Former ‘SNL’ Writer Recalls Jay-Z Asking to Swap Prop Joint for Real One

As Saturday Night Live celebrates its 50th anniversary, cast members and writers alike are sharing some of the show’s best-kept secrets.

In a recent interview with Seth Meyers, who is an SNL alum himself, former writer Harper Steele took credit for being the first person to have an actual drug on-air in a sketch, thanks to Jay-Z.

In the sketch, which aired in the show’s 26th season in December 2000, Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek, and Beanie Siegel accompany Will Ferrell as his lounge singer character Robert Goulet for the rollout of his “rap-and-roll” album Murder in the Make-Believe Ballroom. In dress rehearsal for the sketch, which takes place hours before the live taping, Jay-Z has some notes for Steele.

“I get there between dress and air, and Jay-Z goes, ‘Can we get a real joint?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, you’re Jay-Z. Of course you can,’” Steele said. “I got that joint. Jay-Z used it on air.”

The authenticity of the joint was unmistakable, as Steele recalls, “The whole studio smelled like pot for the rest of the night.” It also got her in trouble, as she remembers NBC’s longtime director of Standards, Betzy Torres-Mitchell, sending an intern to find Steele after the sketch aired.

“I look at this little pimply-faced intern and I go, ‘You tell Betzy Torres that I went home,’” she said.

The sketch show has been celebrating its 50th anniversary with a lot of surprises, including a concert celebration at Radio City Music Hall. Among the performers included Ferrell and Ana Gasteyer reprising their iconic roles as middle school music teachers Marty and Bobbi Mohan-Culp. The two did a medley of pop hits, including Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.”

You can watch Steele’s full interview below.