Featured image courtesy of Damian Arbelaez-Castillo
Music and cannabis share a remarkable ability to enhance our experiences, inviting us to connect more deeply with ourselves and the world around us. Collectively, they create a space for reflection, creativity, and pleasure.
High Notes explores the intersections of music and cannabis, highlighting the records that elevate the moment.
Emerging as the electric force behind Philadelphia’s Pop-Trap scene, REGOTHERESHEGO (aka Rebecca Gonazlez) has made a name for herself as an innovative, genre-defying artist who blends sounds in fresh, unexpected ways. Her debut EP To Be Determined (2019) introduced us to her iconic vocal swells and boundary-pushing style. Since then, she’s making waves in NYC, carving out a unique space with her bold, genre-bending sound and electrifying performances.
With passion-fueled vocals and ever-shifting moods, REGO’s sound is as dynamic and multifaceted as the city she calls home. And she continues to evolve. Her music is becoming deeply personal, captivating listeners and pushing creative boundaries through powerful vocals and striking visuals to accompany.
New tracks like You Dont Mean Shit mark her entry into a new creative chapter, as she works on her fourth solo EP, elevates her live shows, and explores themes of self-discovery, love, and clarity.
In this edition of High Notes, she takes us through her musical journey, how cannabis intersects with her creative process, and the albums that help shape her mood and creativity. Light one up and dive into the world of REGO.
The Emerald Magazine: What’s one album you’d recommend for the ultimate smoke sesh, and what makes it the perfect choice?
REGO: This answer will always change for me depending on the pace of my life. But I’ve been going through my “healing era” (and not like Whitney from the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City ). So mind you I’ve been smoking and trying to reflect while listening to the ethereal and Sade-like voice of Naomi Sharon—specifically her project Obsidian. Songs like Another Life and Hills are just so beautifully written and calming.
Emerald: Do you remember when you first discovered Obsidian? What feelings or memories does it bring up for you?
REGO: My amazing friend Ren of 4VR actually puts me on to so much music and she told me to listen to this project. I was immediately hooked. It makes me feel nostalgic and it also gives me hope and a sense of feeling not alone. This song reminds me of exhaling in the cold, watching the heat from your breath intertwine with the rising heat of the hot chocolate in your hand.
Emerald: Are there particular moments in the album that stand out? Can you share a favorite track?
REGO: My favorite song once was Another Life but I think Hills has recently risen to the top. To me, she is describing the tugs and pulls of a relationship that’s not meant to be at that time. The lyrics really resonate with me especially as I’ve been learning about my attachment styles and in general navigating dating in New York.
Emerald: When you create, do you have a specific mood or vibe in mind that you want to evoke in your listeners? How do you achieve that?
REGO: I fundamentally believe you can’t give from an empty cup. When I create I am usually in a space of overflow and it is very private and vulnerable to me. I hole up in my room and I light candles and just freestyle melodies and words. I try to create in seasons. Sometimes I am in a season of discovery and learning (which is where I am at now) and then sometimes I am in the season of creating or overflow. And, because I’m an independent artist (please please if you’re a manager hit me up), I also have seasons of releasing content which to me is not creating but still a creative output.
Emerald: Has cannabis influenced your music or creative process over the years?
REGO: It has. I can’t overdo the cannabis these days but when I am feeling like I need to relax and open some creative pathways, I’ll light a j.
Emerald: Your music is described as genre-bending with electric style. What approach do you take to blending different influences to create your signature “Pop-Trap” sound?
REGO: I think there are certain artists where it doesn’t matter what the beat is doing. It’s their voice and their writing that makes it them. I feel this way about FKA Twigs, Rihanna, Bad Bunny, and myself. I don’t think my music fits into a box because no one else has my voice and can deliver certain sounds the way I do. I am a pastor’s kid and grew up singing worship music. I started practicing opera recently which has unlocked a new era for me. So I really approach my music based on finding sounds that best capture the mood I feel in that moment.
Emerald: You’ve mentioned the importance of visuals in your work. How do you incorporate visual elements to enhance the storytelling in your music?
REGO: You can check out my music videos, TikToks, and my Instagram in general. I love bringing a sound to life by telling a visual story. When you release a song it becomes someone else’s memento in time. Everyone places different meanings on it based on how they feel, listen, and what they are going through. I love this but I think visuals are my way to kinda set the narrative and reveal where my head was at when I wrote the song.
Emerald: Tell us a little about your latest release, “You Dont Mean Shit.” How was that conceptualized?
REGO: My last project was called Clouded by the Chance of Heartbreak and I have been chewing on this concept of your “head in the clouds.” This feeling of dissociation, turbulence, and distance but wanting to find yourself, find love, and clarity. You Dont Mean Shit sounds like the calm after the storm to me. It just sounded like clarity and I really like the idea of me kinda parachuting down from the clouds having found my new realizations, and standing firm on two feet.
Emerald: What’s the best way to truly immerse yourself in a record?
REGO: To me, it’s walking with headphones. I always say, listen to my music on a determined walk.
Emerald: If you had to set the mood for a sesh using three tracks from your own catalog, which ones would you choose?
REGO: You Dont Mean Shit 10,000% especially if you’re listening to Naomi Sharon. But if you boutta sesh to a Days after Rodeo Travis Scott Vibe, I would listen to Beg for It and Pray for You.
Emerald: Where can we keep up with you / what you’re working on right now?
REGO: I am working on a new single called “All on my own” releasing in December. Got singles headed your way. Keep up with me on IG @regothereshego or if you’re in New York City stop by a show!
CHECK OUT NAOMI SHARON’S OBSIDIAN HERE:
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