That was a good opportunity to ingrain that DNA. Definitely people I’ve grown up respecting and loving and even having the pleasure of meeting, to the point of becoming friends or acquaintances. Was that to show love to your influences?ġ00 percent. Getting to some tracks, “High Maintenance” sees you naming rappers like Nas, 50 Cent, JAY-Z and Lil Wayne. I wanted to let that be the DNA of the album and not make a traditional rap record - but it has hardcore hip-hop elements to it, with the structuring of the songs, amount of verses, or length of the verses. It was just diving deep into my inspirations, and the things I feel like really make me. Would you agree this is the album where you colored most outside the lines of hip-hop, so to speak?ĭefinitely experimented outside of the hip-hop area. I wanted to bring that out lyrically, aesthetically and vocally, and I think I was able to do all of that with this album. Anybody who is a fan of my projects, they know how textured they are - and I want this one to be really detailed to how I feel and operate with the things that are important in my life. What did you have in mind for welcoming us into the Multiverse ?
(Catch Wiz on the Vinyl Verse Tour with Logic this summer.)
The joint-smoking legend has embraced the “big homie” role, and hopes to pass some of that OG knowledge on to the next generation of artists.īillboard caught up with the Khalifa Kush founder last week to hear more about his new album, how he ended up on Chief Keef’s “Hate Being Sober,” being asked to re-write verses, and the state of rap. Over 15 years in the music industry rat race has Wiz Khalifa looking at the game with a newfound maturity and perspective. High points such as the vulnerable “Homies” serves as a soul-baring diary entry paying tribute to those he’s lost throughout his journey, from childhood friends to rap contemporaries like Mac Miller and Nipsey Hussle. Multiverse serves as an emotional rollercoaster featuring Wiz like we’ve never heard him before. The Taylor Gang leader set out to craft a “full musical experience” while coloring outside the lines of hip-hop and meshing elements of R&B and groovy funk for his third project of 2022 (and his first solo LP since 2018’s Rolling Papers 2).