Yesterday marked the annual nationwide cannabis holiday 4/20. Yesterday also marked the opening of the most recent film from the mind of DJ Pooh, the co-writer of the Friday series that stars Ice Cube, among many others. In the past, DJ Pooh’s offerings have always followed a similar pattern. Get a rapper and surround them with funny comedians and put them in odd situations. Grow House follows that formula.
This time around, the funny portions are provided by comedian Lil Duval and Deray Davis. Duval first came onto the scene back in 2005 after finishing as a semifinalist on BET’s Coming to the Stage. He’s been getting Viacom checks ever since, most recently as the host of Ain’t That America.
With Grow House, Lil Duval, born Roland Powell, is hoping to level up, not unlike Mike Epps, Michael Blackson and other funnymen did after appearing in a DJ Pooh piece. Here’s what he had to say about the whole experience.
“I’m just realizing that I’m starring in a movie that’s opening in theaters nationwide. And it’s about weed, which is something I never did until like last year. We filmed it two years ago. But it takes time for a film to come out.”
The Shadow League: What’s the premise of the film?
Lil Duval: The film is about me and DeRay Davis. We decide to make some money by opening up our own grow house. That’s pretty much the premise. My character is a washed up rapper named Grown Gangsta.
TSL: You star in a movie about marijuana but didn’t smoke at the time. How’d that turn out for you?
LD: I wasn’t smoking on set because I wasn’t really getting high then. But after I started getting high, we shot a video called ‘Chilling With the Soldiers.’ That’s when we got really high. We got tore up. Snoop’s funny on the low. Everybody asks me have I smoked with Snoop. Yeah, I’ve smoked with Snoop.
TSL: How was it smoking with one of the world’s most beloved potheads?
LD: Whatever he gave me, I smoked it. I don’t know what it was. He could have gave me crack. I don’t know, but it was good.
TSL: So, who’s next on your celebrity smoke hit list?
LD: I’ve smoke with Snoop and Devin the Dude. I want to smoke with Willie Nelson next.
