For a long period of time, stretching from late high school to about mid-college, Wiz Khalifa was arguably my favorite artist out and I was vindicated when he dropped the classic (yeah I said it) Kush & OJ. That was peak Wiz and while he’s had some moments that flashed that same brilliance present on that mixtape (only on other mixtapes), his music has steadily been losing that “it” that made him special in the first place. So much so that my excitement for any new Wiz Khalifa project has greatly diminished.
“How I move so player? G Pen, mid-air
High school I was getting high
Teacher say I was going nowhere
Now I’m worth millions that’s the worst feeling
Said fuck a job bought the building”
However, if one thing has always been true about Wiz, it’s that his mixtapes have always been leaps and bounds better than his actual albums; leaving some glimmer of hope for Laugh Now, Fly Later. The end result was a somewhat mixed bag of feelings. On one hand this is easily his best tape in some years and he finally heads back to those Kush & OJ musical roots that first launched into hip-hop’s collective conscious. There aren’t nearly as many trap beats on this one and the overall sound is smoother and groovier, which is something a large base of his fans have been desperately asking for. But on the other hand, it doesn’t really feel like he’s all that into it. He sounds lethargic and that signature charisma that normally makes up for his average songwriting feels neutered. Beggars can’t be choosers though and I’m just happy that he’s stepping back towards those old vibes, even if it’s ever so slightly.
Have you heard Laugh Now, Fly Later? What’d you think about it? Do you think it was a step back in the right direction for him? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to leave your own ratings and reactions for the mixtape.
