Concert Review: Wiz Khalifa Campus Consciousness Tour

About two months ago I caught wind of @RealWizKhalifa's Green Carpet Campus Consciousness Tour announcement and was visibly excited when I saw multiple dates within an hour of where I live. Take it a step further, one of the dates was less than 10 minutes away and free. GTFOH! Yea that's wassup, no more traveling over an hour and paying $30 a ticket, Wiz was comin' to Lehigh University, aka my back yard. Even more, the timing was ideal with his album having dropped about two weeks prior, allowing me to do a few laps around it and build some familiarity prior to seeing the tracks live. As final icing on the cake for a Sunday, April 10th to remember, Wale and Chiddy Bang were going to be putting on a show 10 mins away from Wiz Khalifa's performance AND there would be no overlap between concerts since Wiz/Mac Miller were performing in the afternoon and Wale/Chiddy were playing later at night. Needless to say, the stars were aligned and for a Hip Hop fan in the Lehigh Valley, it was a perfect opportunity to get out and see a few of my favorite acts without having to get on a highway.

Fast forward to the day of the concert, where it was a complete guessing game as to when the sets were going to start. Having searched the interwebs for days leading up to the concert, I found that the Sundaze event started at noon and went til around 5PM with the main act hitting the stage between 4 and 5PM. To be safe, I left at 2PM and ended up making it into the event, which was nothing more than a huge field with a big stage, as @MacMiller was hitting the stage. Perfect timing, because I really wanted to see if Mac would live up to all this hype surrounding his music of late.

From the start he was a non-stop ball of energy, keeping the crowd involved, mixing between sing along hooks and ferocious, Twista-esque, syllable bending, hyper-speed verses. To be honest, he impressed me. I only knew a few of his tracks, but he's got talent and plenty of charisma to spare. He's the type of dude you find yourself rooting for because of his happy-go-lucky personality and the infectious energy he exudes. His set was scripted well, too, as he ended with his most notable track Donald Trump (below)...

Mac Miller - Donald Trump at Lehigh University

As his set finished, I tried in vain to improve my view for the main act, eventually settling on a raised electrical cord protector that gave me about two more inches. My girl also took notice of the ridiculous amount of kush floating and being smoked throughout the audience. I shit you not it was more of a gathering to smoke weed together with friends with music in the background, rather than a concert. She thought Dave Matthews Band had a lot of trees being burned...til she saw the demographic of people at Wiz's show. #StonersHeaven

The one cool thing about Hip Hop concerts (compared to instrument-based concerts) is the wait between sets being considerably less. As such, Wiz came on like 20 minutes after Mac got done rockin' the set. As far as my expectations for the show, they were hiiiiiiggghhh as hell, like everyone in attendance. Not only had I seen Wiz a couple months before at Croc Rock in November, but again, his new album was dope and I was excited to hear the new tracks (check the album review I did last week if you're curious why I liked it).

As the show started, I already kinda knew what to expect, since he generally follows the same formula of performing his older mixtape stuff before getting to the new stuff. With tracks like Phone Number, In the Cut, Still Blazin', The Thrill, Car Service, Never Been, Wiz kept it live and catered to all the die hard Taylors who were familiar with the old stuff. Luckily, this time I was prepared for the onslaught of old stuff, having copped all his older mixtapes after I saw him in Nov.

As he moved on past the old tracks to newer stuff off Kush and Orange Juice like Never Been and Mesmorized, I was happily surprised when he decided to deliver his verse off That Good acapella (below)...

Wiz Khalifa - That Good (Acapella Verse) at Lehigh University

As an aside, Uncle Snoopy D O Double G said High School was supposed to drop today on 04/20, but that was pushed back to June. As he wound down the older tracks with the unreleased track produced by @SmokedOutLuger, Taylor Gang, you could tell he was going to start getting into the new stuff. He started with the lead track to Rolling Papers, When I'm Gone, which acted as a mellow and perfect transition into his new songs. The one minute piano lead in on the track gave him just enough time to thank everyone for their support and shift gears into his more guided, well-put-together album tracks.

He nailed the set list too. The only tracks I really wish he would have performed would have been my favorite track off Rolling Papers, Cameras. Maybe I'm in the minority, but I really dig that track. A close second favorite would be his third Stargate produced track and potential future single, Wake Up. This track might have been my favorite track all day as it provided the necessary chill out that gave contrast to all the upbeat party music he performed. I've had a hard time not including this track in any and every playlist I've made in the past month. Off top, the line, "Ohh, long days, but I know hard work pays, so all the money getting long too" over the trippy zoned-out synths do it for me every time.

As he moved on through the new stuff, it was no surprise to see an all-college crowd go ham when they heard the beginning of his new single No Sleep. Hard to find another track that more closely embodies the mood and lifestyle of kids in college like his new single (below):

Wiz Khalifa - No Sleep at Lehigh University

Toward the end, you could tell he was nearing his "Hip Hop encore," where the artist tells you they are almost done and then play their most well-known songs. Always wondered why Hip Hop was exempt from the "walk off the stage and come back in a minute after everyone is chanting your name" style encore, but it's more to the point, I guess. Was a big fan of the lead in to his second single Roll Up, going back and forth with Chevy Woods between scratches saying "Roll Up!" (below):

Wiz Khalifa - Roll Up at Lehigh University

All in all, a really entertaining concert. It's hard to compare Hip Hop shows to shows with instruments, but if you can cope with a lot of rapping over loud beats instead of hearing live instrumentation, you'll appreciate the show Wiz puts on. He keeps it positive and fun with his characteristically exaggerated stoner laugh, but on the flip side, he brings a lot of energy to his show, which keeps the crowd engaged in his music. The lighting just so happened to be awesome the day of the show, so I got plenty of good shots. Feel free to peruse below...#SlideShowOff

Click Here For All Videos From the Show

"We Fly, I Mean so Fly We Need a Whole Wing TGOD"

You’ve been asleep for quite a while if you think @REALWIZKHALIFA is a new artist or that nobody knew about him before Black and Yellow caught fire. In 2006 he was called a new artist to watch by Rolling Stone, only to cover the same magazine five years later when he released his first, highly anticipated album. Again, not his first, second, but his third studio album has everyone taking notice and joining the army that has become Taylor Gang.

From a first hand account when I saw him in concert a couple months back, I wrote about how I felt like I was missing something when everyone in the crowd knew verses word for word from tracks off mixtapes he did years ago. Other than @drakkardnoir, you just don't see that type of die hard fandom very often where fans can go years back to a mixtape and know every word. It's hard enough to get people to listen to your studio album, let alone a free mixtape. I also noted in my review how his sound caters to a huge demographic of suburban white kids. They are the type of Hip Hop fans who are drawn to white collar living. Ironically, they are also drawn to the in-your-face rebelliousness of Wiz’s music, highlighted by rampant Kush smoking. Add easily understood, repeatable lyrics that aren’t littered with the N word and you’ve got a style that a 15-30 year old white kid can get down with.

Rolling Papers is no different. He makes easy listening Hip Hop, characterized by chilled out rhythms that are more Pure Moods sounding than 808. The tone is set on the first track When I'm Gone, with a full minute of peaceful piano giving way to characteristically audacious lyrics. The persona of a Taylor is epitomized by the hook where Wiz harmonizes:

"I'm gonna spend it all
Why wait for another day?
I'ma take all this money I own
And blow it all away
Cause I can't take it when I'm gone"

After the intro comes the three high profile singles with the @IAmJimJonsin produced On My Level, Black and Yellow, and Roll Up. On My Level stands out on the album because it's the only track on the album produced by an industry heavyweight, so some may argue it doesn't mesh well, but tempo and hook wise it fits perfectly with the exaggerated, slow rhythms and mellow harmony. I don't even need to touch on how classic Black and Yellow turned out to be, but it's interesting to note I posted it on September 26th, literally 6 months before Rolling Papers dropped. Crazy how long anticipation has been building for his album and that it took 5 months for the second single Roll Up to drop. It ended up being a great decision because it kept the ball rolling with another radio friendly Stargate produced, smooth, synthy, feel good track.

As far as the album review is concerned, to me the review starts here because damn near every album these days begins to fall flat on their faces after the glitter of the singles wears off. Anyone can get a top 25 single on the radio, but it's rare for an album to keep my attention for the duration. As I started track 5, Hopes and Dreams, I was hesitant because the letdown was beginning as I wasn't a fan of the track. It's a little too slow for my liking and was too much of a mundane sing along. Luckily, as I skipped to the next track I was immediately drawn in by the third Stargate produced track Wake Up. The back and forth steady knock of the beat fits Wiz's delivery to a T like Taylor. If you want to hear him in his zone, listen to the first verse on this track. Dude even sings his own bridge, opting against the cliche T-pain or Akon collab sound and instead going with his own sound, which is beyond admirable considering how easy and popular it is to fit the industry norm...serious #Daps&Lbs for that.

Next, The Race is a dreamy, zoned out track that lands softly on the ear drums, emanating a soothing vibe throughout the track. To say it's a chill track is an understatement and doesn't do justice to the uniqueness of the guitar backbone on the beat. Star of the Show was filler track number two on the album, just not my cup of tea. Luckily, like the first filler, it was followed by one of my favorites, his third single off the album No Sleep. This will be a late spring, early summer anthem that has already reached the heights of the first two singles. The song makes me think of summer break in college when you didn't have a job or care in the world and all you did was party. No Sleep is perfectly suited for teenage/college kid consumption, emphasizing what matters to people in their late teens/early 20s, livin it up on the weekend. Again, perfectly nailing his demographic, which will only serve to convert more college kids into TGOD believers.

Get Your Shit is an emotional ballad that shows a lesser seen, vulnerable side of Wiz, as he tells his own breakup story saying, “I swear I love you but this ain’t right for us”. The back and forth knock and glee club style harmony on Top Floor sucks you in with an out of left field, tribal vibe on the track. Fly Solo is a nice acoustic change of gears, showing a little versatility in his sound by opting against the heavy Hip Hop beat and catering to a more contemporary sound. Rooftops continues the harmonic sound of the album with an echoing hook that offsets the aggressive, high caliber lyricism and chemistry shared between Wiz and @currensy_spitta.

The final track on the album, Cameras, is without a doubt my favorite on the album. It’s a feel good track with uplifting lyrics that go together perfectly with the upbeat, head nod worthy beat that keeps your attention with the calming guitar riff throughout. It's got a repeatable sound and genuinely happy feel to it, which ends up being a perfect way to cap the album. It won't be hard to imagine this as a final single to carry home the final push for sales and keep building on the 191K first week sales.

Wiz Khalifa - Cameras (prod by E.Dan)

|Download

All in all, Rolling Papers is front to back fresh. By my count there are only two out of 14 tracks I skip when listening to the album and that's very rare considering my on-to-the-next-one taste for music. He deserves credit for the homegrown sound, opting against the inclusion of typical hooks by Akon, T-pain, Chris Brown, or Trey Songz and instead singing the chorus on every song. I wouldn't call him a singer or say he's always on tune, but his own soft harmony maintains cohesion between verses and defines his style, making it unlike anybody else in the game. Sure his hooks are mostly sing-songy, but I’d argue that his G-funk sound is a continuation of the style Snoop, Warren G, and Nate Dogg coined a decade ago. The Grammys this year were another glaring example of how Hip Hop is still not on level ground with less controversial, more traditional genres like Country, Folk and Rock, but with Wiz, Drake, Cudi, and B.O.B. bringing a more contemporary, easy listening sound to Hip Hop, it’s only a matter of time before you'll see a true Hip Hop act perform at the Super Bowl.

Also noteworthy was that Wiz has his own Boi-1da in E Dan (@idlabsmusic) who did a great job in crafting a different sound that further differentiated Wiz’s sound from anything else in Hip Hop. The three Stargate tracks mixed with his production are instrumental (pun intended) in shaping the dreamy calmness that's comparable to Kid Cudi’s music, but a lot more middle of the road lyrically and generally happy in comparison. Call it happy stoner rap, rather than depressing stoner rap, with the contemporary instrumentation (plenty of acoustic guitar) that you’d hear on B.O.B.’s music. For a 23-year-old that smokes copious amounts of weed, he's undeniably smart/experienced enough to understand why his fans enjoy his music. With lines like, "Got money minor league turn major, Got money white people turn neighbors" on Wake Up and, "No socks in my boat shows now a n**** eatin’ good like whole foods” on Rooftops, he's not trying to make trap rap like T.I. or Pusha T, he's staying true to who he is and where/how he grew up no matter what type of Hip Hop fan he attracts. Five years ago his Hip Hop peers would have looked down on his style and called him "soft" for not rapping about drugs, guns and bitches, but now, thanks largely in part to artists like Drake, Cudi and B.O.B., Hip Hop has moved away from the harshness of Gangsta rap in favor of a more listen-able, relate-able and instrumentation based sound that I'm clearly excited about. #YouShouldBeToo

As a result of non-leaked, extremely well done tracks like No Sleep, Cameras, Wake Up and Top Floor, I'm giving Rolling Papers a 4 out of 5 headphone grade. It surpassed my expectations in both quality and quantity, firmly planting himself in my live starting 5 of up and coming MCs. Keep it up Wiz and I'll see you this weekend...

BONUS: Below are two recent videos and my favorite track on the album, Cameras for your viewing/listening pleasure.

Wiz speaks on trimming the features and "saving the suspense of future bigger collaborations" on Rolling Papers.

Interview with Ground Breaking Productions answering the basic pre-album question like what it feels like to be Taylor Gang and how it feels to come up like he has.

Cop Rolling Papers on iTunes

"No Socks And My Boat Shoes, Guess I'm Eating Good Like Whole Foods"

So Rolling Papers made it's way onto the internet a week before it's true release, which isn't too bad considering how in demand it will be. Still need a few more listens to get a album review together, but early indications are that they are a few tracks you haven't heard yet that you'll really like. Below is one of them and it's very G-funk like a lot of Wiz's music. Maybe it's because he's been hangin' out with the Dogfather of late or because they both like to roll up the same paper planes when they smoke.

Regardless of why, the slow and steady knock of this one will have you noddin' your head as @realwizkhalifa and @currensy_spitta trade laid back raps. Real smooth, this Curren$y cat is starting to grow on me a bit, he's got that mumbled delivery and grimy way he goes about spittin'. One of my new favorites, give it a listen and check Wiz at his album release party turned smoke session in Chi-town this week...

Wiz Khalifa feat Curren$y - Rooftop

|Download

"Whenever You Call Baby I Roll Up, I Roll Up, I Roll Up"

Slated to be released on iTunes February 8th, Roll Up will be the second single off Wiz Khalifa's upcoming album Rolling Papers due out March 29th. Similar to his first well timed single Black and Yellow, which has served as the rally cry for Steeler nation on their Super Bowl run, Wiz enlists the help of the Norwegian production duo Stargate on the track. If you can imagine it, Roll Up is even more laid back and melodic than the single before it as @REALWIZKHALIFA tackles the hook himself, clearly unafraid to add a little harmony.

I can promise that after a few listens you'll be anticipating and singing the "whenever you call baby I roll up" part of the hook. Can't hate on the single choice, it'll be sure to push more than a few units Soundscan style. On the real, it's been a while since I've heard a Wiz track that I didn't immediately add to my next gym playlist. Saying he's on a roll is becoming an understatement and if he's able to continue this assault on Contemporary Hip Hop, it wouldn't be out of the question for him to open up with 2-400K sales first week #Prediction. Maybe I'm a victim of the hype or dumping gasoline on the sun at this point, but that doesn't bother me a bit cause dude is making some great music lately.

Check his second single as well as the dope new Cloudkicker tee reppin' that's all too appropriate for this weekend...

Wiz Khalifa - Roll Up (prod by Stargate)

|Download