Wiz Khalifa's 'Kush & Orange Juice' Mixtape Celebrates 10th Anniversary

ExclusiveHip Hop

Apr 13

Before he conquered the pop charts, Wiz Khalifa cultivated a loyal army of stoners and sneaker-heads with his effortlessly chill anthems. Today, the Taylor Gang chief celebrates the 10th anniversary of Kush & Orange Juice, his breakthrough mixtape and a culture-changing moment of early '10s rap music. Crafting a party-positive strain of marijuana-inspired hip-hop, one defined by togetherness and good vibes rather than solitude and paranoia, Kush & Orange Juice established Wiz as one of the game's premiere lifestyle rappers--fans wanted to be like Wiz, and the rapper was eager to share his vision of good living. As the rapper sighs on "Up": "Everything is better when you're high."

Featuring early-career contributions from the likes of Curren$y, Big K.R.I.T., Cardo Got Wingz, and others, Kush & Orange Juice was one of the first mixtapes to catch fire on social media, becoming a #1 trending topic on Twitter and Google in the days after its release on April 14th, 2010. Nearly ten years later, a tweet by XXL caused "Kush & OJ" to once again become Twitter's top trending topic.

"'Glass House,' is a crowd favorite. We created a moment with that record, know what I'm saying?" says mixtape guest Big K.R.I.T. "2010, SXSW. It happened so organically and then Wiz reached out like, 'Yo I wanna put this on Kush & Orange Juice,' and that was my first introduction to a lot of his fan base. Its been crazy since then — between going on tour and performing it every time we hit the stage together. That's what timeless music is all about. Because now, it's 2020, the 10 year anniversary and that record still goes up you feel me?"

Keeping a unified vibe with a wide variety of sonic elements, the tape features fan favorites like the Frou Frou-sampling "In The Cut" and laid-back mission statement "Mezmorized," as well as genre experiments like the reggae-inspired "Still Blazin'" and the '80s R&B-inspired "The Kid Frankie," featuring producer Big Jerm's brilliant flip of "Hangin' On A String" by Loose Ends. Kush & Orange Juice still occupies a rarified place in Wiz's discography, eclipsing massive albums like Rolling Papers and Blacc Hollywood in the imaginations of many fans.

"The sound of the project presented something refreshing to the music world and Wizzle Man being who he is made everyone look unique in their own way, from me, to Sledgren, to Juliano," says Cardo Got Wingz, who produced "In The Cut" and "Mezmorized." "The project showed the world some fly shit and had the whole world up in smoke literally. The tape brought all the stoners together in the world and all the groovy people who like to groove. This project is essential for the BBQ cookouts (lol) It was such an honor to be a part of this timeless project, what a time this was for all of us. Such a memorable time and never forget we broke the internet that day. Love to Wiz and everyone at Taylor Gang. We made history and that's forever. Love. Happy 10 year anniversary Kush & Orange Juice."

The tape is among the most acclaimed and popular free mixtapes of all-time, earning Diamond status on DatPiff, and earning spots on Best-Ever Mixtape lists by Complex and Pitchfork. The mixtape saw official release on DSPs and streaming services in November 2018, and releases on vinyl for the first time on this Friday via Rostrum Records.

Wrapped in a Zip-lock-style shrink wrap, the album comes with two cloudy green-colored 180-gram discs. The double-LP comes packaged in an orange-scented juice carton gatefold--fans will have to provide the kush scent on their own. Releasing on April 17th via Rostrum Records, the Kush & Orange Juice vinyl is currently available for pre-order at http://www.kushandoj.com/.

“The release of Kush & Orange Juice was a watershed moment for Wiz's career and for the art of mixtapes in general," says Rostrum Records founder/president Benjy Grinberg. "It was during the making of this tape that Wiz really hit his stride, and, to this day, it's one of the best albums ever made. Kush & Orange Juice changed all of our lives, and it will always hold a special place in the history of Hip Hop.”