You can’t keep a good Dogg down.
After a brief dalliance in the RTD coffee business earlier this year, legendary rapper, weed advocate and rising CPG player Snoop Dogg is back with another new beverage venture, this time teaming with Texas-based Hill Beverage Co. to use iconic rap label Death Row Records as a way to enter the rapidly expanding world of cannabis beverages.
The new line, called Do It Fluid, offers four flavors — Blood Orange (“G’d Up”), Blue Razz (“Tha Shiznit”), Cherry Limeade (“Lodi Dodi”) and Peaches N Honies (“Pump Pump”) — in a CBD-exclusive (25mg, priced at $4.99 per 12 oz can) version, as well as an 8 oz version that contains 3mg Delta-9 THC and 5mg CBD ($5.99 per can). Both Cherry Limeade and Peaches N Honies are presented under the Doggy Spritz sub-line. More innovations are slated to come next year.
“As I take the next step forward in my smoking evolution, Hill Beverage Co.’s vision for cannabis beverages was the perfect transition,” said Snoop Dogg in a statement. “What we’ve created is an all-natural and delicious alternative that doesn’t sacrifice the high, while providing fans with the perfect option for day or night.”
Landing one of cannabis’ biggest names is a coup for Texas-based hemp-based drink producer Hill Beverage Co., which launched this year and lists Do It Fluid as the only products on its website. According to a press release, founder Jake Hill has “extensive experience in the development of controlled, industry-leading growth technology with more than a dozen cannabis-driven companies,” including Cookies.
“Taking my passion for cannabis and curating an all-natural high alternative for consumers that is both bold and fulfilling in flavor is a testament to the new direction the cannabis industry is heading,” said Hill. “Our debut line alongside Snoop Dogg and Death Row Records is the perfect way to cement our brand within the cannabis and beverage space, and I’m excited for consumers, whether or not they’re familiar with the cannabis marketplace, to experience the line.”
For those of a certain age, the name “Death Row” conjures images of West Coast gangsta rap’s garish peak, when larger-than-life stars like Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur and (as he was then known) Snoop Doggy Dogg racked up millions in sales with slickly produced, radio-ready records steeped in LA street culture. Under the imposing leadership of celebrity bodyguard-turned-executive Marion “Suge” Knight, the label scored big with a new generation of young hip-hop fans, its credentials further enhanced by its anxiety-inducing effect on politicians and concerned parents of the day.
In 2023, after a tumultuous decade-plus of bankruptcy and multiple sales, the Death Row brand (though not the complete back catalog) is back in the hands of Snoop Dogg, who’s vision for the reborn company extends to a wide range of products, including food and beverage. A division of the larger brand, Death Row Cannabis currently sells flower in stores in California and Michigan, according to its website.
While shifting into weed drinks aligns with Snoop’s image, his track record in CPG has seen its share of hits and misses. Among the former: he’s had his face on Rap Snacks, collaborated on THC-infused munchies with TSUMO, and teamed with Post to launch kids breakfast cereals under his Broadus Foods label. In beverage, there’s been clear hits (St. Ides malt liquor, back in the 90’s), clear misses (his brief, confusing affiliation with now-defunct INDO) and some not yet clear, like King Kongin’, his still-early energy drink with fellow rap legend Master P.
Ironically, Do It Fluid is being positioned, at least aspirationally, to compete with some of the beverage alcohol products that Snoop “endorses”, most notably Corona Beer but also Happy Dad Hard Seltzer; Death Row also markets its own red wine. In an interview with Forbes, he posited: “It’s considered completely normal to split a six-pack of beer or bottle of wine at the end of the day… Why not a cannabis or hemp-infused drink?”