Meet Alex Basaldua | Project Coordinator and Event Planner for Trap Culture AZ

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alex Basaldua and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alex, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I’m originally from Alhambra California, it’s a small suburb on the border of El Serino and Pasadena. What’s unique about my where I lived and how I was brought up is that my parents kind of let me do what I wanted as long as I wasn’t failing any classes and it gave me the opportunity to really start determining who I was going to be from a young age in the aspect that it allowed me to experience life for myself starting at a young age.

Living the in Los Angeles area during that time was some of the best times in my life and while going to parties with friends we started to discover party crews where huge. Just a group of friends that throw underground back yard parties. Myself and a couple friends found one and joined Domus Magnus. Funny enough the party crews in the area were sanctioned by the YMCA under “Social Clubs” which allowed us advertise at school for these events. We called them “Socials” but it was just clubs getting together to throw back yard bangers.

I learned a lot throwing these parties in my teens. and I would of never guessed all that knowledge would actually become vital to what I do now. From a young age I was searching and locking down venues, DJs, finding ways to get liquor and alcohol, to printing flyers and using gorilla marketing strategies before I even knew what that was, and figuring out all the logistics of getting everything we needed for a successful event.

Now I get to do everything I did as a teen except I’m no longer throwing back yard parties in random locations, I’m now throwing legal events with multi-million dollar companies. I was completely surprised that my life took this turn and brought me here as I had completely different plans for my life. It just goes to show that God has a path for you and you just gotta go along for the ride and learn to enjoy the journey.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What we do here at Trap Culture is pretty is very unique, There are others that throw cannabis events and they all have their own vibe, but our vibe is like no other in the valley. We really are the most legal TRAP in the nation. Here at Trap Culture we aim to end the stigma on cannabis by integrating cannabis into a normal lifestyle. You want to be able to consume in a safe comfortable environment while enjoying a unique experience. We do things like nightclub experiences, food truck festivals, water park events, pool parties, comedy events, and we have something new and big in the works for April 4/19/25. Make sure you’re following us on Instagram @trapculture.az so you don’t miss out

Getting to where I am professionally is thanks to dedication and passion I have for advocating for cannabis. And for me it hasn’t been easy, its been fun. Navigating the cannabis industry is different for everyone because its all relationship based. You have to get out there and be social and talk to people. And everyone I have come across has been a pleasure to meet. I build new relationships daily and it helps benefit me personally as well as professionally.

Now what the world should know about Trap Culture is that we’re coming. We’re coming and if you consume cannabis you’re gonna want to be apart of this movement we have created. As we edge closer to the end of 2024 we have so much to look forward to and I think we’re going to shock a lot of people on how much we’ve grown since our team took over and what we’re about to do in 2025. Defiantly keep and eye on us.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Living in the Phoenix area is pretty crazy, its very unique here and if you visit in the summer its rough to say the least. Always looking for places where you can be comfortable in the heat isn’t easy. But my best friend is pretty much into everything I am. We would defiantly hit downtown Phoenix for Frist Friday, there’s nothing like it and the vendors, bars, and restaurants are pretty awesome. For food though I love Mediterranean food so we would hit Opa Life in either Glendale or Tempe. And for drinks, I’m rough around the edges and I love a good dive bar and JJ’s on the west side and The Deli have to be my favorite places for cheap drinks and a great time. And I would of course take them to South Mountain to Dobbins Lookout for an amazing view of the entire city while we light up a joint at sundown. Other than that there’s also something to do here.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people that helped me get to where I am today. The first person would be Kyle Laureano, he became my mentor early on in my cannabis industry journey and allowed me to get into the marketing world of cannabis.

I also want to shout out Janice Jimenez, before I even knew Kyle or worked for Ponderosa, I was just a budtender at Curaleaf and I had a manger that was extremely knowledgeable about cannabis and how it interreacted with a persons body. I realized I really didn’t know as much about cannabis as I thought. Her pressure for having a knowledgeable staff led me to really learn about everything surrounding the plant, from all its components like cbd, cbn, cbg, thc, and all the different terps and what they do and how they interreact with our body, to finding out our body naturally has a built in system for us to actually intake these plant components. From her I learned a key aspect of advancing in this industry and that’s product knowledge. With that you can sell anything in this industry.

Another shout out goes to Shalena Wallace, my best friend. We met at Curaleaf, as I was her budtender. When I moved over to Ponderosa, she showed up one day and said she was going to be working there. She was one of my original members of my newly formed Sonoran Street Team soon after I started to program. Her knack for marketing, her outgoing personality and her love for cannabis and the people in the community really showed me what it was to really be out here and be supported by those you show support for. Its actually her who showed me what it is to be someone with true passion for wanting to make a name for yourself in this industry and without her sharing her relationships with me and introducing me to key people in the industry, I wouldn’t be who I am in this industry. She really showed me the ropes early on.

Other shout outs go to the Trap Culture Team , Natosha Cooper who’s our event organizer, she handles all our legal aspects when It comes to staying in compliance and making sure we have all the legal paperwork to do what we do. And of course our social media coordinator Ajee Reinicke, soon to be Ajee Nicholeson. She has turned our socials into something none of us would of been able to do. without her, we wouldn’t be seen as we are. And lastly Matt Reveles, our audio, visual, and graphics man. He does so much for Trap on the back end that a lot of people don’t see. He’s also a big time family man so he’s not out with us much but he’s a vital part of our team.

My final shout out goes to my current employers, Marie and Arvin Saloum. They have shown me so much over the last two years. They are one of the only owners in the cannabis industry in Arizona that are still mom and pop, that believe this industry is better served by its people and not corporations trying to come in and take what so many have fought to have, as well they have shown me and others so much compassion for their well being. They are people that came up from the bottom and started an empire. They are truly inspirational to work for.

Website: https://www.trapcultureaz.com

Instagram: Ajbas22

Twitter: @trapcultureaz

Facebook: Trapp Culture

Youtube: @trapcultureaz

Other: Brand Instagram and event accounts:
@trapculture.az
@crossfaded_az
@budsnbikinis
@trapcultureclothing