Fifteen years ago, Wiz Khalifa broke out as hip-hop's clown prince — a smooth rapper whose persona embodies a good party, performing with an effortless confidence that draws you in. It's a foundation he's built on in the years since, and his latest project brings the 10-time GRAMMY nominee back to where it all began.
2010's Kush & Orange Juice is what first introduced Khalifa's unique point of view to the masses. The project garnered acclaim for its innocent and brash sensibilities, much of it centered about his love of weed; take, for example, opening track "Waken Baken," and a skit that doubles as an infomercial to get high.
On its long-awaited follow-up, Kush + Orange Juice 2, Khalifa continues his reign as the GOAT of cannabis culture. Like its predecessor, many of the mixtape's 23 tracks focus on smoking ("Crime Bud and Women," "Red Eye," "Bring Your Lungs," "Hit It Once," and even an outro titled "Super Duper High"), offering a sense of nostalgia both thematically and melodically.
This time around, though, there's even more assuredness in the breezy, laid-back nature of his artistry. And as he declares on lead single "Khalifa's Home," the rap star is well aware of his legacy: "Your weed is strong, but it ain't stronger than Wiz is."
Just before the highly anticipated release, Khalifa spoke with GRAMMY.com about why he was inspired to make a Kush & Orange Juice sequel, how he chose the project's collaborators, and his passion for smoking it up.
It's been 15 years since the release of Kush & Orange Juice. Have you been thinking about a sequel since the last one came out, or did now just feel like the right time to work on a follow-up?
No, it has been recently for sure. Initially, it was something that I actually told people that I wasn't into doing a sequel — that I would always leave Kush & Orange Juice alone. But when I started working on my next album and what I wanted to be my next project, I just thought, What would be the most satisfying for the fans and the people who support me? Should I start over and do something brand new, or to recreate something that they already love and that they're already used to? So that's what made me make the decision to work on a follow-up.
The initial project is widely regarded as your breakout, but when did you feel you broke through into the mainstream? Was there a moment where you thought, I'm at another level here.
It happened in stages. It definitely started first by getting onto a label and getting radio recognition. And then after that, the next stage was the mixtape and the underground circuit. And then after that was to be able to make hits — songs like "Black and Yellow" having songs chart and do numbers. So, throughout that whole process of figuring myself out and figuring out what my fans love, and just putting in the work and being able to deliver, I came up with a whole sense of who I was and what I could be.
I get the kush, but why the orange juice? Are these just two things you start your day with?
Exactly. Yeah, it's that soothing feeling. The orange juice is the vibe, but it's really about having a great night before and then starting your day fresh.
Has your creative process changed in the past 15 years? I'm wondering if the way you write is radically different from how you wrote back then.
Nah, I would say it's pretty much the same. A lot of the times I pick the beat before I actually go into the studio. What I do is I listen to a group of beats and really decide what vibe fits me the best. And then I just go in there and I write the songs, and I listen to 'em later. And that's how I'm able to pick which ones either fit or match my mood, or if I should move on and do something else. But it's really pretty much the same, where it's, like, trial and error with me figuring out what I want it to sound like in the end.
You've collaborated with so many artists, from Charlie Puth to Bruno Mars to The Weeknd. On Kush + Orange Juice 2, you have so many features including Curren$y, Don Toliver, Gunna, Ty Dolla $ign. How did you determine who to ask to be a part of this project?
It's a combination — sometimes it's really organic. A lot of the time it's whoever I feel like the fans would wanna see the most.
If I'm working on something that I wanna send to somebody later, I just kind of sit with it and try to figure out who would sound the best on it. For the most part, it's usually the same people. With this project, I wouldn't say it was unintentional to have as many features. It just all flowed naturally and was really organic, as opposed to me feeling like I had to put people in place.
What is the process like when you're collaborating? I can imagine it's a lot of fun when you get in a studio.
Yeah, it is definitely a loose environment. I would say the most fun moments are always just creating and coming up with things on the spot.
I think everything is fun. When we're in the studio, every time I get on the track, that's the first thing I say: "Let's just have some fun." Regardless of what comes out, as long as we have fun, we doing good.
Because you have such an ear for talent, I'm wondering if there are any rappers you have your eye on right now that we should seek out?
I would say anybody who's on my album. Anybody who you hear me co-sign, or who I write music with, that's who's up next.
Speaking of, how do you find new talent? Are people constantly sending you music? How do you even know what to listen to?
I'm on the internet all the time, whether it's just scrolling or discovering things based off what I already like. I'm always digging and searching and finding.
Like you said, I have my own ear and my own taste level as to what I think is good or gonna be popular or up next, and I'm usually pretty accurate when it comes to that. So I just stick with that and go based off of what I really enjoy or what I see being up next.
The release of this project is perfectly timed to 4/20, and you also have your own marijuana brand. In your expert opinion, what makes a good album or song to smoke to?
A lot of it gotta do with the beat and the musicality of what's being rapped over. I'm talking about the subject matter of the rap and then the cadence and the flow, and the all-around structure of the song should take you on some type of musical journey. It's music that helps you feel different than you do when you listen to songs that aren't about smoking weed.
Sometimes it feels like two different experiences: listening to music high and sober. Have you found that as well?
Yeah. It's a really good feeling to just unravel it and not expect to hear it in a different way, and then you do. For a song to sound different that you've heard over and over, whether it's instruments or parts to it, I think that's what really makes you fall in love with the music. You're experiencing it and you're living with it, and you want that feeling over and over again.
When you listen back to the work you've done 15 years ago, what do you think of that guy and his writing and performance?
I'm really impressed. Just because of the point of view that I had on life and how I was able to share that and express that with everybody, and get people in tune with the same thing that I was on.
It feels good to know that my vision and the principles and things that I stood on are things that I still value and stand on to this day, with a lot of added responsibility and experience on top of it. But with what I had at that time, I was doing my absolute best and I was doing a really good job at it. I'm really proud and I'm really grateful to have that as a foundation to stand on.
Thank you, Wiz! I'm inspired to enjoy your album with a (legal) joint.
Yes, please smoke up, listen to the album, put some headphones on and zone out.