Looking for what to listen to while high in 2026? This 420, we’re highlighting a 4:20-long playlist curated by two Grammy winners, Ricci Riera (producer for Kendrick Lamar and Drake) and Keefa Black (formerly VP of A&R at Atlantic Records). Each selector picked 2:10 of music, creating a smoke-session soundtrack that moves through hip-hop, electronic, folk, and instrumental cuts.
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For cannabis fans building the perfect 420 playlist, this mix reflects how weed and music continue to shape each other across genres and moods. Whether you’re lighting up at home, heading to a 420 event, or just searching for the best songs to listen to while high, this curated playlist delivers a soundtrack designed for long sessions and relaxed vibes.
Why music hits different when you’re high
More than a few cannabis fans swear music hits differently during a smoke session. THC can dial up sensory perception, pulling rhythm, production details, and layered instrumentation into sharper focus — the bass feels thicker, the hi-hats snap a little cleaner, and tiny studio flourishes suddenly step out of the mix.
That’s one reason playlists built for 420 often lean toward:
- layered instrumentals
- atmospheric electronic tracks
- bass-forward hip-hop
- psychedelic or experimental sounds
- mellow folk and downtempo music
This playlist blends those elements into a 4:20-long listening experience, making it an easy choice when deciding what to listen to while high.
Hit play, listen high: The playlist
The minds behind the music
Meet Ricci Riera: A record producer, DJ, and songwriter who produced tracks on Kendrick Lamar’s 2017 Grammy-winning album “DAMN.”
Meet Keefa Black: A Grammy-winning record producer and manager who most recently worked as VP of A&R at Atlantic Records.
Riera and Black understand music and weed on a fundamental level. Both producers realized early in their careers that cannabis can be a powerful tool for inspiration, creativity, and collaboration.
When it comes to building a playlist for smoking or relaxing during a session, their decades of experience, deep knowledge of music production, and passion for the plant are clear in their selections.
“I’m constantly saving tracks either that I love or that I plan on sampling or, like, new shit that I never heard before,” says Riera, who has worked closely with the likes of Drake, Travis Scott, and A$AP Rocky. “So I have such a wide variety of genres that I listen to and I think people need to be exposed to.”
But Riera’s creative process behind curating his half of the playlist involved more than simply picking songs he likes. It was about finding the right sound and considering the numerous ways a single instrument can be played.
“You might hear one drum and bass song and be like, ‘I don’t like that.’ But you don’t realize there’s so many subgenres of drum and bass. There’s the jungle, there’s the atmospheric jungle. There’s all these different angles that you can play with drum and bass — old school, even rock songs, like anything, house.”
Black, who discovered Roddy Ricch and has worked with Nipsey Hussle and Ty Dolla $ign, also focused on the instruments and highlighted “different styles of artistry” rather than a single genre or type of artist.
“I love instrumental tracks, so making that a moment for people to enjoy was cool,” Black says.
Black also made sure his selections set the right tone for a smoke session.
“That’s why I think the instrumental part of the playlist is so important. Songs don’t need words to curate energy, and I think that people will really appreciate that.”
As for what to listen to while high, there are no rules. The power of a great 420 playlist is that it rides the vibe — whether you’re cruising with the windows down, passing a joint at a house party, or settling into a late-night smoke session.
Riera says these beats were crafted to hit every corner of the sonic spectrum, bouncing listeners from hip-hop to electronic to instrumental cuts without killing the smoke-session’s groove.
“Put this shit on shuffle. You won’t get tired of this playlist,” says Riera.
Riera, Black, and Weedmaps
Beyond their lines of work and shared love of the plant, Riera and Black have not only been long-time collaborators with Weedmaps but long-time friends of Weedmaps CEO Doug Francis and Weedmaps Senior VP of Markets and Culture Jonathan “JJ” Jones. Both producers have deep connections with Weedmaps that predate their current successes, and each credits Weedmaps with supporting their respective careers during pivotal moments.
Black is a former Weedmapper who created opportunities for emerging artists, such as bringing Roddy Ricch to Weedmaps when the rapper and songwriter had just 1,000 Instagram followers.
“Weedmaps has always allowed me to be able to use the cannabis culture as a vessel to bring new opportunity to a lot of my artists as well as producers, finding cool ways to collaborate, whether it be on events, brands, sponsorships, and now even long-term partnerships that we are currently developing.”
Weedmaps discovered Riera through his mixtape work and cannabis-friendly branding at THC Productions, creating opportunities for him when the music industry was “in a slump.”
“The alliance with Weedmaps was so crucial for us at that time because the music industry was really in a bad place,” says Riera. “Weedmaps had reached out because we were killing it in the mixtape world, and they were paying attention, and they saw that we were called THC, and I think they saw that we were like, you know, 420-friendly and all that. So they propositioned us to do a mixtape. That’s how it started,” Riera says.
Weedmaps and Riera went on to partner on “kickback” parties and musical performances, hosting cannabis-friendly functions with artists like Ty Dolla $ign and YG.
Riera also curated the music for Weedmaps’ 2017 Coachella party, which featured A$AP Rocky, Virgil Abloh, Tyler the Creator, and Kendall Jenner.
Riera attributes his ambitious nature to the support and work ethic of Francis, Jones, and former Weedmaps CEO Justin Hartfield early in his career. “It inspired me to continue pursuing my dreams, to see what they’ve been able to create. How big it became — it’s always an inspiration. It’s like we all inspire each other.“
Weed in the workflow
Outside of their ties with Weedmaps, Riera and Black have incorporated cannabis in their work from the beginning, drawing on the culture, politics, and literal highs of the plant to evolve their skills.
Black uses weed to help with his creative process, recalling how it’s inspired him in recent years.
“I would say during COVID, weed was definitely closer to me than ever, from just being stuck in the house alone. It helped me come up with a platform to discover artists … while I was smoking weed and drinking coffee for two to three hours a day.”
For Riera, the ever-changing weed space has allowed him to maintain strong working relationships with other cannabis-friendly businesses and artists. The producer recently opened a recording studio in Miami called Sound District 305, noting that he’s partnering with Weedmaps to establish the studio.
But on a more intimate level, Riera shares just how prominent weed is in his everyday work, indicating the positive influence being high can have on creative projects, leading to their success.
“We all smoke weed. Every last one of us. All the producers assigned to me, all the artists I work with, you know, it’s just, I don’t know, we just all happen to smoke weed. So it’s always there. It’s always there. It’s always in the room.”
Ending on a high note
While 420 is most certainly about weed and music, it’s also about much more.
Riera and Black’s playlist underscores the union between cannabis and music, offering a soundtrack that speaks to exploration, originality, and evolution.
Their work with Weedmaps and 420-friendly brands reflects how cannabis culture has become a legitimate and essential part of the creative world. It also nods to the cannabis community’s perseverance and the importance of championing the plant together.
So whether you’re celebrating this April 20 with Black at Coachella, hitting up the beach with pizza and drinks like Riera, or spending time with friends and fellow lovers of the plant, you can trust that weed and music will be wherever you are.
Need bud to go with the beats? Order cannabis products for pickup or delivery from a dispensary near you.
