Wiz Khalifa '28 Grams': Trap Wiz Goes Back To His Roots In New Mixtape

Fans of Wiz Khalifa’s first mixtapes, like his 2010 hit Kush & Orange Juice, will be happy to hear his new mixtape 28 Grams. Songs on 28 Grams seem comparable to the music Khalifa made when he first began releasing music. Though the mixtape will appeal to fans of Khalifa’s old music, it also shows how much he has evolved as an artist. The 28-song mixtape has been available for free download since May 25 and has since received over 700,000 downloads and over 1 million listens.

Khalifa gets help from some big names, like Juicy J, Pimp C, Ty Dolla $ign, and Currensy, just to name a few. The remixes on the mixtape are great, especially on songs like “Maan,” which is a remix of Schoolboy Q’s song “Man of the Year.” In this song, Khalifa talks about how far he has come since he began his musical career. He says, “Been through New York and London and Paris and back.” He has worked tirelessly to get to the point where he is now. Another great remix is “Up Down”, where Khalifa adds his stoner persona to the original version of the song by T-Pain.

With his stoner charm, Khalifa talks about incense and beautiful women over the slow, interesting beat by Purps on “Incense.” Then, he switches it up completely on the next song “Like Jimmy.” This song promotes Khalifa’s new nickname “Trap Wiz,” which came about at the time of his arrest when he posted a jail selfie to promote his mixtape.

“On a Plane” is comparable to Khalifa’s song “Name on a Cloud” from his 2009 mixtape Flight School. In “On a Plane,” he raps about achieving celebrity status: “I done been through the phase – seen it all for the fortune and fame. And did it for a first class flight on a plane.”

One of my favorite songs on 28 Grams is “The Rain.” This remake of Missy Elliot’s 1997 hit is unexpected and impressive. Khalifa treats fans to a shocking remix and the beat fits Khalifa’s voice and style wonderfully. “Make sure the s— you call a dream is what I really call my life,” he raps, showing that he has officially achieved the dream that many young people have.

The only downside to this mixtape is that Khalifa gives fans 28 songs all at once. Though this sounds great, most listeners will inevitably forget to listen to some of the songs; those listening may lose interest listening to a mixtape that lasts so long. However, 28 Grams is filled with great music and proves that Khalifa can still go back to his roots, while also grow as a musician.