The Happy Munkey co-founders recently sat down with Hopegrown to discuss their wildly popular podcast.
Q: How did Happy Munkey become one of the most upcoming podcast for cannabis enthusiasts all over the world?
A: The Happy Munkey Podcast came to be out of conversations between our staff and company Co-Founders Vladimir Bautista and Ramon Reyes about ways we could begin to pull back the curtain on the events side of Happy Munkey. After years of curating NYC’s most illustrious cannabis social scene, it was clear people were eager to learn about the Happy Munkey secret sauce.
While we already were putting energy towards Happy Munkey TV, something we had never done before was let the creators, Vlad & Ramon, speak and chime in on the magic they had put together. After weeks of weighing the pros and cons of Ramon & Vlad entering the limelight, we finally decided that there was no way to properly launch a Happy Munkey Podcast without them.
Once we got recording what happened next, we could have never planned
for, Ramon & Vlad were absolutely naturals behind the mic! With a
mixture of warm light heartedness and lived experience only true triple
OGs can wield, guests and listeners alike were transported to Uptown to
smoke and kick it on the Boulevard with Ramon & Vlad.
Just like in
NYC, you never know who you will see on the Boulevard. From CEOs and
artists to street legends like Freeway Ricky Ross and Crazy Legs, The
Happy Munkey Podcast has become the nexus of corporate cannabis and
culture. Instead of hearing the same stale questions a lot of industry
podcasts ask, guests organically and enjoyably chop it up about their
love of the cannabis plant. A relatable experience for all cannabis
enthusiasts all over the world.
More recently, we are now releasing never-before-seen visuals to past
podcasts episodes, as well as releasing sharp new visuals for our
weekly podcast drops!
Once we beat Covid, best believe we will be having even crazier visuals and locations to accompany the already dope podcast. Without a doubt approaching over 50 episodes and our 1-year anniversary, Vlad & Ramon will continue to spice up the cannabis podcast game! Make sure to Choose Happy and tune in on Monday’s @4:20 EST for the latest episodes of the Happy Munkey Podcast!!
Q: How is Happy Munkey changing how the East Coast is being represented in the cannabis industry?
A: For
those who do not know, NYC is the global pound-for-pound heavyweight
champion when it comes to yearly cannabis consumption, consuming an
estimated 77 metric tons a year (we speculate higher). Yet when we
started Happy Munkey in 2017, looking out at the cannabis industry there
was little to no representation of the New York cannabis culture.
In
three short years, we are proud to say we changed that! Instead of
surfboards and mountains, Happy Munkey’s omnichannel media has been
shining a light on the countless different lifestyles New York (and more
generally East Coast) stoners live.
The Happy Munkey Podcast specifically has acted as a crossroad between the world of corporate cannabis and culture with a heavy East Coast focus. Normally one would find it unlikely that cannabis power players like Stormy Simon, Jason Beck, Richard Carleton, Jamie Pearson, and Mary Pryor would be on the same platform as cultural icons like Hawk Newsome, Coodie Simmons, Black Rose, and even Freeway Rick Ross.
Yet, when you are on the Boulevard with Happy Munkey it all seamlessly meshes. Happy Munkey’s monthly magazine Munkey Biz, which drops on the first of every month, is one more great example of a platform we have created that beautifully amplifies the knowledge of the movers & shakers in the East Coast canna-community.
Another way we have helped change the way East Coast cannabis is
represented has been through our YouTube channel Happy Munkey TV. Shows
like “Valid / Not Valid”, our exotic Munchies show, directly highlight
the NYC lingo. The fan favorite “Puffs with Puff”, starring Bronx Native
Mr. Puffington is not only filled with NYC lingo, but also gives you a
front row seat to how people in the highest cannabis consuming city get
down!
Our social media outlets have also been instrumental in
documenting and sharing the East Coast canna culture. Instagram and
(believe it or not) LinkedIn being the most active canna-communities, we
routinely post updates and promote what Happy Munkey and our Canna-fam
has been cooking up!
Last but most definitely not least, Happy Munkey is proudly owned and
operated by Dominicans and we feel that in addition to the lack of East
Coast representation, the Latinx community is largely underrepresented
in cannabis nationwide. So, we hope what we have built inspires other
Latinx people to enter the industry.
Q: In the next 5 years, do you see Happy Munkey being syndicated through a traditional talk show platform?
A: In
5 years’ time there is no question shows like the Happy Munkey Podcast,
Munkey Sessions, and Munkey Munchies, which all already live on our
Youtube channel Happy Munkey TV, will be syndicated on a network or
streaming platform.
From “Munkey Biz”, our Monthly Magazine to the Happy Munkey Podcast, something we are certain about is that we want our platform to reach every corner of the globe to put a clear New York stamp on cannabis. Additionally, as a proud Dominican created and operated company, we want our Latinx people to see that cannabis is filled with opportunity for everyone.
