Tag Archives: Wiz Khalifa

concert review, Music

Concert Review: Springfest (Matthews Arena)

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Bands/Rappers: Mac Miller, Taking Back Sunday, Third Eye Blind, Wiz Khalifa
Date: April 9, 2011

Mac Miller – Firstly, the sound in Matthews Arena is a shitty thing. No surprise, though. Watching good ole Mac and his crew rap was like listening to an ole beat-up boom box cranked to max volume. I have no comment on his performance other than that I’m simply not familiar with him.

Taking Back Sunday – At their best they sounded like an impressionable Head Automatica knock-off band and at their worst they made drunk kids fall asleep. It was mostly the latter. “WHO HERE GOES TO COLLEGE?” Oh gee bro I don’t know! Crowd wasn’t feeling TBS and they had a good reason not to be.

Third Eye Blind – This is the point in the show where things improved a lot more. The instruments were much more audible and the vocals mixed just right for Third Eye Blind. The band’s long-standing favorites “Jumper” and “Semi Charmed Life” drew the most notable crowd reaction. The pauses for the crowd to sing got a bit cheesy, but I guess that’s a norm for arena rock bands. For a band that I haven’t really listened to much before, I will say I was impressed. Their set wasn’t draggy and their new tune, which they closed their set with, sounded decent.

Wiz Khalifa – Wiz seemed excited and all to be performing. Opening chants of TAYLOR (GANG), TAYLOR (GANG) were excessive. Even worse was the repetitive WAKE N (BAKE), WAKE N (BAKE). When the dude started rapping for reals, it was hard to tell whether it was his own voice coming out of the PA or that of a recording. I imagine this is the standard for rap shows, though.

Conclusion: Screw arenas! I’ll take a 100 person dive bar or, on the larger end of things, the Orpheum Theatre or House of Blues any day over the distance and lack of personality associated with arenas.

CD Review, Music

CD Review: Rolling Papers [2011]

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Rapper: Wiz Khalifa
Release: 3/2011
Label: Atlantic

1. “When I’m Gone” – B-
2. “On My Level” – C
3. “Black And Yellow” – A-
4. “Roll Up” – B-
5. “Hopes and Dreams” – B-
6. “Wake Up” – B-
7. “The Race” –  B-
8. “Star Of The Show” – B-
9. “No Sleep” – C+
10. “Get Your Shit” – C-
11. “Top Floor” – C-
12. “Fly Solo” – D+
13. “Rooftops” – C-
14. “Cameras” –  C

Comments: We’ve got a new Kid CuDi in town! Now, now, not really, but you can see a theme. Wiz had an intricate revelation after smoking via rolling papers and here we are with this, a very “focused” record. Focus from a stoner….no way?! “When I’m Gone” is an aspirational number — a non-single with the aim of a single — see where I’m going with the CuDi comparison. There’s the opening piano, the OH SHIT’s about to get REAL moment following that, some meh-meh rhyming (“Back in the day money was short, I’m making it taller), and a decent hip-hop chorus. So at this point, it’s pretty reasonable to assume Wiz is about to travel down the “I’m about to get rich” rapping route, a well-traveled path…but wait maybe he’s not! “On My Level” is bass heavy — a deep beat that is a bit too deep and not aided any by a less than spectacular chorus and real rudimentary verses. “Man, I’m high as fuck and I swear I’m on my level. Man, I’m sloppy drunk, man I swear I’m on my level.” Huh! “Black and Yellow” is old news at this point, but it still holds up pretty well. Pretty much one of the freshest hip-hop songs – verse, chorus, break, everything – of 2010! “Roll Up” sounds like a handful of other songs — does it not? It’s pretty lazy — a trait that a lot of the hip-hop records I’ve reviewed possess. A pre-requisite to listening to this album may indeed be smoking, but a well-done record is one that need not require the green leaf to be appreciated. Rolling Papers – I think it can be argued — lacks genuine excitability. It’s perpetually chill, which could be appealing to a lot of listeners. I will give it that. BoB lacked true excitement, I mean he’s not on Wiz’s level if only because he included that girl from Paramore on a song. That’s some weak ass shit. “No Sleep” is like a ghetto Miley Cyrus tune. Lyrically, speaking. Just got to shake your head listening to “Fly Solo,” which is similarly corny. The latter third/half of this is just frustrating. I’m giving Wiz an honest chance too, but it’s hard to find anything better than average. Speaking of BoB, “Cameras” = that silly “Nothin On You”.

Grade: C+ (77)
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Wiz Khalifa performs April 9 at Northeastern’s Matthews Arena with Third Eye Blind, Taking Back Sunday, and Mac Miller as part of the school’s annual Spring Fest concert.