When The Chronic combined hip-hop and marijuana
A new hip-hop landscape seen beyond the smoke
Los Angeles, USA, 1992. In this city where drugs and violence are rampant and where the scars of the riots caused by the Rodney King incident remain, an album was released. Dr. Dre’s “The Chronic”. “Chronic” is a slang term for high-quality marijuana. The album jacket imitates the rolling paper brand “Zig-Zag”, and the gaps in the sound are filled with images of lighter flames and smoke. This work was not just music. It was a work that lifted the ban on the “marijuana code” of hip-hop.
The early '90s: Hip-hop and the front lines of the "War on Drugs"
In the 1980s and 1990s, the Reagan administration’s “War on Drugs” intensified in the United States. Poor black and Latino communities were targeted for mass arrests and incarceration on the pretext of drug use and possession. Hip-hop at the time was also heavily influenced by this. Public Enemy and N.W.A portrayed drugs as the “enemy” and rapped about their conflicts with the DEA. Even when drugs were featured in lyrics, they were mainly from the perspective of drug dealers or in the context of social criticism. In other words, it was still “taboo” to directly and positively portray “smoking marijuana and getting high.”
The Chronic: The record that unveiled hip-hop's "smoking" side
The album that completely changed that atmosphere was “The Chronic.” Dr. Dre chose the title “Cannabis Culture” for his solo debut after leaving N.W.A. This decision had such an impact that it completely repainted the “drug vocabulary” of hip-hop. Musically, he introduced a “G-Funk” style influenced by P-Funk and soul, and the smooth and mellow beats perfectly matched the feeling of being “high.” And the lyrics, featuring young artists such as Snoop Dogg and Daz Dillinger, established a new way of speaking that “is proud of smoking” and “affirms it as a lifestyle.”
“Nuthin’ But a G Thang” and “Let Me Ride” are structured in such a way that the sound “absorbs” the sound of a lighter being lit, the sound of inhalation, and the feeling of being enveloped in smoke.
The huge success of this album spread the value of “marijuana = real and cool,” and from then on, hip-hop’s portrayal shifted from the “seller” to the “smoker.”
The birth of a new genre: "stoner culture"
The Chronic’s linking of cannabis and hip-hop allowed subsequent rappers to place “smoking” itself at the core of their expression. Cypress Hill appeared shortly after, and so did the lineage of “stoner rappers” such as Snoop Dogg, Redman, Method Man, and Wiz Khalifa. These artists no longer sang about cannabis as the “background” but as the “main character.” The everyday acts of “rolling, smoking, and getting high” became the center of their lyrics and lifestyle. Stoner culture also became established as a widespread subculture, not just in music, but also in fashion (green color, leaf motifs), goods (rolling papers, lighters, bongs), events (4/20 festival), and more.
Marijuana legalization and artists becoming social activists
In the decades since “The Chronic,” marijuana legalization has progressed state by state in the United States, and hip-hop artists have stepped up as entrepreneurs and activists rather than just consumers. Snoop Dogg: Launches his own marijuana brand, “Leafs by Snoop.” Jay-Z: Premium line. Produces “MONOGRAM” and supports employment for former prisoners. B-Real (Cypress Hill): Has been practicing activism for many years, including raising awareness of medical marijuana and hosting festivals. The source of this movement has always been “The Chronic.” This work, which transformed marijuana from a “secret pleasure” to a “proud culture,” was where it all began.
The album that "absorbed sound" changed society
The day “The Chronic” was released, the “choices” of hip-hop changed. Until then, rappers who avoided drugs in their lyrics or portrayed them as drug dealers were able to give themselves permission to “smoke” and “smoke and talk about it.” And this choice went beyond mere musical expression, becoming part of the social change that supported the marijuana legalization movement and cultural shift. One album can change values. “The Chronic” is a prime example of this.