After ascending to the heights of mainstream success that peaked in 2015 with a sentimental
Charlie Puth duet from a blockbuster action movie, stoner rap icon
Wiz Khalifa returned to his roots. 2018's rambling and murky
Rolling Papers 2 was followed by hazy mixtapes like the
Curren$y collaboration
2009. Brief EP
The Saga of Wiz Khalifa splits the difference between pop aspirations and sharp rap skills, filling out its short running time with prestigious guest lists of famous friends adding verses and production to the seven songs.
Mustard brings his distinctive production colors to opening track "Y U Mad" and "Bammer," a song decrying low-quality weed.
Megan Thee Stallion,
Quavo,
Logic,
K-Camp,
Ty Dolla $ign, and
Tyga all contribute features to the project, with
Tyga offering the tough, catchy hook for standout cut "Contact," and
Logic singing the woozy chorus of indie-trap album-closer "High Like Me."
Wiz sticks to familiar themes of weed (the EP was surprise-released on April 20, 2020, a giggling nod to pothead holiday 4/20), nightlife, success, and dominating the rap game, and he sounds like he's having more fun than he was on the sometimes-dismal
Rolling Papers 2. Indeed, while he's rapping over the instrumental from
Dr. Dre's "Still D.R.E." on "Still Wiz," he sounds carefree and happy to be completely in his element. Grounded in pop appeal but showing more technical skills and lyrical voracity than usual,
Khalifa offers a glimpse of his powers over the 20 solid minutes that make up
The Saga of Wiz Khalifa. ~ Fred Thomas