Taji Ameen Visited Silly Nice for His 5 Star Reviews

Every once in a while, you meet someone who immediately feels like they've been part of the crew for years. That's exactly how we felt when Taji Ameen came through to spend the day with us for an episode of his new YouTube series, 5 Star Reviews.

First and foremost, we want to say thank you. Thank you, Taji, for taking the time to visit us, share some laughs, break bread, and experience what Silly Nice is all about. We had an incredible time hanging out, and our door is always open. You're welcome in our home anytime.

For those unfamiliar with Taji, many people first discovered him through VICE's One Star Reviews, where he became known for his unique ability to uncover fascinating stories in unexpected places. His mix of humor, curiosity, authenticity, and genuine interest in people helped make the series incredibly popular.

Now, Taji has shifted his focus with 5 Star Reviews, a series dedicated to showcasing businesses, destinations, restaurants, attractions, and experiences that are doing things right. Instead of highlighting what doesn't work, he's celebrating the people and places that make life interesting.

We're honored that Silly Nice was one of those stops.

Like many great New York stories, this one started with no real agenda other than following good energy and seeing where the day led. Taji spent the day exploring New York City, making stops at iconic locations, meeting interesting characters, and taking in everything that makes this city one of the greatest places on Earth.

Of course, no trip to Coney Island is complete without a stop at Nathan's Famous. From there, the day unfolded naturally, eventually bringing him to us. What we loved most about filming with Taji was how authentic the experience felt. There was no script. No forced conversations. No manufactured moments. Just people connecting, sharing stories, and enjoying the day.

That's exactly what Silly Nice has always been about.

When people first discover Silly Nice, they often find us because they're looking for premium cannabis products. Maybe it's our Diamond Powder. Maybe it's our Bubble Hash. Maybe it's our Frosted Hash Balls, Frosted Flower, or one of our vape products.

But what keeps people coming back is something bigger than cannabis. It's community. It's culture. It's connection.

As a Black-Owned, Veteran-Owned, Disabled Veteran-Owned, and LGBTQ-Owned, family-operated cannabis company based right here in New York, we've always believed that people matter more than products. The products are important. The quality is important. The consistency is important. But at the end of the day, we're in the people business.

Taji understood that immediately. Instead of focusing solely on products, he took the time to get to know who we are, why we started this company, and what motivates us every day. That meant a lot to us.

When we launched Silly Nice, our goal wasn't simply to create another cannabis brand. We wanted to create something that represented New York. Something authentic. Something honest. Something built by real people with real stories.

Since launching, we've grown from a small startup into one of New York's fastest-growing cannabis brands. Today, Silly Nice products can be found in more than 150 licensed dispensaries across New York State. That growth didn't happen because of flashy marketing campaigns. It happened because people believed in what we were building.

Budtenders recommended us. Customers told their friends. Dispensaries gave us a chance. The community showed up. Every milestone we've achieved has been because of the support of the people around us. That's why seeing someone like Taji take an interest in our story means so much.

The thing that stood out most during his visit wasn't the cameras. It wasn't the production. It wasn't the YouTube audience. It was how genuinely interested he was in the people he met.

Taji has a gift for making conversations feel natural. He asks thoughtful questions, listens carefully, and allows stories to unfold on their own. That's a rare skill. It's also why his content resonates with so many people. Whether you remember him from One Star Reviews or you're discovering his work through 5 Star Reviews, it's easy to see why he has built such a loyal following. He brings authenticity to everything he does. And in today's world, authenticity matters.

One of the things we discussed during Taji's visit is how quickly New York's cannabis industry is evolving. Consumers today have more choices than ever before. But they're also more informed than ever before. People want to know where their products come from. They want to know who's behind the brand. They want transparency. They want authenticity. They want quality.

That's exactly what we're working to deliver every day at Silly Nice. We're proud to represent New York cannabis culture and to help shape what this industry can become. We're even more proud to do it alongside incredible people, partners, customers, dispensaries, and creators like Taji Ameen.

If you haven't already, we strongly encourage you to follow Taji Ameen on YouTube and subscribe to his 5 Star Reviews channel. His content is authentic, engaging, and highlights the people and places doing things right across the country.

Each episode features genuine conversations, real stories, and a refreshing perspective on what makes a business or experience truly exceptional. Whether you're discovering new places, looking for authentic creator content, or just want to be entertained by someone who genuinely cares about people—Taji's the guy.

Subscribe now and join thousands of viewers who are discovering incredible stories through 5 Star Reviews. You won't regret it.

Again, thank you, Taji, for spending time with us and sharing our story with your audience. We had an absolute blast. The laughs were real. The conversations were genuine. The vibes were perfect. And whenever you're back in New York, you already know—you've got family here. You're welcome at Silly Nice anytime.

Follow Silly Nice at sillynice.com and on Instagram @sillynicenyc.

Both of us are doing the work to celebrate authenticity, community, and the people who make life interesting.

Inside a Brooklyn production space that smells faintly of pine and citrus, technicians in nitrile gloves spend hours agitating trichomes through mesh screens, chasing the kind of resin that separates a good hash from a great one. That's how Bubble Hash starts its life, an ice-water extraction method that's been refined by hash makers for decades and requires patience most manufacturers skip. Our version tests at 53% THC, but the number only tells part of the story. What matters just as much is what survives the process: the terpenes, the flavor, the full-spectrum experience that gets lost when producers rush a batch to meet demand.

Diamond Powder pushes that philosophy further, crystallizing THCA into structures so potent they test at 86%, a process that can take weeks of patience inside temperature and pressure-controlled vessels. Frosted Hash Balls take a different route entirely, hand-rolling hash and kief into a dense, 67% THC sphere that dispensary customers describe as a throwback to old-school hash culture with a modern potency upgrade. Our Infused Flower, tested at 51% THC, and our 510 and 2G All-In-One vapes round out a lineup built for different moments and different people. Every batch gets tested by state-licensed labs before it reaches a shelf, which is exactly the kind of behind-the-scenes work Taji seemed genuinely curious about during his visit.

Long before Flatbush Avenue and Myrtle Avenue had licensed storefronts with green awnings, New York had an underground cannabis economy built on trust, word of mouth, and neighborhood reputation. The Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act of 2021 changed the legal landscape, but it didn't erase the culture that came before it. It tried, instead, to make room within it. Part of that effort included provisions meant to give priority to veterans, to people from communities most impacted by cannabis prohibition, and to small operators who never had access to institutional capital. Silly Nice exists inside that story, not outside of it.

Today, our products sit on shelves in more than 165 licensed dispensaries stretching from Brooklyn to Buffalo, from the Hudson Valley to Rochester, a distribution footprint that didn't exist when we started. That growth mirrors something bigger happening across the state, as New York's legal cannabis market matures past its early growing pains and legacy operators, budtenders, and small brands find their footing together. Taji's visit landed at an interesting moment in that evolution, when authentic, community-rooted brands are finally getting the visibility that flashier, better-funded companies have had for years. He didn't just film a product review. He documented a piece of New York's ongoing cannabis story.

A camera crew leaving your building doesn't end a story; it usually just marks a new chapter. After Taji packed up his gear, we spent the rest of the week fielding calls from budtenders who'd seen the trailer, from customers asking when the episode would drop, and from fellow small business owners curious about how the day went. That kind of ripple effect is exactly why we said yes in the first place. We didn't need a script or a marketing angle. We just needed someone willing to sit with us, ask real questions, and let the story unfold the way it actually happened.

Going forward, we plan to keep opening our doors to creators, journalists, and community members who want to understand what a Black-owned, Veteran-owned, and LGBTQ-owned cannabis company actually looks like from the inside. We'll keep showing up at dispensaries across New York, keep refining our Diamond Powder and Bubble Hash, and keep betting on the idea that transparency and quality outlast any short-term trend. Taji Ameen gave us a platform to tell that story to a wider audience, and for that, our door really does stay open. Come see us. Break bread with us. That's how Silly Nice has always done business.