Noah Rubin is an old friend of the family.
He also happens to be coming out with one of the most high-ly anticipated books of the year: How We Roll: The Art and Culture of Joints, Blunts, and Spliffs.
*pause for gasps of delight*
Exploring the many unique approaches to rolling through clever illustrations and clear instructions, Noah's rolling bible offers something new for every kind of Grass lover. Featuring interviews with legendary cannabis lovers, exploration of joint culture around the world, and tips and tricks for rolling an exceptional j, How We Roll is the perfect book for any weed connoisseur. Clearly, Noah's great with words, so we feel pretty lucky that he partnered with us on our latest Jams & Joints, for your listening pleasure.
"Weed and music have been an essential pairing in my life for as long as I can remember."
"Weed has not only made my connection to music stronger, but it’s been an everpresent force in a lot of the records I have worked on as an artist, producer, mixer, A&R, and label exec. The process of writing my book How We Roll was a lot like making an album: enlightening, frustrating, unexpectedly difficult…but ultimately rewarding. Folks who read the book will see how important music is to the stories I tell. I think that underscores the cultural importance of smoking weed to the music that inspires us all."
"To that end, I decided to put together a playlist of tracks that I have worked on with some behind the scenes deets from yours truly. Much like my book, none of it would have been possible without some top notch weed…so get ready to roll!" - Noah Rubin
Photo credit: Kendra Adler
(We've listed the tracks and notes below in case you don't use Spotify)
Enlightened Statues | Wu Tang (RZA) | When I worked with RZA to produce the Wu Tang Chamber Music album we decided to make some spacey interludes in between tracks. We recorded a conversation between the two of us at the Wu Mansion in New Jersey and then took pieces of that convo and edited them over the interludes. To quote RZA on the track “You can drink yourself into enlightenment but the side effects of whatever you’re doing is gonna determine how long you’re gonna enjoy your enlightenment.” I think maybe Dad Grass could use that as a slogan: “Enjoy your enlightenment.”
Smoke & Retribution | Flume ft. Vince Staples & KUČKA | One of my favorite collaborations on Flume’s album Skin, Vince’s amazing ear for interesting production makes his contribution on the track feel extra special. When Flume won a grammy for Skin it was an unexpected honor for all the people that helped bring this amazing project to life.
The Ring | Ev Bird ft. Boldy James | Ev’s song “The Ring” has a couple infectious, loopable moments and Boldy has continued to be one of my favorite rappers, period. Boldy blessed the track with a nearly perfect verse for the vibe we were going for. Can’t wait to hear what Ev is cooking on for his next album.
Strawberries | Kito ft. Elley Duhé, Trinidad James & Kodie Shane | Kito is a sick producer and “Strawberries” came out so well. The hook for this song makes it the most literal weed song on this whole list. So roll up some Dad Grass and catch a vibe!
Nothin | Kingdom ft. Syd | My younger brother Ezra is a producer/DJ who co-founded the label Fade to Mind and has produced a lot of incredible music. Sometimes you gotta keep it in the family and Syd felt like a great collaborator for his debut album, Tears in the Club.
Enough | Flume ft. Pusha T | I helped put out Pusha’s first solo album through Decon/Mass Appeal, so it felt right to put two people I had worked closely with on a record together. To this day, this is one of my favorite Flume productions and Pusha’s vocals couldn’t be a better fit on the track.
Mandingo Rally | White Mandingos | Rapper MURS doesn’t smoke weed, but on “Mandingo Rally” the band’s guitarist and mastermind Sacha Jenkins asked me to sample Bad Brains' "Rally Round Jah Throne” which gives the song instant weed creds no matter what.
Rabbit’s Revenge | Tom Morello with Big Boi, Killer Mike, and Bassnectar | Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello is a legend so I knew I had to get some other legends in the mix. I reached out to Killer Mike to be on the track and when he was about to record it, Big Boi from Outkast was randomly in the studio next door and decided to record a verse as well. You can never underestimate the power of chance…or good weed!
Preorder How We Roll: The Art and Culture of Joints, Blunts, and Spliffs on dadgrass.com to pair your book with a free Dad Grass CBD or Mom Grass CBG Twoobie.
About the Book
Celebrate one of the most foundational and varied skills of the cannabis connoisseur, with How We Roll: The Art and Culture of Joints, Blunts, and Spliffs. This handy, visual, and giftable guide to twisting-one-up offers rolling techniques, do's and don'ts, quizzes and charts, and illuminating interviews in one lively illustrated reference. Practiced potheads and perennial puffers alike will find something new and exciting in these pages written by the former editor-in-chief of Snoop Dogg’s media platform, Merry Jane.
From the classic joint to The Scorpion, The Braid, The Holy Cross, The Tulip, and other unique approaches, How We Roll employs clever illustrations and clear instructions to take you higher. Featuring interviews with notable cannabis lovers like Wiz Khalifa, Dawn Richard, Wayne Coyne, Laganja Estranja, and Tommy Chong, insight into rolling culture around the world, and tips and tricks for rolling an impressive J, How We Roll is the go-to guide to rolling deep.
About the Author
Noah Rubin is the editor of Snoop Dogg's hit cookbook From Crook to Cook and the former editor-in-chief of Snoop's media platform, Merry Jane. Before Merry Jane, he was editor-in-chief of Nas's media platform/production house Mass Appeal. In addition to his writing and editorial work, Rubin has an extensive music background. His credits include Grammy-winning A&R work for global EDM phenomenon Flume and production on two highly regarded albums for Wu-Tang Clan. He is also the former VP of Music at Decon Records (now Mass Appeal Records), home to artists like Run the Jewels, Pusha T, and the Hood Internet.
About Chronicle Books
Founded in 1967 in San Francisco, Chronicle Books is one of the world’s most admired publishers and distributors of illustrated books, gifts, and games for all ages. Its highly acclaimed list spans art, photography, food, lifestyle, pop culture, humor, self-help, wellness, children’s books, and stationery, among other categories. Chronicle is the home of numerous award-winning authors, bestselling series, and trend-setting titles. Chronicle Books is committed to partnering with artists and writers who represent the diversity of our world and to maintaining an inclusive and equitable working environment for its employees and business partners. For more information visit www.chroniclebooks.com