Afroman Remixes “Because I Got High” for the Ambitious Stoner of 2014 & Beyond

annabis and hip-hop have always
been associated, but often for negative reasons – the connection between the
two has, in the past, been used as a way to demonize urban culture. While there
have admittedly been rap songs that glorify cannabis in a negative light or
alongside other dubious activity, rappers have started to realize they can also
use their power for good, and help shape changing policy and the face of the
industry.

One of the most recent examples
of this is famed rapper Afroman’s new posi remix of the well-known song,
“Because I Got High.” The original song was funny and tongue-in-cheek, but
equated smoking with shirking responsibility, being a slob, and not paying
child support. The new remix version, made to support the growing legalization
effort, talks instead about how “getting high” can lead to quitting alcohol and
cigarettes, getting over medical issues and having a positive outlook on life.
The song is presented by Weedmaps.

“I also hope, not only in
ownership, that some of these rappers get involved in the policy aspect of
this, because you can make your money on the local level, but you got to push
for more than just legalization. You got to push for a universalizing of how
legal this is,” political analyst Jason Johnson was quoted as saying in a Huffington Post discussion. “I hope they
don’t stop with advocacy and endorsements. I hope they go to Congress. I hope they
give money to representatives. I hope they really get involved with this.”

This new way of looking at how
cannabis influences hip hop shows that just because writing about illicit
activity and selling may be a thing of the past soon, there is still plenty of
material to write about. With Weedmaps and other industry leaders supporting
this cultural shift, this kind of support is bound to catch on.