POT TUNES HIGH ON CHARTS

Has Pop Gone To Pot?

Consider the evidence. In the last month, three marijuana anthems have
become radio and video hits. The Gorillaz's "Clint Eastwood" hazily
serenades the joys of "sunshine in a bag." Afroman's "Because I Got
High" is a cautionary tale about joints that's also a winking
endorsement. And now we have Bad Ronald's "Let's Begin (Shoot the
S--)," which starts off with the line "We're gonna light the weed,"
then runs through a host of party pleasures with a telltale drowsy
leer.

Bad Ronald's selftitled album puffs into stores today. The single is
in MTV rotation and has earned major play on national alternative
radio. It has also landed the group a nomination for High Times
magazine's Pot Song of the Year. (The winner will be announced
tomorrow at the annual Doobie Awards at Wetlands.)

High Times editor Steve Bloom sees all this as part of a new pot wave.
"Cypress Hill and all the hip-hop groups have songs about pot. Now
it's spreading out into other kinds of groups" - including, lately,
Weezer, with "Hash Pipe," and Kottonmouth Kings, with their new album,
"Hidden Stash 2."

According to Bad's spokesman, Doug Ray, their song isn't just about
weed. "If you're a pothead, then it's about pot. If you're a beer
drinker, it's about beer. Or if you're just into relaxing, it's about
that. We're very accommodating."

For practical purposes, they have to be. The group knew they couldn't
be shown explicitly smoking or mentioning weed in their video, so the
clip focuses instead on beer.

"Since this is our first video, we were willing to play ball," says
Ray. "Besides, no one could accuse us of not smoking pot."

Ray grew up in Hartsdale, in Westchester County, with another Bad
member, DJ Owl. The two formed the group with other hip-hop/rock fans
in New York, with names like Kaz Gamble and DJ Deetox. They took their
name from a '70s horror telefilm about a teen who accidentally murders
a girl and is then forced by his mother to live in a room under the
stairs.

Ray insists the group is not a novelty act, though they clearly don't
take themselves too seriously. There are limits, though. "There is a
difference between use and abuse," he cautions.

"If you take it to the point where you can't perform, then, my friend,
you have a problem."