Maps of Music

Rolling Papers (2011)

Where the lyrics of Rolling Papers take you, and where it was really made.

The album's title, announced in January 2011, carries three meanings that Khalifa himself gave, and the record was his first on a major label.

Key places

Roc The Mic Studios, New York (2011)

Recording site Record Plant Studios — The album article lists Roc The Mic Studios as a recording location. The point marks the city centre of New York, not the exact studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

I.D. Labs, Pittsburgh (2011)

Recording site Audible Images — The album article lists I.D. Labs as a recording location in Pittsburgh, the hometown of the artist. The point marks the city centre, not the exact building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

The Treehouse, Los Angeles (2011)

Recording site The Treehouse — The album article lists The Treehouse as a recording location in Los Angeles. The point marks the studio's building coordinates. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Circle House Recording Studios, Miami (2011)

Recording site The Hit Factory Criteria — The album article lists Circle House Recording Studios as a recording location in Miami. The point marks the city centre, not the exact studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Rolling Papers: third studio album by American rapper Wiz Khalifa
• Released 29 March 2011 by Atlantic Records, Taylor Gang Entertainment and Rostrum Records
• First album on a major label, after the independent releases Show and Prove (2006) and Deal or No Deal (2009)
• Guest appearances from Too Short, Currensy and Chevy Woods
• Five singles: 'Black and Yellow', 'Roll Up', 'On My Level', 'No Sleep' and 'The Race'
• Music writers have noted its pop rap style
• Follow-up Rolling Papers 2 released on 13 July 2018

Background

• Preceded by the mixtape Kush & Orange Juice, widely praised as one of the best hip hop mixtapes of 2010
• Khalifa won MTV's 'Hottest Breakthrough Hip Hop Artist of 2010' award
• A bidding war between labels followed, with Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group among the bidders
• He announced his signing with Atlantic Records live on MTV's 'RapFix 34 Live' on 30 July 2010
• Title and release date were announced on 26 January 2011 via Ustream.tv
• Mixtape Cabin Fever released on 18 February 2011 to promote the album

Recording

• Studios listed as recording locations: Roc The Mic Studios (New York), I.D. Labs (Pittsburgh), The Treehouse (Los Angeles) and Circle House Recording Studios (Miami)

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), known as Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and actor.
• Raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he signed with local independent label Rostrum Records to release his debut album Show and Prove (2006).

Career

• His 2008 single "Say Yeah" became his first minor hit; he then parted ways with Warner Bros. Records in 2009.
• He signed with Atlantic Records in 2010; "Black and Yellow" peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
• Albums Rolling Papers (2011) and O.N.I.F.C. (2012) were commercial successes, with Rolling Papers peaking at number two on the Billboard 200.
• His 2015 single "See You Again" with Charlie Puth peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 for 12 non-consecutive weeks and earned diamond certification from the RIAA.
• He founded the label Taylor Gang Entertainment in 2008 and launched the cannabis brand Khalifa Kush in 2016.
• He has acted on television and voiced roles in American Dad!, Duncanville, and Big City Greens.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Reviews were generally mixed to positive, with a Metacritic average of 59 from 24 reviews
• Spin: Brandon Soderberg wrote that the album keeps the one-note approach of the mixtapes that built Khalifa's following
• Slant Magazine: Matthew Cole found Khalifa's lyrics boring
• Sputnikmusic: panned the album as overproduced, with generic beats and lyricism that fails as anthemic party music
• The Village Voice: Jesse Serwer criticized beats more pop than 'Black & Yellow' and said Khalifa has grown into a more skillful hookmeister than rapper
• NME: Hamish MacBain described the middle stretch as eight long, dull filler tracks
• Now: Kevin Ritchie said the preoccupation with bitches, champagne and weed wears thin
• PopMatters: David Amidon observed lyrical laziness
• The Quietus: Lev Harris called the album a rap autopilot that falls back on the pop rap blueprint
• The A.V. Club: Nathan Rabin called it monomaniacal and largely undistinguished
• AllMusic: David Jeffries praised Khalifa's sense of melody and hooks and called it purposeful mood music
• Entertainment Weekly: Brad Wete said the album is lyrically limited but burns with an underdog's passion
• Pitchfork: Sean Fennessey called it mood music for the mindless and noted the production team's surprising cohesion
• Rolling Stone: Jon Dolan said Khalifa gives life to cash-gorged clichés

Records

• Debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 with 197,000 first-week copies
• Debuted at number one on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Rap Albums charts
• Fell to number five in its second week, bringing US sales to 257,500
• As of June 2015, US sales reached 892,000 copies
• Certified double platinum by the RIAA on June 22, 2016, for over two million combined units in the US
• Debuted at number 6 on the Canadian Albums Chart
• Debuted at number 47 on the UK Albums Chart and number 2 on the UK R&B Albums Chart
• Debuted at number 35 in Norway, number 49 in the Netherlands and number 60 in France

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Khalifa gave three different meanings for the title and announced it via Ustream.tv on 26 January 2011.
• 'Black and Yellow' was written to honor Pittsburgh, the hometown colors, and became the unofficial anthem of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
• 'On My Level' featuring Too Short was released as the third single via digital download on 22 February 2011.
• The album debuted behind Britney Spears' Femme Fatale, which debuted at number one.
• Khalifa announced his signing with Atlantic Records live on MTV's 'RapFix 34 Live' on 30 July 2010.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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