LISTEN: Wiz Khalifa’s “Kush & OJ” Reissued For Streaming
Wiz Khalifa’s legendary “Kush & OJ” was reissued and is finally available for streaming. You can listen below to the (slightly different) reissue on Spotify or the original (for free) on SoundCloud.
Every time I am asked of my all-time favorite mixtapes, Kush & Orange Juice by Wiz Khalifa always comes to mind. It came out in 2010 but it plays just as well today as it did then. From “Up” to “In The Cut” to “Glass House” to whatever, Kush & OJ is a complete project with few flaws and a knack for putting the listener in a good mood.
Released by Rostrum Records, the mixtape came at a beautiful time in hip-hop music when things were getting smarter and more relatable. Rather than being exclusively for the streets like the era before, scene newbies like Kid Cudi, J. Cole, and Asher Roth were rhyming about stuff that people of the same age completely understood. This tape, which would eventually launch Wiz’s career, continued the trend but with a totally different style.
On top of that, I feel like Kush & Orange Juice sort of opened the door for Pittsburgh musicians. Mac Miller, who was definitely aided by Asher’s success as well, started making a major splash in the year following Wiz’s breakout. While he obviously had the chops and work ethic, I don’t think anyone would argue that Wiz Khalifa helped at least a little bit.
Having said all that, Kush & Orange Juice is (finally) on streaming platforms thanks to a reissue by Rostrum Records. There are a few minor differences, which were explained by the Pittsburgh-based label to Genius.
Fans will notice that the beats for “The Statement” and “Never Been” have been altered, while the Demi Lovato-sampling “We’re Done” and “Skit 1” have been removed from the project. In an interview with Genius, Rostrum Records’ Benjy Grinberg explained that this all happened due to sample clearance issues.
“Ultimately our goal is to make it the exact same as the original mixtape,” he said in an upcoming interview. “Sometimes we come up against these sample clearance hurdles that make it impossible. The rest of the tape is 100 percent original, exactly how it was when it was released.”
Additionally, the reissue also includes new artwork.
Below, you can listen to the Kush & OJ reissue via Spotify:
If you want to hear the old tape (or if you don’t have a Spotify Premium subscription), you can listen for free below via SoundCloud:
It’s a good day to be alive. I hope y’all enjoy!
As always, thanks for reading!