The Green Scene: Curren$y & Cannabis
“I got dope in my rhymes, I sell dope Get in my car, ride around, turn heads everywhere I go Smellin’ like a whole pound, that’s just a roach She wanna sit in my glass house and roll up the smoke.” -Curren$y on his track A Lil Sumthin
The Cannabis and Hip Hop cultures have been inextricably linked ever since the style of music began. Over that time, there have been plenty of Marijuana related trends associated with rap music. Some of those might include smoking Backwoods or the proclivity to brag about selling copious amounts of Marijuana. Fortunately there are a handful of artists that shed a positive light on being a Cannabis user. Curren$y, aka Spitta Andretti, is a rapper out of New Orleans that is known for his incredible work ethic, steadfast values, and love of fine Weed.
Music Meant for Smoking
The way Curren$y raps about his relationship with Cannabis has caused a ripple of inspiration throughout the rap game. Although, early on in his career Curren$y was not widely known for being a smoker the way he is today. It was in 2009 that the NOLA native linked up a young Wiz Khalifa from Pittsburgh to release the mixtape How Fly. After that, legendary things changed for the two rappers. The collaborative mixtape received rave reviews and resonated with smokers across the world. This has gone down as one of the most notable mixtapes of this era because modern rappers are greatly influenced by both Curren$y and Wiz, often starting with this tape. With nearly a million downloads from DatPiff, this was the most widely received collection of music for both of the rappers at this point. One of the most memorable themes from the mix is the downright love of Cannabis. Fast forward to current times and the implications of this mixtape are easily recognizable. Curren$y’s music is recognized as some of the best rap for smokers because of the original lyrics and relatable, yet thoughtful concepts. Many of the young artists in the Hip Hop industry at the moment credit Curren$y with influencing them and even credit him as one of stoner rap’s founding fathers. Well known artists that have payed homage to Spitta on record include Playboi Carti, Vince Staples, Isaiah Rashad, and plenty of others. Spitta covers a myriad of Cannabis topics in his music, from his preference of glass storage to his undying devotion to RAW Rolling Papers. In fact, Curren$y’s declaration of support for the paper company may have played a role in the dominance RAW Papers experiences today. Right after the release of the How Fly mixtape in ‘09 RAW began to see a massive increase in domestic interest. To this day, Spitta and the founder of RAW Rolling Papers are good friends.
Original art by @irenellorente
Marijuana Role Model
Until recently, Cannabis did not have many outspoken and well-known role models. Curren$y has been arguably one of the best and oldest proponents of cannabis usage in this day and age. Within the rap community, Spitta is known as one of the biggest smokers, but also one of the hardest workers. Over his career, he has dropped around a dozen studio albums and over fifty mixtapes. Through all of these songs, you will learn lessons about how to live and how to smoke. Outside of metaphors, you will never hear Curren$y claim he is taking hard drugs, involved in gang activity, or that he is selling illegal substances. He is well respected by some of rap’s greats for his lyrical abilities, but also the way he conducts business. For example, Curren$y was the one of the first acts signed to Lil Wayne’s Cash Money record label, but in a show of his character, Spitta had an amicable split from the label to follow his own vision. That decision was more than 2 decades ago and since then, Curren$y has paved his own way acquiring wealth in more ways than one. Financially Spitta has reached success from his many tours and business contracts including a shoe deal with Reebok. Beyond business, Spitta has built a family of friends and done great things for his local community. Curren$y is not the kind of person who uses gimmicks and tricks to get people’s attention. Instead, he chooses to work harder than anyone else to create great projects he personally cares about. Cannabis is obviously one of the primary things that evokes Spitta’s passion. From the inspiration visible in his signature shoe to his legal Cannabis products available in California, Curren$y has spent much of his life paying respects to Mary Jane. It’s even better that he has done so in an extremely honorable and impactful manner.
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