Toilet Paper; Wiz Khalifa’s ‘Rolling Papers’ Lacks Substance, Full of Commercial Appeal. —
Review by DJ Bern –
via FlyPaperNews.com
In 2006, the Pittsburg native was named “artist to watch” by Rolling Stone. Since then, after a number of solo albums, hit singles, and a #1 Billboard Top 100 song, Wiz Khalifa has finally released his first major debut “Rolling Papers.” Over the past five years, Wiz has built his fan base off of Internet and college campus buzz, performing music that young hipsters can relate to. With widely popular mixtape releases like Kush and Orange Juice and Cabin Fever, fans had great expectations for Rolling Papers. With its release, however, an album filled with commercial tunes and teeny-bob melodies is what fans got. Wiz sacrificed fans for commercial success, and the result was a sub-par effort.
After laying tracks with Lex Luger, Rick Ross, French Montana, and others, the sound of this album is way out of left field. Even the Billboard-topping single “Black and Yellow” doesn’t foreshadow the pop feel of this album. His second single, “Roll Up,” is a more accurate depiction of the sounds and vibe of Rolling Papers. Critics would call this album the second coming of rapper Nelly, but I wouldn’t give Wiz’s lyrics that much credit. The opening track “When I’m Gone” and other tracks like “No Sleep” and “Fly Solo” all sound like background music for ABC Family sitcom commercials. You don’t have to talk about slangin’ crack or shooting people to stay true, but this music is definitely more white bread than the recent mixtape release “Taylor Gang.” After so many mixtape releases, it pains me to see this album was made for the MTV crowd.
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