Featured image courtesy of Sammi Nassar
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.
Philly-born, LA-based Andrew Loper is the voice behind Rubber—a genre-blending project fusing soulful melodies with electrifying elements of R&B, hip-hop, jazz, and hyper-pop. As the frontman and lyricist, their music hits deep with raw emotion and unapologetic honesty.
Since launching Rubber in 2017, the journey has been one of growth and discovery. From performing at coffee shops to viral success, Rubber continues to evolve—exploring themes of vulnerability, love, and self-reflection.
In this edition of High Notes, Loper discusses their creative process, albums that inspire them, and what’s next for Rubber.
The Emerald Magazine: What’s one album you’d recommend for the ultimate smoke sesh?
Loper: Mama’s Gun by Erykah Badu. It’s laid back but still has energy, pensive and thoughtful but groovy. The flow between tracks is so smooth and intentional. I try to channel Erykah whenever possible.
Emerald: Do you remember the first time you heard that album? Was there a specific moment or vibe that made it stick with you?
Loper: I had heard a cover of … & On at a jam in West Philly ~2016 and I had to go listen to the tune. Of course I fell in love with the music and the artist behind it instantly.
Emerald: Are there any particular tracks from the album that stand out?
Loper: Didn’t Cha Know through Cleva the flow is just sublime. Time’s A Wastin is an honorable mention.
Emerald: Do you have any rituals or settings that help you get into the creative zone?
Loper: I’ve noticed that if I start my day with a good ole free write in my journal and a 20 min meditation, any creative pursuits tend to go well.
Emerald: Does cannabis influence your creative process? If so, how?
Loper: Yes and no! It’s a wonderful tool to adjust the perspective when you feel stuck on a song but I try not to rely on it. When I just can’t get a new melody out that feels good, I’ll take a smoke break, come back into the studio and suddenly a melody presents itself that I didn’t even know I had in me.
Emerald: Tell us about your EP Bag. What inspired this project, and how does it represent where you’re at as an artist right now?
Loper: The Bag EP was my first body of work made in LA but it’s processing emotions from my last two years in Philly. At its core, it’s about deciding that I’m too good for unrequited love, after getting involved with a closeted guy. As much love as I have for The Bag EP, it was almost something I had to shed, get off my chest, in order to start writing about other things. My next batch of songs dig a lot deeper and discuss a much wider range of emotions.
Emerald: You’re from Philly but now based in LA—how do these two cities shape your music differently?
Loper: Philly made me an amazing live performer and forced me to consider how songs will live in a live context because in Philly, the shows are the most important part of being an artist. LA is all about making records. Recorded music is a very different beast because of all of the tools available to us to elevate a song. Lots of very talented recording artists don’t prioritize the live performance aspect when they’re in the studio. But even with all the tools, tricks, bells and whistles—even if it has all the energy in the world live and shows off every note in your range—if it’s not a well written song, it’s not going anywhere.
Emerald: If you were curating a playlist for a smoke sesh using three tracks from your own catalog, which ones would you pick and why?
Loper: Bag would 100% open it. It’s the Tyrone of my catalog and is such a laid back banger. Vitamin E, and Cloudy deserve spots on a smoke sesh playlist as well. One of my favorite opening lines I’ve ever written is, “getting cloudy in my apartment, neighbor called the fire department.”
Emerald: What’s the best way to fully immerse yourself in an album?
Loper: Turn the light off, light a candle or two, light up a joint, and let it in. If you wanna do something creative and repetitive, some sort of craft, that’s always a good add on for a busy mind.
Emerald: Lastly, where can we keep up with you / what you’re working on right now?
Loper: Insta and TikTok! @rubbermusic. I’m taking it low and slow on my debut album right now while helping others write songs for their projects. But expect some bangers in 2025.
CHECK OUT ERYKAH BADU’s MAMA’S GUN HERE:
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