Wiz Khalifa - Laugh Now, Fly Later Album Review
Wiz Khalifa has been a force to be reckoned with in hip hop for over a decade now, keeping with his signature positive vibes style and clever rhyme scheme. Over the course of his career, Wiz has put out 14 mixtapes and 5 studio albums. With no shortage of music, Wiz Khalifa has kept himself a part of the conversation over the years and strives to continue that trend. Laugh Now, Fly Later, his newest mixtape, serves as an appetizer for his upcoming studio album. While Wiz has always had a proclivity for constantly having a fresh selection of tracks for his fans, this saturation of content hurts his originality. Laugh Now, Fly Later is a decent project, but feels like more of the same when compared to the rest of his discography, as well as his contemporaries.
As far as Wiz Khalifa projects go, Laugh Now, Fly Later succeeds in keeping with Wiz’s signature wit that his fans have grown to love. There is a nice variety between speaker shaking rap bangers and slower, more introspective tracks to keep the audience engaged. Wiz has never considered himself a one-lane artist and it shows here. One minute Wiz is flexing about his money and care free lifestyle and the next he’s talking about being a father. Wiz shows a good amount of tonal versatility throughout the duration of this project, giving each track a reason for being included. Since Laugh Now, Fly later is just a placeholder until Wiz puts out his sixth studio album, the project lacks any thematic continuity. This lack in theme can be forgiven, and Laugh Now, Fly Later should be taken as what it is: a way to keep the fans content.
Production wise, Laugh Now, Fly Later is solid. A variety of instrumentation was used throughout the projects ten tracks and helps keep the mixtape as a whole feeling fresh song after song. The rap bangers of the mixtape are what’s to be expected in a Wiz Khalifa release: pounding bass coupled with a flutter of hi-hat patterns and a punchy snare. This type of track has been a staple in Wiz’s music in the latter half of his career and the few on this track feel like much of the same. These types of tracks don’t fare as well as some of the slower tracks. The highlight in this category would have to be “Letterman,” the track with the most solid production and the most energy exuded from Wiz. Tracks on the slower side of the project are where Wiz Khalifa’s skills as a veteran lyricist shine the most. When the beat slows down and Wiz is tasked with penning more introspective lyrics, what shows is an artist that has a lot more to say than how much marijuana he smokes. The instrumentation for these tracks range from live instrument samples, to moody synths that help nail the chill vibe Wiz Khalifa is best known for. These tracks are also the most instrumentally diverse, allowing for Wiz to test his wit across many different instrumental types.
Laugh Now, Fly Later is a solid project from start to finish, however its biggest issue is not with the music itself, but its placement among Wiz Khalifa’s extensive discography. Wiz Khalifa is very consistent when it comes to having fresh music for his fans, but unfortunately Wiz’s originality suffers because of this. Each new project feels like an extension of the last and Laugh Now, Fly Later is no different. Wiz’s talent still shines through, but that talent is hindered in a way because it’s the same old Wiz Khalifa. He can’t be blamed for continuing to do what works for him, but it’s unfortunate that Wiz has never attempted anything new with his sound, especially with a discography as extensive as his.
For what it is, Laugh Now, Fly Later is a decent project with solid production and plenty of personality. The mixtape does have a few low points, but nothing too bad that would hurt the overall listening experience. For Wiz Khalifa fans, this project is a perfect appetizer before the new album.
Rating: 7/10
Zach Hall is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email zth5043@psu.edu.
