For the most part, the significance of third albums has changed drastically. On the second album, an artist combats the dreaded “sophomore jinx,” but the third album is when the artists cements themselves in the game, or proves that the “sophomore jinx” was no jinx after all, and they simply don’t belong. While Blacc Hollywood Is considered Wiz Khalifa’s third proper, studio album, (previous projects such as Deal Or No Deal were retail) with several album quality mixtapes under his belt, Wiz is far past proving he belongs. For better and worse, Blacc Hollywood sounds like a project from someone who has nothing to prove.
Wiz Khalifa can’t be tied down to one specific sound. From Kush & Orange Juice, to Cabin Fever, back to earlier projects like Show And Prove, Wiz has tried different flows, showcased different content, and employed different soundscapes. While most artists claim the same, the range Wiz covers outstretches most. Blacc Hollywood is like a celebration of all Wiz’s different sounds. Wiz most recent mixtape 28 Grams had a similar feel, but when condensed down from 28 tracks, Blacc Hollywood reduces the redundancies and gives off more of a focused feel.
Blacc Hollywood isn’t without its flaws. Immediately after the albums strongest cut “House In The Hills,” there are consecutive duds in “Ass Drop” and “Raw.” As its title implies, the former is an ass anthem, which finds Wiz on the chorus demanding, “Do it for a real nigga, do it for a boss. Do something for a boss, do something for a real nigga.” The instrumental is lively and bass heavy, and the choice to punctuate it with sped up vocal samples is an innovative one. But the simplified, repetitive lyrics are borderline laughable and reduce Wiz Khalifa to a somewhat of a bit player on his own song. The latter, with its darker, keyboard-powered soundscape, intense bass and steady call-and-response incorporation of the song title casts it as a leftover version of “Taylor Gang” from Wiz’s now three-year-old project, Cabin Fever.
“House In The Hills” is by far the strongest track on Blacc Hollywood, and possibly one of Wiz’s more poignant cuts ever. Not only a solid track, but also timely, Wiz raps about the labeling not only faced by himself, but others like him offering, “They try to hold us back paint a picture of us and sell it straight to the public, you young black then you thuggin’ / What they don’t talk about, the kid who came from nothing / Who stuck to what he believed in and turned himself into something… great / They should use that story to motivate / But instead they rather focus on the fact he’s a pot head / Not the fact there’s not a lot where I live, 25 and not dead…”
Blacc Hollywood has a little bit of everything from Khalifa: a strong club banger reminiscent of his breakout single “Black And Yellow” (“We Dem Boyz”), serious cuts like “House In The Hills” and “No Gain,” and several songs to smoke to. While the misses hold Blacc Hollywood back from being great, Wiz still reminds listeners that regardless of what they’re looking for, he’s capable of providing.
Terrible album. 3 stars is far too generous.
I concur…
Hardest album my man wiz has ever released. Dope tracks produced by dj mustard and dr luke (both hiphop producers that achieved crossover success) and lyrical raps.
Weakest album wiz has ever released. Wack tracks produced by dj mustard and dr luke (both pop producers who suck ass) and no lyrical raps.
I don’t know sounds what’s worse: blacc hollywood, o.n.i.f.c, or the sound of a dog howling in the distance as it’s about to be ran over by an 18 wheeler.
LOL @ Anonymous 2 that shit made me laugh for real
Trash
bring back mixtape wiz this niggas pants got way too tight
Contrary to other reviews, this is possibly my favourite album Wiz Khalifa has released. I can hear similarities from Rolling Papers and O.N.I.F.C. I beleive it is least commercial album he has ever released. He continues to support his Taylor Gang by introducing Chevy Woods and Juicy J to songs as he has done in previous albums. I believe it has a perfect rhythm to it. My personal criticism would be that I don’t like his songs with a “heavy” vibe such as “Raw”. However, these songs usually grow on me as did “Fall Asleep” in his previous album O.N.I.F.C did. Overall, this is my favourite album of his as he is rapping about what he raps best and he isn’t all about the profit as he is already a recognised artist. I would recommend a listen to; KK, Ass Drop, So High, The Sleaze and Hope.
I’m sorry, bro, but everything you just said is completely idiotic. Rolling Papers and Kush & OJ were Wiz’s last decent bodies of work. Everything else sounds like utter sellout crap.
Show and Prove and No Deal are his least commercial albums
F**in’ crazy album!
This album is 10x better than ONIFC. This is a pretty wack review. Definitely deserves at least a 4. I’m giving it a 5.
Lol Good joke… ONIFC is better
you sound retarded as fuck. go sit your dumb ass down somewhere. in fact, have several hundred million seats.
Dude you lost your fucking mind! This album is nowhere near as good as ONIFC.
Lol 5/5 ? So this is as good as it gets? Like on the same level as Piata? Gtfoh n do ur uomework
why is there one eye symbolism on almost every mainstream hiphop album? hmmmmmmm….
Cabin Fever was his last good project he a fucking weirdo since he got money and leggings fucking leggings wiz u serious sumone need to stop lacin his piff wit pcp
Album is garbage cuuuh
blacchollywood overall is pretty much trash, few nice tracks but thats it. damn im dissapionted was waiting this shit long time.
thiz album iz a pure trash
My current Wiz Khalifa mainstream playlist on my iTunes:
1. Black & Yellow
Nul…
garbage
trash
Wiz is the best rapper. Y’all can kiss my hairy ass
Awesome Songs In the Album, I like it
the album is pretty good, This is a pretty wack review 5 out of 5….
damn good
Nice Album, wiz is best
Great Job by wiz, the album is pretty good…don’t care about the fake reviewers
Wiz fell the fuck off with this trash.
The Album sucks. Fell off hard since his “Show and Prove” days.
Wiz is the best so haters can fuck off
WIZ IS THE GREATEST
Wiz could elevate into a great musician if he cared enough and went Indie like Cudi. His voice is perfect for it but he’s getting stupid money from you highschool idiots so he doesn’t have to change
kinda bad
Lyrics suck, album is horrible, worst wiz album yet, what happen man? Go back to the style you had before this new wiz shit is wack; why did you release this trash? Get that old wiz style back!
Horrible enough said!
garbage. If your still a fan of wiz khalifa and think he makes good music slap yourself and never critic an album again. His fans are nothing but brain dead pot junkies at this point.
Slow movin jams that makes for a smooth feel.
Great jams. Smooth songs. Vibes
ay
This album is the best that Wiz has to give at the moment. He lets us inside his mind and into his life to show how he and his crew have grew over the years. There is love, passion and integrity within Blacc Hollywood. Fans love his music and love where he’s coming from. Its a 5 out of 5.
The album has the perfect mixture of songs. I cant stop listening to it.
Me too
Blacc Hollywood was creative and a mixture of the old Wiz sound and a new one,wiz makes great music this is a truly unique album it has that true homemade amateur basement studio sound you can tell thats what influenced this album and wiz isnt scared to show it, give him his credit where its due
fire
Album is trash real talk
Only joints I’m fuckin with are we dem boys and so high
I’ll fuck around a make a weed plate out this muthaphucka
Azd@2
Great album
amazing album!
Great piece!
It’s a good album best 3 songs:
1.House in the hills
2.We dem boyz
3.Raw
Sellout garbage.
Wiz sold the fuck out.
This is worse than the last album.
WTF is this shit? 0 stars
wack as always
nigga you stupid
dam wiz! I should’ve stopped smoking after this album I put it down to early! you up in the clouds my dude! good work!
This is crap.
your dumb af
Really average album…smh
I expected more
Taylor allderdice was his last best project. Rolling papers was commercial but was good. Kush and oj is his best work of course. Blacc Hollywood is okay. Nothin special tho. Can’t put it in and let it ride.
I think I broke my mouse clicking the skip track on this crapitary joke of a rap album. I’m not a fan of his ‘singing’. Kush & OJ was good, Rolling Papers not bad but ONIFC was when this shux started. I knew that album was pushing his luck.
Every song is dope
The Best !
I give Wiz Khalifa- Blacc Hollywood B- 82. It’s an okay album. Nothing standout or special. Dope ass beats though. Doesn’t lyrically surprise. I mean standout tracks are: Hope, We Dem Boyz (Remix), and House on the Hills. The album is pretty much the same as his previous projects. Lack of consistency, subject matter and lyrics. Wiz still hasn’t had that project since Kush and OJ to live up to why he is a superstar. It’s a #1 album but not anything #1 about it.
Spiritual Songs
Not bad
The album was okay I love the tracks: House on the hills, promises, raw, staying out all night, so high, no gain, true colors, and wiz’s verse in you & your friends. every other track irritated me. I give it a solid B for a grade could have been better not classic wiz but i can still listen to it when i ride out.