High Times with Sean Paul

Sean Paul sat down with High Times Mag to speak on herbs, his album, respect and even his own store, check out bits of the interview here:























You’ve been very open about your marijuana use with songs like “Legalize It” and your new album, Imperial Blaze. Do you feel that marijuana should be legal?



For Sure! In terms of it crowding up prisons with relatively innocent people.  In terms of the economic benefits of certain societies, especially Jamaica. In terms of it being utilized for economic and medical purposes. There are so much things that hemp oil, rope and the substance alone can do. It’s kind of funny that more people have been documented to have accidents, crash and die on alcohol, yet that is legal. I think that when people freed it up and decriminalized it in L.A., and you could go into a store and buy medical weed, it was a step in a great direction – if it could happen without it changing into a different type of product. It should be natural.


You’ll have to come out with your own brand of Imperial Blaze. 



One day… Hey you never know. We’ll see what happens. Maybe I’ll open a natural store in L.A. one day


Do you feel marijuana helps your creative process? 


I feel it helps with the feeling of euphoria. If you’re in a bad mood you’re going to write a bad mood song. My songs have always been feel-good songs. People always say my music makes them feel good. So being in a good mood comes out in the music. If I have to write a happy song when I’m upset and I don’t get to smoke as spliff, I can still focus, be creative and write the happy song, but it helps with the euphoria.


Speaking of euphoria, how does it feel to be #1 on the Billboard Rap Chart? 


Euphoric (laughs). It’s kind of a great feeling. People check the vibe out still. I’m glad to know people see it and appreciate it


What do you have to say to dancehall artists who have criticisms of your work, despite the fact that you’re a global phenomenon?


The world is not a fair place. I have been a very fair person to the people around me, my fans and people who enjoy my music. Other people not being recognized has nothing to do with me.  I don’t have a big finger in the business holding people down. Dancehall music is ghetto people music. I don’t claim to come from a certain area or claim to be the biggest gangsta, I just wanted to make music, so I bridged the gap between uptown and downtown. I went to downtown and did it. When people look at my popularity and say negative things I understand that they are frustrated. It is frustrating for me at times too to have to keep proving myself to my own people.  It’s annoying. To those who hate me, to my critics, I say, you have to hate me more than I hate myself because I am my own biggest critic. I try to do better every step of the way. 


I love Sean Paul's album Imperial Blaze, it's in stores now, if you haven't done so, go out and get that, trust me it's worth the money. Looking forward to his latest video for 'hold on' which should be dropping soon.
For more of the interview, check it out here