ST. LOUIS — Wiz Khalifa may be surrounded by a haze
of marijuana smoke much of the time, admittedly and unashamedly so, but
it didn’t stop him from delivering what is easily the year’s best
hip-hop release so far in “Rolling Papers.”
He says he knows that his image has taken some knocks for being so pro-weed.
“People can have their opinion, and I have been
labeled as something. But it’s not a problem,” he says. “My message is
way beyond smoking weed. That’s just what I do. I’m about people
embracing who they are, whatever they do and whoever they are. Fully
embrace that.”
Unlike many current hip-hop releases, the smooth
“Rolling Papers” is easy-going and consistent, actually sounding like a
complete album rather than a collection of disparate singles. And it
isn’t cluttered with an overwhelming lineup of guest artists.
“Rolling Papers” at times sounds like something Nelly might have recorded. Khalifa recognizes the comparison.
“It’s the melodic sense, and the songwriting,” he says. “I could relate to it. It’s something only a few artists can do.”
The first single was “Black and Yellow,” a chart-topping hit on the Billboard 100. Its title refers to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“I knew ‘Black and Yellow’ would be a great
introduction to the album, but I didn’t know it would blow up and be
worldwide,” he says. “It feels great, but no one can expect that. You
just hope for it.”
The album was released with a huge amount of buzz and
anticipation, thanks to “Black and Yellow” and Khalifa’s fierce
reputation in underground rap.
“The pressure came after I was done recording,” he
says. “When it first came out, it was a little nerve-racking. But people
understood it and got it for what it was.”
There is no doubt some fans at Khalifa’s performances
will be looking for an Amber Rose sighting. His model girlfriend Rose,
whom he referred to as his wife in this interview, made headlines
recently for retracting her Vibe cover story interview, particularly as
it relates to comments about her ex, Kanye West.
“The whole Vibe situation is unfortunate,” Khalifa
says. “But I stand by my wife as far as her feelings, and let her
discuss what the specifics are.”
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(c) 2011, St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
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