Khalifa proved during his San Francisco show that -- with or without the benefit of social media -- he's one of the most talented young rappers on the planet. And he's definitely upped his game since I last saw him, which was back in March during the mammoth South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas.
Backed only by a DJ and two
The set list was a mix of material from his mixtapes (especially last year's "Kush and Orange Juice"), his two independently released albums and his long-delayed major-label debut, "Rolling Papers," which came out on Atlantic in March and has already been certified gold.
Given a title like "Rolling Papers," it shouldn't come as a shock that Khalifa's specialty is in crafting party anthems, especially ones that celebrate a certain plant that is (technically) still illegal for most to enjoy. This is not a new topic in hip-hop -- or, really, in any type of popular music -- but few have championed the green with Khalifa's particularly giddy brand of gusto.
The bong has clearly been passed, handed down from the likes of Cypress Hill and Snoop Dogg, and Khalifa now ranks as the king of stoner-rap. How does that translate to his crowds? Let's just say that the Burger King next to the Bill Graham Civic was probably swarmed with hungry fans after the show.
The words are one thing -- and you can debate the value of the messages found in such songs as "Waken Baken" all you want -- but how they're delivered is quite another. This rapper showed amazing lyrical flow, and an incredible ability to sell a hook, as he rocked the house with "In Tha Cut," "Still Blazin'" and "Wake Up" on Wednesday.
He also boasts, on occasion, a surprisingly light touch, which allows him to convincingly move from hard-core hip-hop to straight-up pop. Those who aren't all that familiar with Khalifa might be initially surprised when he ventures into a song like "Fly Solo," a sparkling mid-tempo cut that wouldn't sound out of place on a Bruno Mars record, but those kinds of numbers do provide some much-appreciated depth to his set.
By the time the confetti fell at the end of the show, Khalifa had certainly won over any doubters. Now, just watch his Twitter count soar.
By Jim Harrington
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