When Nielsen SoundScan released its weekly sales report, Wiz Khalifa found himself trailing Britney Spears by only 80,000 units for the country’s top-selling album. Even with some lukewarm reviews, Wiz pulled in a mix of loyalists and new fans with his melodic mix of rhyming and singing on Rolling Papers. To hear Wiz tell it, this was a style he stumbled on accidentally.
“While rapping on instrumentals, there would be a lot of different types of beats,” Wiz told the Associated Press. “I might pick an R&B beat, and there would be points in the beat where the singing part would sound good. But I didn’t have anybody to sing it. So I would really hit those notes, and when it really started sounding good I blended it into my style a little bit and it just took over. It was like, ‘This is what I’ma do. I’m gonna make my own little style of singing and harmonizing and run with it.’”
Wiz said he dabbled with some singing on Show And Prove, but in the absence of live instrumentation, he just pulled melodies from the beats he had access to and benefited from being able to craft a catchy hook. Of course, it never hurts when your lead single becomes the anthem for an NFL team with Super Bowl aspirations.
“It really surprised me because I thought the song was going to be more regional than anything,” Wiz said of his number-one hit, “Black And Yellow.” In addition to being adopted by his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers, the song spent 22 weeks on Billboard magazine’s Hot 100 singles chart. “It just took off and grew legs on it’s own. The melody of it kind of stuck.”
The album was alright, it was different, i was just really looking forward to something that sounded like kush and oj with more growth, he atleast coulda thrown some harder joints on there too
different my ass
Rolling Papers was garbage. Wiz is garbage.
AND YOUR A BEANER WITH NO FUTURE…
at least he knows what a bad album is
ur mom screwed a beaner. take that ho.
Go wax those eyebrows bitch!
Bonethugs and harmony and 50 cent does the same thing. Black and yellow was lava. I love that song, it’s too bad he couldn’t keep the momentum going on his album. I rather listen to him then Wacka Flocka flame or some idiot like that.
THERE ISN’T ANYTHING TO EXPLAIN!! YOU SOLD THE FUCK OUT BITCH!!!!
AND EMINEM DIDNT? HE MADE A ALBUM WITH A BUNCH OF POP PRODUCERS AND SINGERS BUT YOU FAGS PRAISE HIM LIKE HE IS PAC RE-INCARNATED? FUCKING MORONS STUDIO ALBUMS ARE SUPPOSE TO SELL…MIXTAPES ARE FOR THE STREETS FUCKIN IDIOTS LEARN THE BUSINESS
Eminem is better than Pac, yea I said it. And so are about 10 other MC’s. Get of Pac’s dick.
WOAH WOAH WOAH who the hell mentioned Eminem? And not like Pac never did songs with pop artists. Wiz is trash anyway.
dude wat u bringin up eminem for on this i dont see his name newhere… fuckin hater hop off his dick hahah
Uh…ever heard of Bone Thugs N Harmony? Wow, these cats refuse to pay homage…
Even Snoop Dogg does the same thing on “Doggystyle” thanks to Nate Dogg & The D.O.C.
Props to Bone Thugs n Harmony
Call me Im bored 989-463-6408
Aint nobody calling you nigga
He fails to mention he started that shit because of Max B.
who the fuck is max B? oh yeah, the worst rapper alive, who is ‘keepin it real’ with a 75 year prison sentence. fuck you.
doesn’t change the fact
No young grasshopper! it came from Bone Thugs N Harmony.
bone thugs n harmony wiz. this aint your own little style
ummm…you got ur style from Bone thugs n harmony….just like max b..and all the others.
DUDE, YOUR SINGING SUCKS, YOUR ENTIRE STYLE SUCKS TO BE EXACT.
I listened to all his music, I really tried to like it but I couldn’t. It was just straight whack, people don’t have high standards anymore.
Bone thugs thats were it came from they are the only ones that will ever be able to pull off the harmonizing and hard rap shit
I approve this message
Me too.
You cant mention rap and harmony without saying something about bone thugs and a lot niggas try to hate but its apart of their stlye bone thugs N HARMONY since 93
MAN, SOME ONE TELL THIS LIL NIGGAH HE DINT FALL IN TO ANYTHING OTHER THEN THE BED BOBNE MADE FOR HNI AND OCUNTLESS OTHERS. HOMEBOY NEEDS TO BOW DOWN AND PAY HOMAGE TO THEM CLEVELAND THUGS; WITH OUT THEMN A LOT OF MOTHAFUCKERS WOULDNT BE EATING. THE INDUSTRY NEDS TO STOP SLEEPING MORE IMPORTANTLY YHT EHIP HOP COMMUNITY NEEDS TO GET THE FUCK OUT THIS COMMA IT’S IN AND STOP LETTING LIL IGNORANT NIGGAS THINK THEY INVENTED NEW SHIT WHEN THEY’RE JUST JOCKING THE VETS WHO CAME BEFORE THEM.
GRAND PUBA NICCA
BONE THUGS BUCK BUCK BUCK BUCKKKK
“I’m gonna make my own little style of singing and harmonizing and run with it.”
You mean like Bone Thugs, Chamillionaire, Drake, and B.o.B? That unique little style?
Just Bone bruh get them other dudes off that list b/c they themselves got it from the great Bone Thugs
yer just Bone.
Bone sang G shit!! Wiz is singing to hoes after making mixtapes of G shit!!!! BIG DIFFERENCE!!!
Wiz never made G shit. It was skinny jean emo shit without singing.
I can honestly say his voice just sounds like a lame to me. Some kid from the suburbs talking tough. Dropped that dude off in Philly and we will have a 10 year old clean his pockets.
THAT OFF TUNE SINGING R&B TO THE HOES AFTER MAKING G SHIT IS WACK!!!!
SOME OF THE BEST SMOKE SONGS HAVE HARMONIES BUT YOU ARE R&B DUDE
its a sad sad day for music if rolling papers is the number 2 album in the country this week
i glad to see yall already know whats up when it comes to them Bone Thugs
Rolling Papers was different, i fucks wit it, the old wiz junts are better tho. I can listen to the album entirey, but to listen to it all day?? honestly, ill have to be HIGH off my ass.
Nahhhhh…. ain’t no explanation to that shit. Real niggas want the ol (hungry) Wiz back. Not this ol Amber Rose simpin ass Mr. I’m gonna tattoo you on me a month after you broke up w/ Kanye and call you my wife ass nigga.
real niggas dont listen to wiz. nuff said.
Funny and true. Real niggas don’t listen to the lame who sounds like a dude when you got him by the collar about to whip that ass asking him. ‘
You got my money.
damn…..ya’ll take gossiping about all these rap niggas serious tho?! everytime i check out this site i gotta read what all ya’ll are arguin and sayin on these post….shit is so funny but so damn sad. How bout this, add up all the time ya’ll have spent postin comments, then think of usin that time to grind my nigga, BREAD OVER SUCKA SHIT…..ya’ll lames will never understand.
this dudes lyin illuminati went to him and told him this is what we need you to do, start singing and hittin notes like a bitch to get the girls buying yo album. haha playing, i dont give a fuck bout this dude never was a fan so its w/e.
Nahh This Nigga Just Went Full Blown Commercial . I Don’t Think I’ve Seen Any Go Commercial So Fast . You Won’t Hear Me listening To This soft Ass Nigga ..
Remember when LL was making all those love songs and he was considered soft. He didn’t even sing on his tracks.
Now if you don’t sing your not hot.
WTF happened to rap. If a rapper sung in a song before Ja Rule you were excomunicated.
50 ran Ja Rule out the game because he was singing and then started singing. Homo. Mr. Cee’s homie.
Now it’s accepted. Just another sign that this new generation is ice cream soft on an Arizona July day
The metrosexaulazation of the black man is almost complete.
Skinny jeans stand up.
You fags.
nobody came at Bone for doing it.
this dude replying said nobody came at bone thugs for singing. thats cuz bone thugs could sing! and they werent soft! wiz is singing about some gay shit. drake and them cant even sing and theyre singing! thats whats bullshit! talking about bone thugs. youre dumb as fuck man how is first of the month like roll up or whatever garbage wiz put out
I understand the concept of an underground rapper adapting to the mainstream audience…but the question is whether he will still put out music that caters to his cult fan base?
How much of a success will “High School” (soundtrack/movie) be? Will there ever be a How Fly 2? This will be the main determinant of Wiz’s legacy.
I’ve always respected Wiz as an artist, but it is really important for him to step up and start calling the shots in terms of production. Right after Kush & OJ blew up, Wiz made it sound like we shouldn’t expect anything different on the upcoming album, Rolling Papers.
In this review, you made it sound like Wiz had catered to his old following. In what ways? I found that the majority of the tracks had “over-produced” singing choruses. Many of these tracks are just too mainstream for my hip-hop ears.
Like many other long time TG movement followers, I found myself enjoying Wiz Khalifa’s music because it catered to my college lifestyle (living carelessly, having a good time, talking to your girl, partying).
Wiz has mentioned several times that he is constantly adapting his music in becoming a more successful musician. In that case, he has been spot on. Unfortunately, the music industry is a complete fail, where success is deceitfully based off of album sales.
So, essentially what I have witnessed over the past 3-4 years, is an “ever-so-quickly-adapting” artist evolving into an international icon, catering to both boys and girls of all ages. Which is in many ways a problem.
In summary, Wiz’s legacy is on the line. It’s going to be really interesting to see how he ends up catering to his old fan base. (AKA drop How Fly 2)
P.S.
Anybody else notice Curren$y’s lyric on the song ‘Record Deals’ off of “Return to the Winner’s Circle”
He comments on Wiz’s mainstream success. Here are the lyrics:
Reverse the game
Pull the rug from underneath those losers
Carve your own lane
Stay true to your music
I’m watching myself do it
I saw somebody else get close to it
But you know how it is
The good die young usually over bull shit
Record Deals
Record Deals
i def thought of wiz when i heard those lines too
Look at this dude. If he was in Philly he better stay on South street or 13th and Locust where the fags hang or he’s getting tortured.
why?are you going to kill him?rape him?suck his dick?lol you internet clowns are the best part of my day.Im surprised you have time to write will all the gun bussin,bitch slappin,hater killin.When you get some free time fall down some steps please.
its called NELLY people
Nelly with less talent.
thiws is his second album, so donnn trip!!!! remember the phrase “third times the charm” anyways Rolling Papers was sad hahahahahahahaha
i listen to Wiz… music is chill and has a positive vibe.
this clown is overrated
Agreed…
aint listening to his shit. people who yell out “taylor gang” are so fucking annoying. do they even know what taylor gang is? I knew him pre national buz days around kush and oj came out and he had less 100k fans on facebook. now he has 4 million. he aint that good
Agreed.
i love how all you ppl use Kush and OJ as a reference for how long youve been listening to wiz… he released like 5 tapes before that and they were all dope.. smoked a fatass doobie with him at my frat a few years ago.. total chill dude STFU wack ass haters
Really? People are callin’ rappers gay cuz they sing? WTF is this shit? Enough of the homophobia already. Since when did men singing mean that they are homosexuals? There’s a reason why rappers don’t win grammys outside of their own genre. Then people think guys like Hopsin or Odd Future are real hip hop cuz they don’t sing or act “manly”. Please enough of that fake ass poser horrorcore devil worship bullshit. Andre 3000 can sing and rap. Get off your basement and get laid for once.
OF also got Frank Ocean, whos an R’n’B singer, very talented indeed. And yes, hes officially from the Odd Future camp and featured on many of their projects.
Andre 3000 is whack though
Dude fuck off Andre is the shit. he raps on very little so when he does rap its a treat. and hes a musical genius. he can freestyle and itll still sound awesome. your just a hater Misses Angel. Jesus says you got angel wings so jump off a bridge
Bone Thugs n Harmony
Koopsta Knicca (Old Three 6 Mafia)
Snoop Dogg
Old Dirty Bastard
Nelly
Ja-Rule
50 Cent
Andre 3000
Kanye West
… & the list goes
… & then Wiz Khalifa, so…
this is not new in Hip-Hop
it is new to turn into a bitch ass nigga!!
HAHA Yeah Bitch! (Wiz Khalifa’s voice)
You forgot Chamillionaire…..
Yeah Cham, one of my favorite.
dude you not drake leave the singing and rapping to drake he does it the best loser
Bone Thugs N Harmony.
wow didnt show any respect to the original at rapping and singing JA RULE
People been rapping and singing before Ja Rule.
Bone Thugs N Harmony
I thought rapping/singing was corny to you hip-hop nerds. Go apologize to Ja Rule for ruining his life now.
Wait, Ja Rule is still alive?
http://www.soundclick.com/TragikMuzik2011AD
Yall don’t get it. HAving a melodic chorus is more appealing than just having someone rap on the chorus. there’s a reason that all the big records from rappers either have a singing chorus or a singer on the chorus is becuase it appeals to more people/ i rather hear a melodic chorus than just a chorus thats just rapped on. thats y most rappers can’t get on the charts they don’t realize melodic choruses are more effective
too bad his hooks always suck
Curren$y deserves the recognition Wiz is getting. Such a better artist.
curren$y dont need any more fans, especially 15 yr old girls and shit,
currensy doesnt even fucking rhyme.. most fucked up flow ever
you obviously haven’t listened to him
nah curren$y is fine where hes at…he dont need to sell out to get more fans….and @hfleezy ur a retard if u like wiz music but no curren$y
Ya’ll realize Atlantic made him put this huff-ass radio shit out?
this just in! Wiz Khalifa releases his next big single. Yellow & black. its fuckin dope. now he can go from Black and Yellow To Yellow And Black. shit this dudes ill
if i was bone after this article i would tell the whole industry to kiss my ass. and diss every rapper that use this style and dont give props!!!
hell fucking yeah, bone thugs for life
this song is a remake of 50 cent best friend he better get 50 on that remix or i smell law suit.
Taylor Gang or wait for another bandwagon to jump on.
Whos Max B? maybe the most talked about rapper for 5 years that never had a chance to release an album because of Jim Jones and created the hole wave an swag lifestyle that everybody on the radio steals from him..You can even Look up Wiz Khalifa New Years on YOUTUBE an hes singing to all max bs sht so thats who max b is the one who everybody envys his style an hooks an swag so go eat a dck owwww free max b!
I listen to ‘real/serious’ rap/hip-hop, but sometimes you’re just in the mood for something more catchy/easy. Wiz took that role, and I can really enjoy songs from Rolling Papers. He’s just doing his thing; don’t hate on him for makin’ money.
I can also respect Wiz. I like Rolling Papers. He has given away enough music for free. Wiz can adapt to many genres and styles of music and that is key in this day and age.
man im exactly like you in regards to hip-hop, but there’s only so many times I can listen to one dude rap about the same shit over and over again. i’m not saying he’s wack, i’m just saying he’s redundant as fuck. i used to listen to his shit back on Burn After Rolling, but now it’s just overdone. IMO, for laid-back entertainment hip hop type shit, i’d choose Mac Miller over Wiz any day.
I thought it was drake who was doin it first then wiz kinda copied
no, it was Bone Thugs N Harmony, who originated, singing,rapping and harmonizing.
wheres his p chain? this dudes sellin out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTDuh932VJM
so.. pretty much.. they told him to?
Man most of you guys are stupid. None of you realize that Wiz has been singing/harmonizing on his records his WHOLE career. So those of you saying hes fallen off because of Rolling Papers, are really just talking out of your asses. This is what Wiz does. He IS staying true to his music.
It is a MAJOR LABEL album. He needs to have a couple radio hits on here, like Roll Up and No Sleep (which are both dope songs btw, not classic wiz but better than most radio songs out there today) in order to make money. Most of the songs on RP would fit right in with his mixtape tracks.
And all the people saying hes redundant and needs to stop rapping about weed, money and girls all the time, shut the hell up. thats his life. Hes not fake. hes got chill music with good vibes. If you dont like him dont listen, but no need to shit on him. let Wiz do Wiz.
HE IS A BITCH!
Bone Thugs need to read this then diss everyone. They are the originators
check out this fresh new MC hes dope
theverbalist.bandcamp.com
Sick and tired of all this hate. Let him do his thing. You haters bagging him cause he sings? Look at Bong Thugs, Snoop, Drake. All dope artists, all incorperate singing into their rhymes. I do agree though, Wiz needs to mix some new production with his songs. I like Cardo, Jerm n shit, but he need other producers. TGOD.