With medical marijuana being legal in our state for over a decade and recreational legalization on the horizon, marijuana's effect on popular culture is nearly inescapable. Whether you're a medical patient, or have to escape to our northern border of Colorado to celebrate, I sincerely hope you get to enjoy a lovely day, regardless of whether or not its accompanied by cannabis. These songs feature a mix of explicit cannabis references, our favorite stoners, and sounds that will help keep the vibe right on your 4/20. Here are some blazed beats for your hazy holiday.
"The Recipe" by Kendrick Lamar feat. Dr. Dre
West Coast rap is known for its haziness, and a 420 playlist wouldn't be complete without at least one reference to Dr. Dre and California. "The Recipe," is Kendrick Lamar's ode to California, which is summed up in the refrain "women, weed and weather." Dr. Dre's verse passes the west coast torch to Kendrick Lamar, and truly makes it an ode to weed and California. A prominent and catchy Twin Sister sample sets the tone for this laid-back song that will make you wish New Mexican spring weather was more predictable.
420-friendly lyric: "Women, weed, weather its not my fault/That it's 82 degrees and my top peeled off."
"Flex" by Playboi Carti feat. Leven Kali
This song isn't explicitly about cannabis, but Playboi Carti and Leven Kali's "Flex" is included on to increase the frequency of the vibes for your 4/20 celebration. Playboi Carti is known for creating distinctly dreamy worlds that are perfect for dazing out to. We all know stoners have short attention spans, but please wait for the beat change on this song. It will help you transcend in a way that cannabis just can't.
420-friendly lyric: "Damn my weed smell like a pit, ooh"
The Neighborhood's Jesse Rutherford lets his rap-singing skills shine in this ode to his complex relationship with marijuana. He describes his complex relationships with his mother and father, only to push it aside with thoughts of getting high. Relatable. A slow, groovy beat grounds the song, and the lazy, catchy lyrics warrant repeat plays.
420-friendly lyric: "I just roll myself a jay, and push it all away"
While I wanted to say that every woman featured on this list is our favorite stoner queen, I saved the title for Rihanna. On 4/20 in 2015, our favorite stoner queen blessed us with a release of "James Joint," later to be included on ANTI. The hazy interlude is dedicated to marijuana, and its shortness, like everything involving Rih, leaves the listener wanting more.
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420-friendly lyric: "I'd rather be smoking weed"
Chicago's Jack Larsen released this stoner anthem earlier this year. The catchy opening lyrics, "Smoke marijuana, roll marijuana" are repeated throughout the entire song, making it perfect for blasting at full-volume. As a bonus, this lazy song's video is shot on a Macbook, giving you those nostalgic bedroom vibes.
420-friendly lyric: "I'm always f***ing up when I when I don't wanna roll marijuana, smoke marijuana"
"Sativa" by Jhené Aiko feat. Swae Lee
Enjoy a heavy dose of some stoner romance with Jhené Aiko's "Sativa." Jhené leads Swae Lee into her sonic landscape of psychedelics to create a truly perfect song where the duet's voices blend effortlessly with the spacey R&B production. Swae Lee's transcendent vocals could turn nearly any straight-edge into a stoner.
420-friendly lyric: "I'm so high in here from smoking all this weed"
"Sunday" by Earl Sweatshirt feat. Frank Ocean
Another fixture of West Coast rap is Odd Future, and "Sunday" by Earl Sweatshirt featuring Frank Ocean is one of the collective's best marijuana-related songs. The first half of the song is dark and hazy, but the second half is marked by a sly Frank Ocean verse that feels more clear and crisp, but is equally moody in subject matter. Frank's "Goldie" verse remains his best weed (and sexuality) reference, but this Fleetwood Mac reference is close second.
420-friendly lyric: "I got my Fleetwood Mac, I could get high everyday"
"Child's Play" by SZA feat Chance the Rapper
This song will hopefully help you build a fantasy without leaving your homie's backyard. SZA's signature multidimensional lyrics deal with a game of pursuit of love. We all know that SZA loves a good blunt, but what makes this song fitting for our 420 playlist are the production and guest feature. The XXYYXX sample will be familiar to anyone looking for music on Youtube since 2012, and Chance the Rapper's verse adds his old stoner sensibilities to the track.
420-friendly lyric: "I got L's on my record, weed on the vinyl"
