Hip-hop legend and fashion icon Lil’ Kim is the latest celebrity to enter the cannabis fray. California’s pot superbrand CampNova has partnered with Brooklyn’s native and joins a growing number of celebrities who are aiming to claim their place in the lucrative cannabis market.

In addition to personal market success, Lil’ Kim and her business partners hope to inspire more Black and female entrepreneurs to join the industry as business leaders.

They spoke together Chronic NewsThe 2021 MJBizCon was held in Las Vegas. There, all parties were interviewed by the media. Joined by superbad CEO Carlos Dew, Lil’ Kim said that the partnership comes after a lengthy but necessary process that involved market watching and a good deal of R&D from the Queen Bee. 

“We’d go back and forth throughout the years,” reported Dew, adding that they decided now was the time to move forward, with legislation and market developments trending upward.

Lil’ Kim, a 2017 headliner at the Chronic News Canada Cannabis Cup, agreed with Dew. Self-described hustler said that marijuana was always something she had wanted to do. Although other companies had approached her in the past, she didn’t feel ready to take on every opportunity. 

“I’ve been doing my homework and research on it,” said the artist and enthusiast.

She explained the reasons why she felt now was the right time to be involved. “It’s the way of the world right now,” asking rhetorically, “Why not?” 

Quality was equally important. Wanting to live up to the quality cannabis she’s been exposed to in Brooklyn and beyond, Kim said that the product had to be of the highest quality.

“I’m surrounded by cannabis smokers—everyone around me,” she stated. “I have expensive taste.” After sampling what superbad had to offer, Kim said she came across the gas she was looking to align with. 

What to Expect from Lil’ Kim in Cannabis

While the trio was focused on bigger goals, they kept product details to themselves.

Dew said that plans are in motion, but that they’d prefer to hold off on releasing any more information for now. “We’re going to do everything in phases; then it’s going to hit,” he stated. They did not reveal when the next phase would be announced.

CampNova Co-founder Emery Morrison stated that Kim’s partnership would include promoting products through various video and audio efforts. CampNova is a tech e-commerce platform that he says is “socializing the process of ordering.”

Morrison said that the platform is a mix of UberEats Fashion Nova, Weedmaps, and UberEats. Customers have access to highly-demanded products by way of tiered membership. You can either use it for nothing or you can sign up for monthly paid levels to receive discounts and other bonuses. 

Lil’ Kim joins a roster of notable partner brands in and out of cannabis, currently offering between 30 and 40 brands on the platform. CampNova’s star has joined a roster which includes 2 Chainz and Cann as well Mickey Hart, Carlos Santana. Jay-Z is Ricky Williams, Ricky Williams. Mike Tyson, Jerry Garcia.

The company is also involved in the branding and product selection side, depending on the brand’s preferred sales and marketing plan. CampNova’s recent efforts include online social media promotion as well as physical activations.

In August 2021, the company linked up with Lil Wayne’s GKUA brand, giving free VIP livestream access to his show at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with every purchase of GKUA’s Ultra Premium product made through CampNova. 

The group did not expand on what activations Lil’ Kim would be involved in. Offering a top-level overview, Dew stated that customers could expect an offering that equals Lil’ Kim’s status as a fashion and music icon. 

With hope, Lil’ Kim will continue to push the California-based brand into iconic status as well. This premium, millennial-focused indoor product is available in Southern California’s four counties. It offers flower, pre-roll joints, and badder. Officially launched in October 2020, the L.A.-based superbad touts itself as “the brand of the culture,” asking consumers, “How bad are you?”

The cannabis brand’s desire to be “the perfect accent” to a modern lifestyle fits right in with Lil’ Kim’s brand. Dew discussed how his company’s vision aligned with Lil’ Kim and CampNova. 

“Our whole thing is quality. So, Kim is going to bring a super quality,” he stated. 

Kim elaborated, stating that she opted to partner with superbad after determining the brand was “sophisticated, classy and well-thought-out.” She added that she didn’t intend to slap her name on a brand, a move that often seems to be the case with specific celebrity endorsers. 

Encourage other girls and women to be business leaders

The partnership between Lil’ Kim, superbad and CampNova carries additional significance, with all principles involved being Black entrepreneurs. 

Morrison is a marketing and branding professional who worked with Monster Audio and T Mobile. Morrison highlighted the partnership. 

According to Morrison, all partners are determined to see each brand succeed. CampNova’s strategy applies to every partnership. Doubling down, Morrison said it’s essential to support a project highlighted by a high-profile Black female hip-hop artist. 

“There’s no other brand out there like that,” he stated. 

Morrison hopes that the venture will have an impact on young Black girls like his daughters if it succeeds.

“I want them to see someone that’s a Black woman handling her thing so that they can dream,” he explained. 

Dew offered a similarly optimistic view on Lil’ Kim’s potential impact. He stated, “I think she should be able to show the path forward for how women can start getting into the cannabis community and build their own businesses.” 

Lil’ Kim delved into a similar ideal outcome. “I want to empower women to get more involved.” More specifically, she emphasized that she wants to let women know that they can do anything. 

Cannabis’ Queen Bee enters 

Small in stature and enormous in presence, Lil’ Kim has been a fixture in the entertainment and fashion worlds for decades. With explicit lyrics and a persona dripping in sex appeal, Lil’ Kim was one of the early female rap artists to help push and normalize female written sexually charged lyrics to a level where men often went with much less criticism. 

Her debut album The Hard Core went double platinum in the U.S., helping propel a career that includes a collaboration with Missy Elliot, Pink, Christina Aguilera, and Mýa on “Lady Marmalade,” and five studio albums. Her total sales of albums has exceeded 15 million and singles have sold more than 30 million. 

The Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn native was also part of the famed Junior M.A.F.I.A trio consisting of her, Lil Cease and the legendary Notorious B.I.G., who discovered Lil’ Kim in 1994. Lil’ Kim joins a cannabis market that includes B.I.G.’s son, C.J. Wallace is the man behind Think BIG, his 2019 cannabis brand.