ALBUM REVIEW: “Kush and Orange Juice” by Wiz Khalifa

April 16th, 2010 • Album Review, Hip Hop
Tags: Kush and Orange Juice, Wiz Khalifa

Though hip-hop suffers less from it, just as in any other genre the most popular artists are never the ones pushing the envelope (I’m looking at you Jay-Z, Wayne, Kanye). Then who is? Without giving these two guys too much credit, for me it’s Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa. Khalifa’s usually the sidekick character (see How Fly) but on his latest mixtape Kush and Orange Juice he brings his trademark rap/speak to a new plane.

Yes, nearly every song is about weed, money and girls but the production is staggering. Anybody who listens to Kid Cudi should be listening to Wiz. The flow of the album is impeccably crafted. “Mezmorized” lives up to its name before giving way to “We’re Done”; easily the best use of a Disney movie sample in music history. This is where Khalifa carves out a place for himself, taking risks that others wouldn’t without the end product sounding like 808s and Heartbreak (thankfully autotune only makes one brief appearance on “Pedal To The Medal”). Read more »