Hip-Hop and Cannabis: Livestreams with Ellevan

From Wu-tang to Wiz, the hip-hop community has long embraced cannabis use and culture.

Maybe it’s the power cannabis has to creatively enhance an artist. Maybe it’s the roots of the music. But hip-hop artists from every landscape have referenced cannabis in one way or the other. As the legendary group, Bone Thugs N’ Harmony says,

“If everybody smoked a blunt, relieve the mind, the world could be a better place/if everybody took a break and we all just got wasted.”

More so, hip-hop and cannabis have always been something people assume to go hand in hand. And now with the changes in legalization, more and more hip-hop artists and rappers are coming out of the framework.

What used to be broken down, packed, rolled, smoked and inhaled behind closed doors is now openly spoken about.

Enter the Ellevan Freestyle Livestream

One hip-hop artist, in particular, has taken it upon himself to solidify the foundations of hip-hop and cannabis.

His name is, Ellevan, and his embodiment of hip-hop and cannabis is the reason you should tune into the HM facebook feed every Tuesday at 6:30 pm.

That’s right: The Ellevan Freestyle Livestream, the human freestyle rap generator. The hottest thing to hit the web since sliced bread and the best place to find creative freestyle rhymes.

Simply put, Ellevan is considered one of Canada’s most dynamic ‘freestyle’ artists. He sings, raps and creates custom songs out of thin air. Every Tuesday he gives the Higher Mentality audience a custom show, integrating the comments from the Livestream into his witty rhythm and poetry.

Let’s not forget that this show is 420-friendly, and our man Ellevan is usually sparking up to get those creative juices flowing. His message is clear: show up, relax, and let a master of words guide you through your Tuesday night.

It’s like a trip on a magic-carpet without the rug burn.

Freestyle Ingenuity for All to See

Everything Ellevan raps on the show is a freestyle. He may prepare a few lines before, but there is absolutely no reading involved. We made a strict rule: no ‘writtens’ allowed! This way, the audience, and viewers are encouraged to drop words, phrases, and ideas into the comment section for Ellevan to integrate into his rhymes. You become a part of the show! And Ellevan creates more organic and funny freestyle raps. You help establish hip-hop and cannabis.

Here are some of his best interactions with the audience:

Creative Flows about a Lighter and a Girl 9:24-950

The comments from the audience may come in order, but Ellevan’s mind doesn’t always think in a linear fashion.  The man with a light in his hand catches these three words in stride.

“Excuse me, doctor, before you even start. Let’s talk about this lil’ girl, ya she stole my heart

I was walking in the park…smoking a joint, rollin with boyz, looking over my shoulder then she appeared

Like weird, I need to find a lighter, right now, and walk beside her and creatively get inside of her mind, now

Are you really ready for the flight like me? Oh and she say, ‘oh a guy like me…is just the type to be on the keys”

It’s the Sharknado the crew!

Dynamic as he is energetic, Ellevan throws in some gentle melodies to go with the hard-hitting rhymes. Shark-week is the ever popular predator phenomenon that sweeps across the globe for a week.

(Singing) “It’s our week, now what do we see? We see sharks all on T.V.

It’s our week, now what do we see? Sharknado all on our tees.

Ellevan kept it flowing from there:

Sharknado crew, shark-shark-nado crew,

thats a quality of the crew, thats just what we do.

Positivity, chill vibes and I’m high a lot. 420 Higher Mentality desired spots.

Diving Deeper into Hip-Hop and Cannabis

The relationship between cannabis and hip-hop has been praised by some of the genre’s stars and rejected by others. However, scientific analysis of hip-hop lyrics shows that cannabis and the musical genre have a deeply entrenched relationship. This may be why so many artists pay homage to the glorious “Mary Jane.”

In fact, for decades rap music has provided a non-violent, creative outlet for people of color specifically. A place where one could find peace amongst the chaos. Essentially, hip hop’s African roots may have come from years of immigration. Then transplanted into American lifestyle during the slave trade. The immigration of Jamaicans to New York also played an enormous role. This lyrical style and music came from a place of reggae and soul. In fact, it helped to create the beats and rhythms of the music.

Hip-hop and cannabis have been used for years in certain cultures. It wasn’t until the Mexican refugees started to flee the revolution. This is when the surge in marijuana really became a product within the United States. Crazy to think that Xenophobia was actually a massive catalyst to the anti-marijuana legislation. So, to no surprise that today, marijuana laws disproportionately punish people of color.

The pair of hip-hop and cannabis truly go together despite the challenged both have seen. They are resilient, adaptable, and pervasive.

About Ellevan

Ellevan, locally loved and internationally known for his freestyle and production abilities. Evan Ellevan started in the entertainment industry at 16. By 20, he fulfilled his dream to perform stand up at the World Famous Comedy Story. By 22, Ellevan moved to Toronto to pursue a future in music.

After achieving local fame in the live Toronto music scene, he challenged himself to take it to the streets. Here he would birth his flawless freestyle execution and expand his songwriting skills to co-write for some of the cities hottest and biggest names.

Friendships would blossom in Los Angeles with world-class creators. Now, Ellevan is breaking world records by releasing a song and a music video every single day this year. He is also partnering with some large brands as a content creators.

Follow the journey at @EllevanMusic.