I don’t know about you, but I’m a product of the 90s. Not a 90’s baby. I was alive, talking and living in the 90s. I spent my teenage years in the 90s. It was the golden era for hip-hop. The culture found its way into every part of pop culture at that time.
When I think about it, everything from music to television seemed a lot better because of how influential hip-hop was becoming at that time.
This one tv show, NYPD Undercover was must-see tv for a kid like me at the time. It was a show that was totally built for a 90s generation that was becoming more tied to the rap world than ever before. It wasn’t just cops and robbers. It was a show full of Black and Brown faces who dressed like me, talked like me and dealt with the same inner-city issues I dealt with at the time.
One of the stars of the show was Malik Yoba. Yoba became one of the standout young Black actors at the time due to his amazing performance as Detective J.C. Williams. His ability to connect with the hip-hop crowd made him a star.
After the show ended in 1999, Yoba would go on to star in movies like Copland and Cool Runnings. You can still catch him on the small screen, but don’t be shocked if you also spot him at your local dispensary.
A cannabis consumer since he was a teen, Yoba is a open advocate for legalization and the participation of Black faces in this new industry.
I had the chance to speak with Malik while at Black CannaCon in New Orleans about his cannabis plans, watching New York go legal, being a 90s icon and creating stories inspired by cannabis.
This episode is sponsored by Burning Acre.