hypebeasts.
P.s. I’m super white.
REALLY? We couldn’t tell!!
“or some Wiz Khalifa!”
I’m glad there’s finally another hip-hop post on here. I feel like you could have tied ASAP Rocky into “yankees finally figuring out southern hip-hop” along with the resurgence of Z-RO, etc., as well as his & lamar’s tour with Drake and him dating SYWH’s most hated female rapper Iggy Azalea, but hey it was nicely written and to the point.
Ignorant shit isn’t going anywhere, because that’s what actual black people like to dance to, but I DO feel like we should have a SYWH white rapper showdown. Yelawolf v. Mac Miller v. MGK imo. You could throw in Riitz or some other backseat motherfucker for fun if you wanted but all these guys are on the cusp, just with different audiences. Yelawolf has rednecks on lock, Mac Miller has high school girls in his pocket, and MGK has high school boys. 2012! WHO WILL WIN?! I feel like Yelawolf is behind in the marketing engine despite being signed to Shady Records. Mac is lined up next to Wiz and the TGOD crew (aka 15 year olds getting their fitted embroidered w/ TGOD @ Lid’s and buying $10/pack black & yellow TGOD rolling papers, despite not actually owning a pair of Chuck Taylors) and Most Dope is cranking out streetwear as well, MGK is in every Zumiez & Pac Sun with Reckless… but where the fuck is Yelawolf? Still repping Famous? He must not want any fans with access to a mall.
Oh also ASAP Rocky is crewed up with Spaceghostpurpp: hipster phenom, so I feel like he’s really in a position to capture the white liberal demographic. He’s just scary enough to feel “real” to them without actually being a crazy career felon.
I was thinking about writing a post about tattooed white rappers/embarrassment involved. I do like some Yelawolf, but his last album was just so mediocre :/ Thought Shady records would bring the best out of him.
pretty good article. a$ap rocky is definitely on deck. i feel like ALL the hip hop articles on here could use a little more research, but this one was definitely on point. i suggested a few topics to D such as mac miller being the king of streetwear co-signs
I’d rather be clearly under-researched in this area than have a lot of information and get something wrong. But mostly I think its funnier.
Kid Cudi has coke and weed songs and has the best production and is dope and i’m done
kid cudi sucks
Ever rapper you posted is wack as fuck!!! Swag homo shit
Wonder if ASAP Rocky’s name is a parody of Aesop Rock, of the 90s indie label Def Jux? Went through a phase of downloading a lot of that shit, Company Flow, Cannibal Ox etc.
Never thought of, do dig some Aesop Rock tho.