I’ll be the first one to admit, I’m a big fan of Wiz Khalifa. For the most part, he’s one of the most unproblematic rappers in the game. The man just minds his own, hits the studio, smokes his weed, and plays with his adorable son, Sebastian.
I have seen Wiz live a few times, and in my experience he never disappoints. His music is nostalgic, upbeat, and fun. The feeling I took away from his show was nothing but good vibes, I left and couldn’t stop smiling. That being said, Rolling Papers 2 was highly anticipated by Khalifa fans all over.
Rolling Papers, his third studio album released back in 2011, is what solidified Wiz from a mixtape rapper to a household name. His singles off the album “Black and Yellow” “Roll Up” “On My Level” “The Race” and “No Sleep”, were some of the biggest hits of the year. Also, anyone get major high school flashbacks just by reading those titles?
Needless to say, the rap game has changed tremendously in the last seven years. Especially, with the rise of “mumble rap”, can Khalifa’s style compared to what is “popular” now?
Last night at midnight, Wiz dropped Rolling Papers 2, an ambitious 25 track album with features from some of the best in the business. After a first listen, I’m going to highlight the highs and the lows of the album, and then hit you with the overall rating.
Highs- (get it…) (okay, I’ll stop.)
Blue Hunnids– It might not be the strongest track off the album, but there is something very nostalgic about the sound. It takes me back to the kind of rap I listened to in high school. A harder, more Juicy J-esque sound.
Penthouse- As soon as I saw the Snoop Dog feature in the title description, I knew I was gonna like this one. These two have been collaborating together for years, and simply go together like Kush and Orange Juice.
Rolling Papers 2- The title track off any album, I always expect a little bit more from, and Wiz didn’t let me down on this one. It’s the traditional Wiz flow we’ve all come to love him for.
Rain- Sucker for the beat and the PARTYNEXTDOOR feature on this one. A song you can ride around in the car to.
Lows-
Very Special- The title of this song couldn’t be more wrong, because there is nothing special about this track at all. “I treat you special cause you very special” (x60 times over subpar beat) How long did it take you to come up with this one, my guy?
Goin Hard- This song suffers the same problem of a weak, boring hook, and too much repetition. The lyrics are uncreative, the kind you’ve heard in every other rap song ever. If you couldn’t tell that from the title alone.
Holyfield- Is this even a real song? It honestly reminded me of one of Kid Cudi’s weird hum tracks. (No shade, ILY CUDI) This is a skip, for sure.
Overall, I would say the highs on this album outweigh the lows. In my opinion, it was just slightly overdone. Did we really need 25 tracks? I will always stand by the phrase, quality over quantity. I think this album would have made a much stronger impression on me with 14 fire songs, then a blend of mediocre. Most of the songs float only between 2 to 3 minutes in length, so you could tell he was just throwing anything on this. My overall grade for Young Khalifa, is a B-. I almost hit him with the C+, but it’s just a very competitive time for rap now. As I was listening, I caught myself comparing his album to other artists new releases like Drake, Kanye, and J. Cole. I stepped back and focused more on the individual, and what Wiz brings on his own. There are definitely some hidden gems on this album, it will perform well commercially and be enjoyed by many.
