Call Wiz Khalifa a rapper, and he might just take offense. Not because he considers it a negative, incorrect label. It’s just that for as long as the Pittsburgh native has been making music, he’s always considered himself to be bigger than rap and bigger than a title like “rapper.” He explained as much during a recent interview as he continued to promote his latest album, Rolling Papers.
“I just been working a lot. Just really finding myself and my own sound and, you know, putting my diversity out there and not letting anybody put me in a box or let people’s expectations guide what I do,” he began.
“Really, [I] just do what I feel and what makes me happy. Even the albums that I put out before, the ‘Say Yeah’s and stuff like that that I did, that was me letting people know that I’m more than just a rapper. I’m making music, I make songs, I’m down to make hits.”
This stance has, in his estimation, pushed him to be a better artist. It’s also increased the diversity in his music and his knowledge of the music industry by leaps and bounds. “I mean, everything that I do, I try to do something different, try to make it different from the last,” Khalifa explained. “Really, just the transition has been learning the game, learning how to make other people happy as well as fulfilling all my needs, too.”
As Khalifa continues his evolution as an artist, it will be interesting to see if he’s able to get the rest of the world to buy into this notion that he’s more than just a rapper. What do you think? –djr
