Hailing from Seattle, Swisher Sleep brings that Pacific Northwest grit into every verse, every business move, and every onstage moment. I caught up with him fresh off the release of his “Mansion” video—a hazy, high-energy display of raw talent and rawer terpenes. We talked about everything from Redman crashing his set with a camera in hand, to the brutal tax chokehold on legal weed.
A poet of the pavement, and a cannabis collaborator with a cause, he’s filling the void left by watered-down industry formulas and the fading pulse of authenticity.
So buckle up, and spark something proper. This is Swisher Sleep in his own words.
Cannabis & Tech Today: Let’s start with your new Mansion video—there are a lot of cannabis brands featured throughout. What inspired that concept?
Swisher Sleep: It started because well, first of all I’ve known Scott McKinley for a long time. He’s heavily into the cannabis game and every time there’s an opportunity that pops up with it, he always calls me and brings me along. He’s also doing a show with Red Man called The Dab Roast and that’s how I linked in with him. But as far as the Mansion video and all the sponsors, it was really organic. We went to Las Vegas and met a bunch of people down there and next thing you know we were shooting the video.
C&T Today: What’s your connection with Scott? How did you two meet? And for those unfamiliar, what is The Dab Roast?
SS: I connected with Scott McKinley when he was making moves with Caviar Gold and heavily involved in music. I was stuck in a holding pattern, searching for him, and somehow, through asking around, he called me while I was on the freeway. I told him I needed to meet, and he said he’d be downtown at a rock show.
Outside the venue, over loud music and traffic, I rapped him a full song—three verses, chorus, everything—while we walked three blocks to another venue. He didn’t react the whole time, so I thought he hadn’t heard a word. But when we stopped, he simply said, “That was amazing. I was in a movie the whole time.”
Since then, he’s just been an all around good dude the whole time. What started as more of a business relationship has become a real friendship, one of those lasting ones. And The Dab Roast is a TV show that’s going to be on Netflix and there’s a couple comedians up there, and there’s two contestants that are in the crowd. The contestants come up and there’s a bong right in front of them, and they crack jokes at each other. Whoever loses that round has to take a hit of the dabs. So by the end of the segment, they’re both high on dabs and cracking jokes at each other. And the comedians are making it funny. And the crowd is getting into it. And it’s a TV show. We went to Las Vegas and we did it at the NuWu dispensary—a big venue out there. They can smoke inside, outside—everything. I love that spot. So we did it there, the show, and I had a performance there and now we’re going to go to another state in another city and do the same thing and record these things.
C&T Today: So are Swishers actually your favorite brand or how’d you come up with your name?
SS: I was definitely a Swisher guy growing up, and I just did it so much that they started calling me “Swisher.” You know what I mean? My name already was “Sleep” from when I was a little kid growing up in the neighborhood. So I just combined them together, “Swisher Sleep” but you can’t just smoke Swishers for a hundred years straight. So I switched up to the hemp, all natural. I’m trying to stay around for a while.
C&T Today: I think a lot more people are getting on that longevity wave. How would you describe your music and your style to someone who’s never heard it before, and are there any Marquee songs that you’d want new listeners to listen to first? For me, it was “Concrete Desert.” Once I heard that, I instantly became a fan.
SS: Yes, sir. I definitely appreciate that. I make music for others, but I also make it for myself, and that’s one that I made for myself. If you were asking me to describe it to somebody, I would say that it’s my style and my wordplay and the way that I construct music that hit you first. My hunger for creating music and putting it into the world is out of this world. It’s special and it’s heartfelt and that’s why I call it “Soul” lyrics. Sometimes you can hear the song and sometimes you can feel the song. I try to pride myself in being one of those kinds of artists that can make you feel it. Obviously, you don’t do that every time because if you just threw a hundred overhand writes in a row, they’re going to expect it. So, you gotta hit ’em in the body and you got to change the speed of your punches, and really keep listeners on their toes. If you can do that, then you are an elite artist, which is what I strive to be everyday.
C&T Today: Versatility definitely is a key factor. And just between those two songs, “Mansion” and “Concrete Desert”, your versatility is on full display. Who were some of your bigger musical influences coming up?
SS: Too Short for sure. Also, there was a group called Domino and they were kind of more singing and it was from the R&B era, but they threw verses in their shit and I liked how that went. E 40 from the beginning to the middle to the end. Yeah, those come to mind first; oh, and of course I looked up to Tupac.
C&T Today: How did the connection with Redman come about? He’s in your “Mansion” video and I thought that was very cool. I’ve always loved everything RedMan has done.
SS: Redman actually caught me off guard a couple of times. The first time I met him, I was on stage rapping—lost in the music, blinded by the lights, just focused on my performance. Then, when I finally noticed who was recording me from just a few feet away, it was Redman, camera in hand, right in my face. I was trying to keep rapping, but in my head, I was just thinking, ‘That’s Redman.’ Funny enough, I didn’t even talk to him about music that night. Then there was this wild mix-up with a fan. I took a picture with her at a venue, and about ten minutes later, she came storming back, looking furious. She was like, ‘Why did you say you were Redman?’ I was completely confused and told her, ‘I never said that.’ But she insisted, ‘Yes, you did! I posted the picture and said I was with Redman, and now everyone’s roasting me!’
When I told Redman that story, he just laughed and said, ‘Yeah, you do kinda look like my little brother or something.’ After that, we clicked. He even grabbed the mic during one of my performances at the Cantana Festival, told the crowd what he thought about my talent—not just as an artist, but as a person. That meant a lot. Then he hopped into one of my videos, and we talked about working on music together. It’s all been super organic—he’s as real as they come, just completely down to earth.
I always tell this story because it’s true—when we were working together, he had a million things going on. I spent three days in a house with Redman, and I was grinding as hard as I could, making sure to prove myself. But even with all his years in the game, Redman outworked me. He could easily sit back and say, ‘I’ve done it all already,’ but he doesn’t. That work ethic is something else.
C&T Today: That tracks. He’s also putting together conventions, like that “Free the Green” convention back in January. And when you talk about him being down to earth—that Cribs episode he did? Hands down the best one ever. Looking at your career so far—obviously, there’s much more ahead—but up to this point, what would you say has been the biggest highlight or most defining moment?
SS: It’s tough for me to pinpoint just one defining moment. Honestly, I’d have to say the very first time I picked up a pen—that was the moment that set everything in motion. Everything after that? I get excited about what I accomplish, but I also expect it. I’ve been manifesting these things for so long that by the time they happen, I’ve already lived them in my head.
So, it’s not about landing a big feature or meeting someone in the industry—that’s not what defines me. What truly defines me is the choice I make every morning. When I wake up at four, five, six in the morning, pick up that pen, and get to work—that’s the moment that matters. That’s what keeps shaping who I am every single day.
C&T Today: I really like that perspective. Shifting gears a bit to the cannabis side, how has cannabis influenced your music or your creative process?
SS: Cannabis has literally changed my life. I’ve seen firsthand what it can do. My daughter had cancer, and the medications they were giving her weren’t working. So we decided to try another way. I saw what cannabis oil could do and it made a real difference. I’m not going to call it a miracle, but I saw it do a lot of good.
I’ll be honest—there was a time when I thought people were exaggerating about cannabis being this healing plant. I figured they just wanted an excuse to smoke and sell it. But after what I witnessed, I know it’s real. It truly has properties that help people. That changed my perspective, and now I stand behind it in a whole different way.
In my opinion, if you’re involved in the cannabis community, you’re doing something that helps people. And that’s something I can respect.
C&T Today: Are you involved in the cannabis industry beyond music, through any business ventures, collaborations, or advocacy?
SS: Absolutely. I collaborate with weed companies all the time. It’s tough for them to market their products because cannabis still faces a lot of restrictions—it’s heavily taxed, and they can’t even advertise on TV. Live shows are actually one of the top ways to market a product, second only to TV. So, I’ve been offering that platform. I’ve worked with companies like Cloud Nine and Seattle Marijuana, and right now, we’re linking up with Magnus working on a few things as well.
C&T Today: With all that red tape and the fact that it’s not federally legal yet, you’ve got to find alternative ways to market. And who better than someone who’s already out there putting in the work? Might as well team up.
What’s your take on where the industry is headed?
SS: I think it’s heading in a good direction. I can’t claim to know everything about it, but from what I see, it seems like things are loosening up. It really depends on who you ask, though. I don’t rely on the business, but I know people who do, and they’re getting hit so hard with taxes that it’s not worth it for them.
As a consumer, though, it feels like it’s getting more relaxed, and they’re opening up more options. I was just talking to Scott McKinley, and he was telling me that in Washington State, they’re about to start letting people buy weed straight from the farms if the farm has a specific license. That wasn’t allowed before. The farmers had to sell to stores, and with how long it sits on the shelves, it’s tough for them to make it. But getting it directly from the farm? That’s farm-to-table, super fresh, and that’s what we need as consumers.
C&T Today: Here’s a fun one—if you were going to create your own cannabis strain, what would you call it, and what would it be? Indica, sativa, hybrid?
SS: It would definitely be some indica. Some tasty-ass indica. I think I’d call it God’s Saliva.
C&T Today: I love it. If you could go back in time and give young Swisher Sleep one piece of advice, what would it be?
SS: I’d tell him that it’s more of a blessing to give than to receive. I’d say that, and that I can attract a lot more opportunities with honey rather than vinegar.
C&T Today: What’s one thing people might not know about you that would surprise them?
SS: I’m heavily into astronomy, just the study of the planets and the stars and the galaxy or galaxies. I’m just perplexed by the vast nature of the universe. Sometimes I just stand outside and look up and say, where are we and what are we doing here?
C&T Today: What message do you hope people take away from your music and your journey in general?
SS: Really, just perseverance, and belief as well as self belief. That’s the main message I would have people take away. I want them to understand that the soul is so much more than what we see with our senses and having people out there who listen to my music is such a blessing. I appreciate everyone who does that so if I can somehow give back that feeling of appreciation or self-appreciation with my music then I can definitely say I’ve done my job.
