Colorado’s cannabis industry and hip-hop community have grown alongside one another for decades, often crossing paths without fully sharing the spotlight. Behind the platinum-selling artists and national tours is another world: independent musicians building loyal audiences city by city, one performance, one stream, and one collaboration at a time.
Denver rapper Ray Reed is part of that movement. His partnership with Colorado edibles company Dialed In Gummies represents more than a branded product. It reflects how legal cannabis has created new avenues for local artists to build businesses, expand their audiences, and connect with fans in ways that simply weren’t possible before legalization.
For Reed, the collaboration carries personal significance. Having lived through an era when cannabis existed outside the legal marketplace, he now finds himself working with a licensed company in one of the country’s most established cannabis industries. It’s a reminder of how dramatically the landscape has changed for artists, entrepreneurs, and consumers alike.
The strongest artist partnerships rarely feel like advertisements that people want to click out of in a haste. They feel like extensions of an artist’s creative ecosystem. Fans have an uncanny ability to recognize the difference between a paycheck and genuine affinity, particularly in music, where authenticity remains one of the genre’s most valuable currencies. When a collaboration reflects an artist’s actual lifestyle, tastes, and community, the relationship becomes magnetic rather than transactional.
Cannabis and hip hop have long shared cultural roots, yet much of that conversation has centered on flower and blunts. As legal markets mature and consumption evolves, products like gummies offer a fresh canvas for collaboration, allowing artists and cannabis brands to build partnerships that feel personal, culturally relevant, and rooted in the way people actually consume today.
Cannabis & Tech Today caught up with Reed to discuss Denver’s evolving hip-hop scene, creativity, legalization, and why authentic partnerships can mean more than a traditional endorsement.
Cannabis & Tech Today: This collaboration with Dialed In Gummies feels less like a sponsorship and more like a partnership that shines a light on Colorado artists. How did it come together?
Ray Reed: My manager, Maya J, works with AG, and I believe Dialed In was looking for artists from the local scene to collaborate with. They reached out to her, she reached out to me, and we made it happen. It was pretty natural.
C&T Today: What made you want to put your name behind this project?
RR: For one, it’s an honor. It’s always been an honor for me to get into the marijuana industry legally. I actually use marijuana and gummies, so it was a win-win situation. Coming from my background, there was a time when none of this was legal and we dealt with a lot of trials and tribulations. Now it’s an honor to be part of an actual cannabis company that’s doing it the right way.
C&T Today: You had a hand in developing the gummy. Tell us about the creative process.
RR: I have a single called Yesterday, and I thought having a gummy tied to that song would be crazy because it’s like, “I took this gummy and woke up yesterday.” The song artwork is orange, so I wanted something that matched that brighter energy. Yesterday has over two million streams on DistroKid, so everything just lined up with the colors, the flavors, and the overall vibe.
I also chose a sativa gummy. I’m an indica flower guy, but with gummies I wanted something people could take and stay active with instead of going straight to sleep.
C&T Today: What role does cannabis play in your creative process?
RR: I consume more for back pain, but it also calms me down. I rage on stage. I like to move around and get active, so before I perform or record, cannabis helps settle my body. It just makes me feel normal.
C&TT: Colorado has become known for both cannabis and music. Why do collaborations like this resonate here?
RR: Our fans have been waiting for something like this. What’s bigger than having your own product in a dispensary? There are more dispensaries than 7-Elevens here. For a local artist, it’s probably one of the biggest opportunities you can have.
C&T Today: Tell us about Denver’s hip hop scene right now.
RR: It’s growing at a steady pace. Everybody isn’t blowing up overnight. We’re growing together.
When people come here they’ll find a lot of energy and a lot of talented artists. Everybody’s hungry. There are events happening all year, local festivals, and mainstream shows with AEG, Live Nation, and others. It’s a city where people are putting in the work.
I would tell people to start supporting these artists now before it’s too late.
C&T Today: Technology is changing nearly every creative industry. Has it changed the way you work?
RR: I’m not really into tech like that. I edit my own videos, so that’s probably where I use it the most. Mostly I’m focused on putting together good collaborations and making sure these projects reach people.
C&TT: Looking ahead, what’s next for Ray Reed?
RR: I have a lot of singles dropping, a lot of videos coming out, and I’m really focused on building more awareness for my brand.
I’ve got the Mile High Minute Music Festival coming up on September 3, and after that I’ll be announcing more shows. I’m also throwing my own Dialed In release party. My fans are really excited about this one, and honestly, this collaboration is personal for me.
C&T Today: If someone picks up your Dialed In gummy and presses play on one of your songs for the first time, which track should they hear?
RR: Yesterday. That’s the single I’m pushing right now.
Once you take the gummy, it’s going to give you that energy to get in motion. Everybody’s already moving, but we’re trying to make progress. That’s what I want people to feel.
