‘Rolling Papers II’, Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa’s sequel to his 2011 major label debut, stands as 25 songs of laid back beats and a heavy reliance on finger clicks, sampled bass riffs, 808s and synth effects.
It picks up exactly where his previous ‘Rolling Papers’ compendium left off, and what resonates strongly here is Khalifa’s desire to fast-track himself back to the vintage feel of albums past. Where his breakthrough, and tracks like Black and Yellow, delivered cult status, follow ups have fallen short of representing his talent with equal impact.
With a roster of relevant and irreverent talent helping out on ‘Rolling Papers II’, Wiz explores the past four years of his life since ‘Blacc Hollywood’ flanked by Ty Dolla $ign, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Gucci Mane, Swae Lee, Curren$y and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.
But as this 90-minute album runs on, each decent track evaporates quickly from memory to be replaced by a lesser effort. The issue also extends to the piece as a whole, with the opening half easily outdoing the the second.
Rolling Papers II is the album's eponymous anthem. Fast flowing and easy moving, it is a standout moment. The production feels well oiled and Wiz channels his best writing here: “How do you make million dollars and stay the same? How do you make a hundred million and stay sane?”
By way of contrast, rap icon and Wiz’s mentor Snoop Dogg makes a convoluted guest appearance on Penthouse. This simple, piano-led rap ditty is gimmicky, lacklustre and, like too many tracks from this album, it feels like a song rendered at 3am after 12 hours smoking, without an intervention from daylight. Both artists assume their pairing will somehow turn water into wine, creating miracles from poor rhyming technique and uninspired production work.
Sequels are renowned for being a poor attempt at recreating past glories. Although we witness Wiz attempting to play out regrets and laments alongside heartbreak on 'Rolling Papers II', it all feels unconvincing and fails to establish a new direction for an artist who now appears to be talented but lacking in creative ambition.
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