Sunday, December 25, 2011
By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr.
Associated Press
ATLANTA
Snoop Dogg remembered watching all of the Cheech and Chong movies growing up, idolizing the pothead tandem’s ability to always escape from danger in their comedy films.
Wiz Khalifa revered Snoop Dogg for his weed-smoking, ultra-smooth West Coast swagger shown extensively throughout his rap career.
One is the mentor, the other is the protege. Since the two rappers met for the first time last year, they’ve built a strong rapport with each other and have united to create their own album, “Mac & Devin Go to High School,” which was released this week.
The album is the soundtrack of the rappers’ upcoming stoner comedy, “Mac & Devin Go to High School,” which is expected to be released early next year. The duo feels they are capable of following the footsteps of Cheech and Chong, who gained fame through their marijuana humor.
“They smoked joints, they were funny, they were cool and they would get into real situations,” Snoop Dogg said. “To me, that’s what me and Wiz represent. A lot of kids growing up don’t understand who Cheech and Chong are. So we’re the modern-day image of them. We’re bringing it back.”
Snoop Dogg and Khalifa have embodied the fun-filled, carefree life, with a devotion to smoking marijuana. Their easygoing demeanor is displayed on the duo’s single, “Young, Wild & Free,” featuring Bruno Mars, which peaked at No. 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.
The rappers are latest popular hip-hop characters to create an album and movie revolved around their pothead excursions. Rapper Redman and Method Man appeared in the 2001 film, “How High.”
But Khalifa said he and Snoop Dogg are “”trying to create our own lane.
“There have been others to pave the way for us, so we’re just trying to keep it going, and tell our own stories,” added Khalifa, who finished a six-city tour with Snoop Dogg this week.
Some believe the rappers are having too much fun with their storytelling. In May, there were reports that school officials canceled the filming of “High School” at Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, Calif., after learning the theme of the movie was centered around marijuana, which is an illegal substance.
But Snoop Dogg and Khalifa — who both stand at a lanky 6-foot-4 — coolly denied there were any problems.