From Grammes to Grammys: JAY-Z talks drug wars and legal weed at the Grammy Awards
JAY-Z took the stage to highlight the importance of cannabis legalization, legacy operators and the failure of the drug war at Sunday’s 2023 Grammy Awards ceremony. Here’s what he had to say.
The Grammy Awards gave us plenty of trending moments over the weekend, and one in particular caught the attention of members of the cannabis community: JAY-Z, the rapper-turned-CEO of legal cannabis brand Monogram, spent five straight minutes rapped about the War on Drugs, plus the unlikely odds of his own legal cannabis ventures.
Watch the full performance of “God Did” below.
“God Did” live at the 65th Grammy Awards performed by @DJKhaled, JAY-Z (@sc), @JohnLegend, @LilTunechi, @RickRoss and @Fridayy. #Grammys pic.twitter.com/gmAOZcW5T4
— Roc Nation (@RocNation) February 6, 2023
JAY, who was joined onstage by longtime friends and Legacy salespeople Juan “OG” Perez and Emory Jones, lit the stage with a Last Supper-style performance of “God Did” for the primetime audience. Given the opportunity to establish the plant on a global stage, the rapper didn’t bite his tongue. His lyrics sharply evoked the hypocrisy of America’s failed War on Drugs, proudly naming some of his favorite cannabis strains and products (OG for the OGs!)
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Lawmakers and the anti-weed crowd who most needed to hear his message probably had trouble following the epic verse. Leafly highlighted six moments from JAY-Z’s performance at the Grammy Awards that explain why he will live on in pot culture history.
“Now the weed is in stores… Can you believe this guy?”
JAY-Z has always rapped about his unlikely journey from selling illegal drugs to platinum status. The announcement of his Monogram cannabis brand in 2021 added a new layer to his rags-to-riches story, with his illicit-to-legal dope-dealing narrative finding its way into the lyrics of new songs. For example, in “Neck and Wrist,” JAY-Z has a verse that focuses on the irony of surviving the drug war only to become a legal cannabis kingpin.
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In the past, JAY-Z topped Forbes’ hip-hop Cash Kings list, where he was recently joined by none other than Cookies CEO Berner. As Berner continues to make ripples in the industry, his estimated $410 net worth is approaching that of JAY-Z, which has hit $1.5 billion by 2022.
“Me and Loro talk about how we slang drugs, huh/Now the weed is in stores, can you believe that Ty?/I was focused on the Forbes, can you believe this guy?”
JAY-Z, “God Did”
“We only lure boys with the corner office”
A few months before the premiere of his “God Did” verse, Leafly screamed out JAY’s ability to “bridge the corner and the corner office.” Today’s influencer economy is still building on the bridges JAY helped build as an artist. And the cannabis industry is home to some of the most creative cross-marketers, including artist slash weed moguls like Berner, Yung LB, and JAY himself.
“Then we said, ‘Fuck it,’ took the dope public / Get out of the mud, they’ve got to face you now, you can’t make this up / Judge it how you judge, say we go ‘Corporate/ Nah, we’re just English people with the corner office”
JAY-Z, “God Did”
“We’ll let you all do the zaza, it’s OG for the OGs”
Leafly broke the great OG vs. Zaza debate of 2022 shortly after this verse premiered in September. For years, OGs like OG Louie XIII have been preaching for Kush preservation as the market has been flooded with sweet, colorful, and fruity flavors known as “exotics,” or “zaza” for short. JAY lent his voice with a rhyme that went a long way in bringing OG and other classic strains back. When you notice the trend of old-school flavors like Sour Diesel returning in full force this year, just know that the hype started here.
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JAY is also calling out his longtime friend and fellow “Caliva Brother,” Emory Jones, who served most of a 16-year drug sentence while his friend rose to superstardom. E, also known as Em, is now a partner at Monogram and is living out the dream from legacy to law while collecting interest on his time served.
“We’re pushing Fenty (not) Fentanyl, that’s all legit (Woo) / E was down ten on it / We just got his ten back and then came back like, ‘Where’s the interest?’ / Em light Up the O3 / We let y’all do the zazas, OG for the OGs / Some new niggas outta the bag, talkin’ exotic / You’ve hardly been to the Baham – (Haha) that’s another topic”
JAY-Z, “God Did”, live at the 2023 Grammy Awards
“Monogram in my red carpet bag”
Not many cannabis brands can afford to buy advertising space at the Grammys. Those who can certainly wouldn’t get through CBS and the FCC’s censorship. While there is some movement to make cannabis advertising legal nationwide, JAY gave a refresher course on how to smuggle his brand’s name to the masses, much like Grammy host LL Cool J plugged his subtle FUBU into a now infamous CAP smuggled a 90’s commercial.
“Monogram in my red carpet bag/Do you see the face I made that night it’s so shocking“
JAY-Z, “God Did”
“OG Sold To Those You Call Kingpin”
“OG sells to the ones you call Kingpin/If these are your drug lords, then who are we?“
JAY-Z, “God Did”
The “OG” that JAY is talking about here is not Kush. It’s Juan Perez, the bald bearded gentleman on stage to his right, better known as OG Juan.
Perez is one of New York’s most legendary dealers, thanks in part to JAY’s many rhymes about him. Perez invested in the legendary Baseline recording studios in the ’90s, which brought him close to JAY. Now the two run Roc Nation and other legal ventures together. And they clearly feel qualified to dominate the legal cannabis market based on their past experience.
“Those who make the laws, I will always have smoke for them”
A Drug War survivor, JAY vowed to “always have a smoke” for lawmakers behind the curtain. Seems fair considering the impact the ban had on his life and others. Even lawmakers like President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who have played both sides of the cannabis coin, have not been free of criticism as the cannabis community continues to fight for fundamental rights. We just wonder if anyone in Congress was able to digest all five minutes of JAY’s scathing lyrical monologue.
Whether they got it or not, the primetime performance marked another significant moment in the steady mainstream growth of pot culture. Art can help destigmatize the plant, in addition to the legal industry maturing around it. With established operators like JAY, OG Juan, and Emory bringing legal weed to the national stage, the future seems bleaker than ever.
“Many fallen soldiers on these roads of sin/So those who make the laws, I’ll always have smoke for them”
JAY-Z, “God Did”
Dan Reagan and Calvin Stovall
Dan Reagan’s is a veteran journalist now based in Los Angeles. A Harlem native, he has been involved with culture and media for over a decade.
Calvin Stovall is Leafly’s East Coast Editor.
Check out the articles by Dan Reagan and Calvin Stovall
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