Wiz Khalifa - Kush & Orange Juice (Mixtape Review)
What up one & all. Sky Bento here on the check-in once again. Big Bento Energy is most definitely in full effect. Hope you & yours are doing good & well. Drinking water, protecting your mental health, knowing the vibes & all.
It’s been a while. I’ve meant to do these retro reviews monthly and was really on a roll until I skipped one month because of course that meant I skipped two. Truth be told, I been re-balancing myself, getting right in alignment you feel me? And I’ve noticed the key to having a good day really is taking advantage of the morning. Starting your morning off right really sets the tone for the whole day. If nothing happened at all after that good morning, it was a good day. So I’m on vacation and it’s 420. Only one way to start this day right? So without further ado, let’s give the legend Wiz Khalifa his medicinal flowers and revisit his seminal 2010 breakthrough mixtape - Kush & Orange Juice. For this review, we’ll be using the YouTube version because I refuse to listen to “Never Been” without the Chrono Trigger sample.
As always, these are just MY opinions and do not reflect the views of TDN as a staff, brand or a m***********g crew. Feel free to crucify me on Twitter @plzsaythebento. Iight, let’s get to it.
1. Waken Baken - Synths sound like Earthbound. Alien, yet grounded. Head in the clouds. Gives you every feeling you need going into this project. This the rollup. We don’t even get any vocals until a minute in. Feel like you’re dreaming for real. The art of a good intro is sorely lost on this generation. Ever since Dreams & Nightmares everybody tries to go for this big bombastic intro with a beat switch and nobody even focuses on the music of intros anymore. Intros serve to introduce, and that’s what this does even without any lyrics for most of it. It’s a full project to experience and this puts you in the mood to roll some good kush up and pour up some orange juice. No expectations, just follow the breeze.
2. Mezmorized - One of Wiz’s greatest songs till this very day. You could say that about a few joints on here, but this really shows what Wiz’s strengths as an MC. His voice, cadence, delivery… sounds like he’s on the couch right next to you passing you a joint with a bong in close proximity and ready for the roach. But Wiz isn’t a lazy stoner, he’s about his paper. Keeping it pimping and all about his business. It ain’t Wiz mezmorized off of the weed, it’s the b****** mezmorized of the way Wiz keeps it so G. The small Max B influence is readily apparent in the hook too, we’ll get more of that later. That influence really went too the moon in years to come. Wiz always sang like Max B mixed with Bone Thugs with a lil bit of Snoop Dogg for flavor. These first two tracks really a 1-2 punch.
3. We’re Done - This is one of them early popstar Wiz joints where he just has fun. This for when the OJ is actually a mimosa. Records like this don’t get mentioned much as part of his discography but without this I don’t think we get “See You Again” or any of the other crossover moments Wiz would go through later in his career. And he’s rapping about how far he came and how far he still had yet to go. You can’t make this sh*t up. At this point Wiz was already the man, it’s crazy to think how much bigger he actually went on to become. He could work with Demi Lovato for real now if he wanted to.
4. Skit #1 - Mr. E-Z Wider returns from Wiz’s earlier tapes to officially welcome us to Kush & Orange Juice and break down the ritual for us live from WEED FM. Yup, Wiz did it before The Weeknd. Crazy.
5. The Statement - This beat slaps me in the face every time. This feels like front seat windows down parked having a rotation to me. Before 11:00 am at that. “We’ll get there in a minute” is the statement for real. Gotta embody the attitude at all times, don’t trip. The weed help with that for sure. This beat doesn’t scream Kush & OJ to me, but it still doesn’t feel out of place, that’s the power of Wiz’s delivery. This beat coulda went to like 50 Cent or some other New York rapper and been some hard ass record, but Wiz took it and made it a day in the life with a lot of flexing thrown in. It really is a chill ass record despite the beat, and that’s the power of artistry.
6. Spotlight (feat. Killa Kyleon) - Ahhhh the blog era, where Killa Kyleon features were abundant. This beat goes perfect with Wiz’s belt, but also with this weed I’m sparking. It’s so magnificent, I could hear Rick Ross on this one. Wiz makes his luxury lifestyle sound so regular without downplaying it. That’s just how chill he sounds at all times. Killa Kyleon comes in to give it some dirty south flavor and an early shoutout to Ye’s ex-wife. The hook sits so smoothly on top of the instruments, Wiz was one of those early adopters of auto-tune that actually got it right.
7. Skit #2 - The moment this beat drops you know it’s something special. These call-ins are dope and really add to the whole experience. “We don’t smoke blunts y’all” A true mantra. Love yourself more.
8. The Kid Frankie - This is another one of those that’s one of Wiz’s best joints. He floated on this like it’s just a freestyle. Then again he does a little Max B on the hook. This is pretty much just a sample loop, pure hip-hop. It sounds like a disco in Miami, giving Wiz a real player backdrop. Props to Loose Ends for Hangin On A String. The Kid Frankie is a movie character I believe (my movie game kind of weak) but I see two things. I see The Kid Frankie, an Italian mafia hitman on vacation in the cocaine capital, or I see The Kid Frankie, high schooler walking through the halls on the first day of senior year after going from hoe-scaring to hoes staring. Classic record that recently I’ve had on repeat after a clip surfaced on the timeline of Wiz on the Million Dollars Worth Of Game Podcast while them all rapping along to this record right here. I hope them brothers stop the internet talk and dead their situation.
9. Up - This is really an R&B record but Wiz makes it feel like a cloud. Like the rest of the project it’s usual fare, weed, good times, women, money, real player sh*t. I’ll admit it’s not my favorite joint on the tape but it’s not bad either. It’s definitely memorable from the beat alone. I like when Wiz just has fun and sings about the life, but I feel like the beat deserved better. And everything’s supposed to be better when you’re high.
10. Never Been - EMPTY BOTTLES OF CLICQUOT & ASHES ON THE FLOOR, TOWEL UNDER THE DOOR, WE WASN’T SUPPOSED TO EVEN SMOKE! This got my vote for best Wiz Khalifa song, still. Something about Super Nintendo samples that always feel foggy and warm, perfect for a session. I’m very biased because retro gaming is kinda my thing, but this beat is hypnotic. Sledgren cooked and Wiz ate food. The verses are too straightforward and fly, everything just lines up perfectly. Wiz feels like the coolest n**** ever on this record. Exactly who you want to smoke with on 420, or ever. This immediately takes me back to smoking weed in high school back when $5 could get you high for the rest of the day. We was all in Mitchell & Ness snapbacks and camo shorts with high socks blazed out our minds.
11. In The Cut - This just feels like a plane taking off. “And I probably f***** your b****, n****”. Classic intro. The Wiz Khalifa era was truly special. Why couldn’t Wiz sing like this hook back on Up! This beat special, it’s like DDR mixed with Three 6 Mafia (Will Ferrell voice). The whole experience is truly freeing, you just wanna get high out of your body to this joint. It has that same kind of retro-EDM-cloudy feel that the late, great Mac Miller would popularize for frat boys everywhere over the next few years (before abandoning it to fully become Mac Miller). Even A$AP Rocky feels like he took a page out of this book.
12. Visions - 2010 was a time because I immediately heard J. Cole when this sample came in, and Wiz just took it in a completely direction. Another chill banger about the mission - which is to live life to the fullest. “You ain’t tryna eat, n****?” Appreciate the motivation Wiz. He don’t want his fans to be lazy stoners. This is a record to start your day with, getting ready to handle business. Take care of what matters. Let the weed keep you floating. If you cold, Wiz has a coat in the truck. He just wants to see you get your piece of the pie, you gotta love it.
13. Still Blazin - Gotta have a reggae vibe somewhere. Wiz ain’t just inspired by Max B, the whole Dipset got fingerprints on this joint. Weezy counts as Dipset for the sake of this argument. You’ve gotta appreciate Wiz taking it back to his momma’s basement, likely where most fans were smoking to this tape for the first time back when it first dropped on DatPiff. Wiz really rapping on these verses too. That second verse hard. Smooth as usual.
14. Slim Skit - Wiz always had a character back in the day. Can’t have a lady that won’t roll your weed up. The pain. Wiz really sells these characters. His voice may be immediately recognizable regardless, but it’s still distinct enough that you almost believe the story. This another break to roll one up. And if you didn’t know, Wiz himself comes in to tell you.
15. Pedal To The Medal (feat. Johnny Juliano) - That name. What you know about Soundclick? Wow. Wiz showed he was ready for the mainstream with records like this. Johnny Juliano had all the beats with autotuned out hooks that were ready for the radio from the jump. He was really T-Pain for internet rappers except he made the beat with it. I wonder if Wiz actually got in with Johnny or just bought it like everybody else did. Same old lyrical content as everything else on the radio around this time, but Wiz always had a way of making it sound way cooler and more humble. Wiz definitely appreciates it all. Big house, mowed lawn. Not a detail goes unappreciated.
16. Good Dank - Wayne vibes. The free-form flow was something Wayne really mastered and few after were ever able to really do, but Wiz always sounded dope when he switched his flows up like he was searching for one to land on. It was like he was so high he rapped in bullet points. Then Wiz comes in and gives us them vocals. That second verse felt like Snoop off top. This drumless joint really breaks the pace up perfectly after that last record. Smooth guitar licks give the organ and bass some extra soul, just in case yours leaves your body.
17. Skit #3 - We get one last check-in with Mr. E-Z Wider to introduce the standout posse cut from this record (or close enough). I’m pretty sure he’s popped up on a Wiz project since, but it was something special to hear these skits in the blog era, man.
18. Glass House (feat. Big KRIT & Curren$y) - The sample is magnificent. The UGK vibes are so heavy on this joint too. The scratches on the hook give it so much texture. Curren$y snaps as he always does. That Wiz-Curren$y connection so potent. Then Wiz comes through with more player vibes for that ass. Big KRIT finally closes the track out with a full Southern-fried feature verse. This is blog era excellence that we don’t speak of enough. Wiz really needs his credit for this project, arguably the perfect stoner’s mixtape.
19. Outro - Exactly what you think the outro should be. Wiz sings over the intro about the pleasures of burning his favorite plant. The man knows his brand.
20. Supply (feat. Nesby Phips) - A bonus track that feels like blog era rap from the dribble. Not as good as anything on the actual project but fits loosely. The Garageband beat is kind of cool, but this joint lacks the signature smoothness of the rest of the project, even though it feels like that’s what it’s going for. The raps aren’t whack but overall the production value just holds it back for me.
And there you have it. Wiz Khalifa’s humble beginnings as a star. After a bit of a rocky career, this was the project that really showed what he was capable and elevated his entire brand. This project prepped him for the mainstream in so many ways. A year later he would release Black & Yellow and be outta here completely as the Steelers made it to the Super Bowl and took the record with them. Since then, Wiz Khalifa’s brand has superseded his musical output. He’s featured on almost every movie soundtrack since he went double uranium for the Fast & Furious soundtrack. And through it all, he’s been the same stoner. Just enjoying his life, wherever he’s at with it. I bet that even today, he wakes up every morning extremely grateful as he rolls his first joint of the day by a glass of freshly-squeezed orange juice.
