Music, Art + Cannabis with Owners of Legacy DC

We chatted with Ty Stoe and Pae X about their success and the future of their brand.

There is a humbleness to Legacy DC co-owners Tyler “Ty” Stoe and Pae X. In 2000, Stoe found himself in Quantico, Virginia where he was stationed for the military. After discovering D.C., he fell in love with the art and music scene and found himself chasing his creative dreams. Pae X, who’s from Atlanta, Georgia also attended military school in Virginia but eventually fell in love with music. Shortly after the pandemic, their friendship culminated in opening the local cannabis dispensary, cultural hub and creative incubator, Legacy DC.

We spoke to them just in time for 4/20, where they chatted about Legacy’s roots, their inspiration and what’s next for their brand.

District Fray: How did your background lead to owning a multifunctioning company?
Stoe: I grew up in Massachusetts. I’ve been an artist my whole life doing murals, mostly spray paint, large-scale murals, and D.C. was a great place for that. Art’s always been the core of who I am. I got into the event world in 2012 and got to channel my creativity for multimillion dollar weddings. We did Wiz Khalifa, Dwayne Wade and Kevin Hart’s wedding. It was really fun. Just being creative in general is a passion of mine.

Pae X: I started interning at a recording studio at 14, and that’s where I really was able to foster my creativity. I was able to foster my love for music, to really learn the grind of the music industry. My friends and kids in my neighborhood all picked up different types of hustles; I picked up selling weed. To be able to be on the most legal side of the market, it’s a blessing to be able to make that transition and still be able to learn different types of business moves. I might not always have gone down the right path, but it was necessary situations that I did partake in that led me to where I’m at right now.

What does Legacy mean to you?
Pae X: We have a core foundation which is MAC: music, art, cannabis. The C is also interchangeable for culture and community. I think Legacy is a safe space for creatives but also just a safe space for everybody to be able to come in, be themselves, be inspired. Legacy means everything to me. I’m able to be my full self, to challenge myself in different areas of the arts, in business. I’m able to see myself not only as a creative but as an entrepreneur.

Ty, what was your role in Legacy DC’s creation?
Stoe: It was kind of my baby. [There were] a lot of dreams I started building for projects that I wanted to do. Legacy provided me the space to spread my wings creatively, as far as full-blown art shows, comedy shows, live music, community panel discussions.

How did you meet?
Stoe: Pae is a superstar. As one of our very first customers at our last shop, he walked in the door and just had a vibe I gravitated towards. He’s a very close friend of mine now. We’re both kind of goofy but serious and focused. Our vision has aligned seamlessly as to what we want this brand to grow into, and I’m really proud of what we’ve accomplished in such a short time.

Ty, you’re an artist, you bring the art to Legacy, so are you the one who creates and curates the street art gallery, and what is your inspiration behind choosing those exhibits?
Stoe: We want to lean into local artists. We were working with No Kings Collective for quite a while and we were bringing in a lot of local talent. We have amicably split ways business-wise, but I’ve been curating the shows ever since. I’m a detail-driven person, especially with aesthetics. The inspiration for that is leaning into the things that you’re good at and not trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Street and graffiti art are things that I’m extremely well versed in, so the inspiration really comes from my experience and my life’s work.

You recently won a Wammie DC Award for Best Hip Hop Song in the DMV for co-production of ‘’The Wharf’’ with artist Riz Tha Great. That’s awesome, congratulations!
Pae X: Thank you, I appreciate that. I DJ, I rap, I sing, I produce, I engineer. When we were nominated that was an honor within itself, and was the win for us in general because everything was so organic. It’s just a reminder that you stay consistent and you do everything for the right reasons, you’ll win, so that was awesome.

If someone wants to find your music, where would they find it?
Pae X: You can find it on TIDAL, Apple Music, Spotify, any of the streaming services. You can look up RIZ Tha Great, or you can look up karpae X. I have about five albums out on the streaming services.

How are you spending 4/20?
Stow: I will be spending 4/20 painting this mural at National Cannabis Festival, which I’m really excited about. The shop is going to be really really crazy. We have a ton of deals and specials going on, we have a DJ in-house…it’s just going to be a vibe.

Pae X: I will be at Legacy. I’ll be DJing over there for a little while, as well as working, and then I have a gig later on that night. Other than that, I am just partaking in some of the cannabis as well, a J or two.

What’s in store for the future of Legacy DC?
Stoe: Sky’s the limit right now. With the future of I-71 in question, we are trying to lean into the things that we’re good at collectively. We’re opening up a podcast and recording studio, an event space and if the cannabis goes away, then it’s going to be community and culture. We have launched a clothing line called Legacy Goods brand. We’re working with local, national and international artists, going to continue [working] side by side with some members of like D.C. Vote and Long Live GoGo, about to launch our monthly community cleanup. We’re planning on leaning more into the community aspect, and I couldn’t be more excited.

If you had to persuade someone to check out Legacy DC, what three products or components of your business would you mention to draw them in?
Stoe: The core of our business is customer service, treating people like human beings. That’s really it. Our art selection, both physical and digital, is impeccable. Everybody there is super friendly. As far as product goes, our flagship gift is our Jackpots. It’s one of our edibles that is kind of an evergreen product everybody really loves.

Pae X: Music, art, and cannabis. There are not too many spaces where you’re able to have all three, that’s hard to find nowadays…to walk into a space that’s totally about the customer with the eye from a person who loves art, loves music, loves cannabis. Whatever they wanna see when they walk in, I feel like we kind of nailed that with art with our space.

1937 14th St NW FL 2, DC; thelegacydc.com // @the.legacy.dc

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Meredith Shimer

A soon-to-be graduate of journalism at American University, Meredith is excited to be writing about the D.C. life and culture scene as an editorial fellow at District Fray. She is just starting her venture into the full-time work force and the communications industry and cannot wait to expand her experiences.