For the first installment of Hydra Sessions, we sat down and sparked a chat with Master Bong to finally understand the man beneath the 'fro and behind the canna-creations captivating millions across the globe.
With a following north of 250K tuning into his shenanigans, it's not wild to imagine this fan-proclaimed 'McGyver of Weed' has it easy, but you'd be wrong. It's hard work being that 'high' all the time.
Although cannabis is legal in the State of California, we cannot display or promote our meeting however, we've recorded all of the Q&A below and linked back to his platforms for you to follow along.
Master Bong on the Interwebz (www.masterbong420.com):
Facebook (@RealMasterBong)
Twitter (@MasterBong)
Instagram (@MasterBong247)
YouTube (@MasterBong08)
HVT: Since we can't show, we should tell the people what you're smoking.
MB: [Holding blunt*] "This is some sunset sherbert (light neon green hue) AND mendo purps (Deep purple-colored Mendocino Purps* as in the region of CA it originates) rolled into a Backwoods Russian Cream wrap. Pretty crazy looking. And delicious. Check IG fam."
HVT: So, Mendocino? You from the Bay Area?
MB: "Yes. From all around the Bay Area but currently holding it down in Oakland."
HVT: When did all of this start for you? Obviously it wasn't planned to take off like it has. So, how'd it go down?
MB: "We officially kicked off the Master Bong site and channels back in '08 while I was studying internet marketing at my local community college. Between classes we always got into stupid shit or spent time making things; nonetheless, it was always something we loved. So, it dawned on me to make a video, and here we are. Ten years later."
HVT: There's no way you created the persona overnight. Where did you dream up the 'fro and name?
MB: "Growing up, friends and I would always be making crazy shit to smoke out of and experiment with. I kinda became the guy that could make something out of nothing - or weird somethings. A chance happening at a kickback with friends delivered one of my creations, and friends tossed around the phrase "Master of Bongs." It just kinda stuck."
HVT: And "McGyver of Pot?"
MB: "Haha, that was actually from a fan! One of my proudest moments was the Starburst pipe which, definitely caught people's attention and even spurred some others to attempt their own. I think it was Yoo Dabba Dabba who commented with "McGyver of Pot" and we loved it; totally fit...
It's pretty awesome to see others take your creations and just keep improving on the crazy ideas. Somehow it spawned a generation of strange bong and pipe builders."
HVT: Wow. Do you usually get that kind of sentiment online? Or are people sending you weird shit too? WEIRDEST SHIT YOU'VE RECEIVED FROM A FAN. GO.
MB: "All the fucking time. For some reason people make and send me their home made pipes and bongs. The last one was this weird-ass wood/bamboo carved pipe. Yeah, definitely get lots of pipes. There are a lot of shitty ones; ones you'd never touch, let alone, attempt smoking out of. But, then there are those that catch your eye and help you think of something off the wall. It's a community, man."
HVT: From an outsider's prospective, it seems like you have a pretty fun, easygoing life. Is that the case?
MB: "This isn't something I do in my off-time. It's an everyday, full-time job that I couldn't do without a team of folks helping me. I'd say one-third of it is the content and making things; the rest is made up of team operations and behind-the-scenes stuff to keep up the channel. But, yeah, I'm shooting everyday, so I'm usually smoking or eating something all the time."
HVT: You getting hungry talking about food?
MB: [Laughing*] "Getting there."
[Takes Rip from Blunt*] "If you're a hella stoner like me then you get down on pizza. But, my favorite munchie is actually a homemade go-to. Easy to make. And delicious."
HVT: You don't say...?
MB: "Stoner tip! Hit up Trader Joe's naan bread and add your own toppings. Bake it for like ten minutes and you have a homemade pizza that's easy to make and recreate later when you get another craving. Like, you can literally make it anyway you want; bbq pizza? Check. Pepperoni and onions? Why not?"
HVT: OK, enough about food. Random question: what's the weirdest place you've awoken after a party?
MB: "It's been a while since I had a crazy party moment. [Long Pause*] I think it was in high school, or just out of high school when myself and a few friends visited another homie's kickback. For some reason there were people gathering in the upstairs bathroom to blaze, and I can vaguely remember finding a spot in the bathtub. Before you knew it, one blunt led to another (and another). But, then a few new people would join the rotation with a fresh one, and so on and so forth. This went on for like a few hours, and being so many blunts deep, I had no idea how long I'd been in there.
Long story short: I woke up in this bathtub."
HVT: OK, you get points for answering but I can't believe that's your craziest. Pictures with Snoop (Lion?). Trips across the country, blazed out of your mind, and that's all ya' got?
MB: [Laughing*] "Yeah, you'd think there are worse stories, but that was all when I was younger and partying more. Like i mentioned, this is a full-time thing and I have to treat it like a job because it really is. Can't be acting like a fool and trying to do what we do."
HVT: Full-time job being this high?
MB: "I'm smoking often, but I'm also spending two-thirds of my days creating the content and managing the brand with help from my team. I mean, we're growing a brand and that all takes a lot of responsibility. But it's an operation of folks making things happen, not just me and a camera. We take it serious, but yeah we like to have fun, and smoking is both work and play around here."
HVT: Can't beat that with a stick. Anything else you want to tell the kids at home?
MB: "You may not know what you're doing or where you're going. Shit, I was lost in terms of what I was doing in life. Didn't want a 9-5, and scraped by with community college and partying; no focus, just trouble. This whole Master Bong thing was just me being in the right place in time and being focused on what I wanted.
[Laughing*] It's kinda like computers, just had to be there at that point in time to take advantage of your opportunity.
Just be thankful for where you are and what you have, and always fight for the things you love/want in life, and it will work out.
I'm a few years out of dropping school to do something I loved, and without the work and support of those around me, I'd just be another burnout. It takes making choices that sometimes aren't the popular ones, but as long as you're happy, that's all that matters."