Wiz Khalifa – Laugh Now Cry Later (Mixtape Review)

Wiz Khalifa has been flying under the radar lately, which is a bit weird to me, because when he first came out he always had something new for his fans. I personally think that the Pittsburgh native had to take a step away from the game so he can rediscover himself, which is the reason why a lot of his music has been sounding like the vintage him lately. If my theory is true, I happily welcome back trap Wiz to the rap conversation.

TOP 5

5. FIGURE IT OUT

I’m not sure I’ve heard some real s–t from Wiz like this in a while (If Ever)! I can just feel the seriousness of the beat, and hear this urgency in Wiz’s voice throughout. With a good chunk of this album consisting of a boastful Wiz, it’s pretty refreshing to hear this humbling side of the rapper that is able to discuss his flaws.

Even though Wiz is giving advice on how to succeed on this song, he sounds a bit angry to me — which is how Nigerian parents get their messages across too…

4. ROYAL HIGHNESS

‘Royal Highness’ has that laidback/cold ass instrumental that Wiz used to rap over back in the day. Casey Veggies is featured on the song, and he opens it up with this amped up verse that is perfect for cool ass Wiz.

Wiz is that n—a, right? He hops on the track sly as hell, coasting through his verse like it was nothing. For those who forgot who he was, Wiz gives them a quick reminder, discussing his new flows, hoes, and clothes. It’s a dope ass verse, especially if you need some motivation at work.

3. LETTERMAN

When Wiz is on his s–t, he is able to create tracks that are both explosive and club ready like this. His last few releases hasn’t quite been that, which might be the reason most hasn’t heard of them. With that being said, I’m glad to hear Wiz go back to his roots with this song, creating something that reminds me a bit of the ‘We Dem Boyz’s of the world. I love the songs trap roots, but sorta hate the fact that Wiz keeps repeating the same s–t throughout the song.

Ya’ll think Wiz got one with this track?

2. NO DIRT

If you loved ‘Kush & Orange Juice’ Wiz, then you will love ‘No Dirt’!

No one does a simple ass chorus better than Wiz, right? There is absolutely nothing special about the Ol Dirty Bastard reference that he uses, but something about the way it’s delivered makes it feel like some Shakespearean s–t!

Wiz’s verses are tough as hell on this song, as he does a lot of bragging, but in a way that is a lot more assertive than the other rappers you hear today. It’s almost like the n—a knows he has a solid amount of money in his savings account, so he doesn’t mind being reckless for the time being.

1. LONG WAY TO GO

A 70’s beat, an arrogant Wiz, and infectious harmonizing pretty much solidify that this song is a great one!

With the beat whispering in his ear to ‘kill it’, Wiz drops these bars that are both relentless and heavy-hitting. Line after line contains some real s–t from the Taylor Gang boss, as he makes sure he keeps the listeners that dosed off listening to the smooth Sledgren produced beat awake.

Anytime Wiz associates interviews into his music, I think that s–t is dope! Especially when he gets ditsy ass interviewers like the girl on this song.

SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN

1. ROYAL HIGHNESS (4.5/5)

2. LETTERMAN (4.5/5)

3. FIGURE IT OUT (4.5/5)

4. PLANE 4 U (4/5)

5. NO DIRT (4.8/5)

6. LONG WAY TO GO (5/5)

7. GLOBAL ACCESS (4.5/5)

8. CITY OF STEEL (4.3/5)

9. WEED FARM(3.8/5)

10. STAY FOCUSED (4.3/5)

OVERALL RATING

(8.5/10)

I definitely enjoyed this Mixtape. Wiz returned to his Mixtape roots on it, delivering those classic tracks that turn non-smokers into complete stoners. I can tell Wiz locked himself in his million dollar mansion during the making of it, only surrounding himself around Munchies and weed brownies.

While I love Wiz’s contributions to this tape, I think Sledgren is the MVP of it overall. The beats he produced are absolute fire, and not to mention consistent. Everyone and their mama knows that Sledgren and Wiz have great chemistry, so moving forward, I see no reason why the two shouldn’t continue collaborating on upcoming projects.

Some people wished that Wiz could expand on his subject range, he did, and quite honestly, people didn’t like it much. There is a reason why Wiz’s Mixtapes get more love than his albums, and that is because he is a little more carefree on the Mixtapes (which is a good sound for him). ‘Laugh Now, Cry Later’ proves once again that Mixtapes is his best sound, as he makes the stale topics of chiefing, bragging, and f–king b-tches riveting!