Last week, CHAMPS Trade Show 2025 in Las Vegas (July 23-26) blurred the lines between business expo and cultural festival, as hip-hop legends Twista, Curren$y, and Bay‑Area artist LaRussell transformed a vendor‑driven crowd into a full‑on pop‑up concert experience.
Hip‑Hop Meets Hemp
The convention floor looked more like a mixtape launch, Twista lit up the hhemp.co stage with his classic flow before roaming the aisles with surprising humility. “It’s a youth‑driven sport, but us OGs get inspired by the new wave,” he said, capturing the show’s vibe as one driven by crossover between legacy and innovation.
“Hemp World”: Where Product Drops Collide with Live Sets
At booth 7001, hhemp.co redefined their space into an immersive “Hemp World,” complete with live sets from hip-hop and reggae artists like LaRussell, Curren$y, Fortunate Youth, and surprise appearances by Lil Baby, Yung LB, and comedians known on Kill Tony. Meanwhile, buyers got sneak peaks at new launches from Sherbinskis, Boutiq, CAM, Punch Edibles, NUG, CHFN, and Lovepot. CEO Dr. Bao Le summed it up: “We’re building the next chapter of cannabis culture… where retail buyers, legacy artists and Gen‑Z creators learn from each other.”
OGs and New Wave Collide
CHAMPS is no longer just a trade show - it’s a hub for collaborations. Snoop Dogg was set to judge the show’s blunt‑rolling contest and debut his SWED line at the winter session. At the summer exhibition, Curren$y and Twista hinted at a CHFN × hhemp.co collab, while Lil Baby filmed campaign footage, and Yung LB teased a Runtz + Litty venture. Add visits from Mike Tyson, Lil Wyte, and Wiz Khalifa, and the SCV floor had all the energy of a backstage after‑party.
From Trade Show to Cultural Launchpad
CHAMPS started as a B2B smoke‑shop supplier expo in 1999 and has since evolved into a cultural launchpad where brands backed by music icons can go viral overnight. Rising artists leverage authenticity and social platforms to build brands alongside manufacturers like hhemp.co, making CHAMPS as much about creativity as commerce.
Ready to Read More?
Curious about the full lineup, booth activations, and backstage highlights? Dive into the original article on Cannabis‑Now:
