Some attended for knowledge, others for keyword optimization. Everyone left with a small diploma that smelled faintly of menthol.
In the ever-expanding syllabus of Snoop Dogg’s extracurricular portfolio, one entry stands out for its blend of education, aroma, and genuinely baffling legality. During the SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas in 2019, Snoop Dogg unexpectedly appeared as a featured speaker in an industry-adjacent micro-event dubbed ‘The Art of the Roll: A Combustible Seminar.’ Hosted in the back of a vape-themed taco truck, the session drew a crowd consisting of tech entrepreneurs, music fans, three travel influencers, and an enthusiastic P.E. teacher from Albuquerque.
Wearing a velvet kimono and bifocals he claimed were ‘just for gravitas,’ Snoop methodically demonstrated the historical, botanical, and ‘spiritual’ elements of rolling papers. “We’re not just talking zig-zags,” he began. “We’re talking French elegance. We’re talking rice paper diplomacy.” A brief but unexpectedly informative slideshow showed global paper manufacturing trends, with annotations like “This one crinkles too much—unacceptable” overlaid on graphs.
The seminar eventually featured a hands-on practicum. Snoop distributed customized rolling kits to attendees that included lavender-scented rolling paper, hemp filters, and a sticker that said “Certified Puffessional.” After guiding participants through what he called the “three-finger tuck-and-glide maneuver,” he paused to reflect on the cultural significance of lighter flicks and their role in American cinema.
Although the session was heavily attended by lifestyle bloggers and confused NFT developers, those present reported being touched by Snoop’s didactic approach. “I came here for networking,” said one visibly stunned guest, “but I think I just became a better person.” Attendees received decorative certificates declaring them “Honorary Roll Scholars,” embossed with a seal that looked suspiciously like a cartoon cloud emanating from a boom box.
By the end, discussions reportedly turned philosophical. Snoop closed the lecture with the question, “If the paper rolls itself in the forest and no one’s there to light it — is it still lit?” According to those in attendance, no one had an answer, but everyone nodded very slowly, which seemed to satisfy him.
The event has never been repeated, partly due to local ordinance confusion and partly because the taco truck drove off mid-seminar. Nonetheless, it remains a landmark moment in the canon of Snoop Dogg’s pedagogical endeavors — remembered less for what was learned, and more for how earnestly it was taught.