Album Review: Rolling Papers by Wiz Khalifa

I've really struggled with this album review, but I've finally come to a decision that this is a brilliant album. Maybe I'm reading too much into the lyrics, but I don't think so.  Let me explain.

In many ways this album is what you would expect from a rap artist.  A lot of songs about all the money he's got, all the women, all the drugs, all the booze, etc.  But there are differences here that are critical.  First in the world of rap his lyrics are very tame and not misogynistic.  This is unusual for an album that lyrically spends so much time talking about partying.  Second the mood set by the music throughout the album is not brash but subdued and creates a dreary mood.

A good example of what is so unusual about this album is the song "On My Level."  Ke$ha a few years back made a big splash with all of her raunchy songs about partying with her friends.  They are upbeat dance tunes and they tell the story of her and her friends drinking, doing drugs, having sex, etc.  The attitude of those songs is very in your face and flashy.  The feeling is that her life is fantastic and joyfol and free.  "On My Level" is essentially the same idea, but first the beat is sluggish, the music is all minor notes, and then you get lines like this "Hit the club spend this money up, roll another one, drink, act a fool. That's what I have to do."  The whole song when you look at it is portraying a miserable life of a guy who's miserably drunk, hanging out with people who just want to be seen with him, who want to spend all his money, and he plays the part "smiling in all my pictures."

In fact that's kind of what this entire album is about.  His relationships are broken, he's alone, he's unhappy, he's stoned, he's drunk, but he's living this life because that's what a guy in his position is suppose to do.  Like I said I could be reading too much into this, but I don't think so, and I think this is probably the deepest look we've gotten into the lives of guys like Wiz Khalifa.  I'm not talking about rap artists here as much as guys from poor backgrounds who have made it big and then struggle to understand who they are, think Ben Roethlisberger.

Musically the album is very solid creating this hazy mood throughout and it works.  

If I was in college and getting ready to head out to some party where people bring their pet rats and I really didn't want to go, but I felt like it was the thing to do, then I would throw this on my headphones for the walk over.

Following the Rhapsody rating method I give it 3 out of 5 stars for Pretty Good.