Lo and behold, marijuanos. The baked and benevolent Kushed God aka Smoke DZA, will be making his rounds through the greenest parts of the U.S. -including your city- sooner than you can finish that private-stock half-ounce you just bought from your local dispensary. And he’s looking for tithes. The Weekly was lucky enough to hop on the phone with the Harlem-born Gawd giving insight as to what we might expect and what he actually wants when he descends down on our beloved Observatory for his signature Smoker’s Club Tour.
“The Kushed God wants OG (his favorite strand), he wants Sour, he wants Backwoods, cause y’all don’t have vanilla Dutches out there! The Kushed God wants a red Gatorade, the big joint! Those the offerings I want!” Smoke DZA rattles off excitedly as if reading off his Kushmas wishlist.
This potentially bountiful pilgrimage across the country was born on a stage at SXSW six hazy years ago and has blossomed into one of the premiere events for hip-hop’s stoniest since. Tour founder and Cinematic Music Group CEO, Jonny Shipes, who’s rocked with Smoke since ‘02, compares the circuit with the Up in Smoke Tour of days past. With previous tours boasting the likes of Curren$y the Hot Spitta, Wiz (Khalifa) and Method Man, the tour has become the most recognized symbiosis of rap and weed culture and growing still. DZA says little has changed since the 2010 show besides both the show and weed culture getting bigger.
“I guess you could call it an epidemic, when it comes to the whole pot culture, even though we was, you know, ahead of the curve” Smoke says with a Harlem twang.
If anything, the tour has regenerated its inherent vibe since 2010 employing a formula to get the results that’s grown it into a 28-city event venturing north into Canada. 2016’s lineup doesn’t stray as the irreverent Cam’ron headlines with The Underachievers, who could be seen like the Joey Bada$$ or Fat Trel of previous tours and a legend—now Cam’s role—like Juicy J, who came along in 2012.
Jonny and DZA’s relationship with Cam’ron is rather nuanced in the three’s NY roots with the two looking up to Cam during his reign though they can look back and laugh about never rocking the pink Killa Cam popularized. Smoke’s latest project “He Has Risen” features the Diplomat, whom he calls his big brother, which Smoker’s Club Tour attendees will be among the first to see live. Also featured on DZA’s project is the most get-high rapper we’ve ever known in Snoop Dogg. When prying to see whether an appearance from the Dogg or Curren$y was imminent, Smoke assures us that he never comes alone.
“When the Kushed God is in different cities he calls up different friends from the holy trinity… The Kushed God always has surprises” he says confidently. “I’m thinkin’ about ordering some pizza to the stage for the crowd and all that. Them the type of games I be playing. Domino’s man might pull up on us, nah mean?” he adds chuckling.
Whether the 2 for $5.99 deal (pepperoni/pineapples and ham in the pit) comes to fruition, California will surely be one of DZA’s favorite tour legs told by the way he swoons over our greenest hotspots (potspots) from Mendocino County down to San Diego, so who better than us to be pious and fulfill Smoke’s herbal desires. And while not being political enough to feature info regarding the state’s marijuana legislation hitting ballots this year at the shows, DZA has one phrase he wants to keep on our minds: “Don’t Pass Trump the Blunt.” Turns out it was the title to a surprise mixtape release featuring Action Bronson, A$AP Rocky, labelmate Joey Bada$$ and more a few days after our conversation. The Kushed God never stops giving.
So bring the greenery, the wraps and the Gatorade, even drop off some pizza if you’re on a Postmates shift but don’t bring any chicken. DZA’s sworn off the bird since an NDE after a B-Dubs visit.
“I haven’t eaten chicken since October. And not ‘cause I’m on some weird, trendy, vegetarian shit. Fuckin’ made me sick… I think it’s over for chicken. I was so traumatized, I don’t even want nothing to do with it, I don’t miss it or nothing.”
I listen to music. I write about it. I like hot sauce on my chicken.