From rags to riches, another artist rose to stardom. The world finally hears Wiz Khalifa’s new Album Rolling Papers.
Overall, the album has some great music, but on some levels, it doesn’t live up to the hype that pushed Khalifa to mainstream popularity.
Lyrically, Khalifa can be impressive or average.
The rapper’s mellow album opener, “When I’m Gone” essentially explains his habit of blowing money by noting that he won’t be able to take it when he dies.
“And they say all I rap about is women and champagne. You would too if every night you seen the same thing,” commented Khalifa.
The hot single, “On My Level,” has a spacey, funky instrumental backing track that adapts to Khalifa’s comfortable, casual flow. The track’s only question mark is Too Short’s contribution.
Too Short rapped a laundry list of drugs he’s planning on giving the listener’s girlfriend.
A great song to get the club bouncing is “Black and Yellow,” a track that is credited with Khalifa’s massive radio play.
He brags about his hometown, Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh isn’t a town that often has anthems or hip-hop artists, so the track is refreshing. It is probably one of the best tracks on the album.
“Roll Up” is Khalifa’s attempt to be soft and caring toward the ladies.
The track is catchy and will likely be as popular as 50 Cent’s “Best Friend” anthem.
The next track, “Hopes and Dreams” features a smooth, guitar-tinged track that sets the stage of the album. One of the standout tracks on Rolling Papers.
“Wake Up” is a catchy track in which Khalifa toasts to his own success and suggests that his life is a dream, from which he never hopes to wake.
It is not the most original track, but it does have some funny lines that catches the ear.
“Got money white people turned neighbors, meet a girl teach her how to roll papers.”
The seventh track, “The Race,” is another great track.
It’s not particularly catchy. However, it’s a smooth song to nod your head and vibe too.
“Star of the Show” is a bit repetitive and bland although Chevy Woods drops a cool, witty guest verse.
“No Sleep” has the makings of a club hit. He spits about making money and thanking his haters.
The following track “Get Your S**t” has some nice acoustic guitar playing, but the vibe is an angry one, as this is a frustrated break-up song.
“Top Floor” is one of the best songs on Rolling Papers.
His producer Germ produced his “Up” record on Kush & Oj, so the sound might be familiar.
He boasted, “You don’t have to tell your friends what we talk about or the places we go. You’re mine for the night, your man tryna repo.”
“Fly Solo” is probably the most creative track on the album, as it’s not a track entirely about getting high. It features a lot of guitar sound, which makes it stand out from the rest of the rap world.
“Rooftops” is Khalifa’s testimony that he balls harder than everyone else.
He also explores how everything changed since he’s become successful.
Curren$y provided the guest verse to wrap up the track.
“We plotted this out one night in the city, now we’re Los Angeles medicine cabinet twisting.”
As a quick sidebar, Curren$y was talking about smoking the best weed.
The final track, “Cameras,” is a poor way to end the album. It’s a mediocre track that is outdone by a handful of other tracks on Rolling Papers.
Let’s remember one thing, Wiz never was in the gangster rapper lane.
He always had a mainstream sound where you can puff and ride to.
Those who wanted to hear gun-toting rhymes will be disappointed. He never was a superb lyricist from the get-go, but there’s room for improvement. Overall, Wiz didn’t exactly disappoint his Taylors.