Blacc Hollywood

Blacc Hollywood
Studio album by Wiz Khalifa
Released August 18, 2014
Recorded 2013–14
Genre Hip hop
Length 53:46
Label Rostrum, Atlantic
Producer Wiz Khalifa (exec.), Will Dzombak (exec.), Arthur McArthur, Jim Jonsin, I.D. Labs, Juicy J, DJ Mustard, Ned Cameron, Stargate, Ghost Loft, Dr. Luke, Micah J Foxx, The Beat Bully, Sledgren, Detail, Finatik N Zac, Purps, Kane Beatz, JMike, Luca Polizzi, The Order, JGramm Beats, Sonny Digital, David Versis
Wiz Khalifa chronology

O.N.I.F.C.
(2012)		 Blacc Hollywood
(2014)
Singles from Blacc Hollywood
  1. "We Dem Boyz"
    Released: February 11, 2014
  2. "KK"
    Released: July 15, 2014
  3. "You and Your Friends"
    Released: July 22, 2014
  4. "Stayin Out All Night"
    Released: July 28, 2014
  5. "Promises"
    Released: August 5, 2014
  6. "So High"
    Released: August 12, 2014

Blacc Hollywood is the fifth studio album by American rapper Wiz Khalifa; it was released on August 18, 2014, in North America, by Rostrum Records and Atlantic Records. The album features guest appearances by Taylor Gang members Juicy J, Ty Dolla Sign, Chevy Woods, and Project Pat, along with Ghost Loft, ScHoolboy Q, Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, Jeezy, Curren$y, Pimp C, Nas and Snoop Dogg. It was supported by the singles "We Dem Boyz", "KK", "You and Your Friends", "Stayin Out All Night", "Promises" and "So High".

Background

On June 24, 2013, Wiz Khalifa announces his title of his fifth album (also his third major-label) will be titled Blacc Hollywood.[1] On May 25, 2014, after posting several "weedmixes" and teasers, Khalifa released his twelfth mixtape titled 28 Grams, after getting out of jail for marijuana possession.[2] On June 30, Khalifa posted to his official Instagram account the cover art and release date for Blacc Hollywood. The album is set to be released August 19, 2014.[3] In August 2014, in an interview with USA Today, he said the album is his best work yet:, saying:

"I was able to work more hands-on with this one, sort of the way I am with my mixtapes, where we strive for the best and we really don't settle or accept anything other than the best. I think the unique thing about all of my other projects were the mind states that I was in at that time and what I was trying to get out to the world, and just how important that message really was to me at that time. The thing about Blacc Hollywood is everything I'm talking about has been very important to me right now. I'm really passionate about it, and you can just feel the passion through the music. You can see it through the artwork; you can see it in the visuals and the videos and things like that."[4]

Singles

On February 11, 2014, Khalifa released the album's lead single, titled "We Dem Boyz".[5] Two months later on April 14, 2014, Khalifa released the music video to "We Dem Boyz".[6] The song peaked at number 43 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[7]

On July 15, 2014, the album's second single "KK" featuring Project Pat and Juicy J was released.[8] On July 15, 2014, the music video was released for "KK" featuring Juicy J and Project Pat.[9]

On July 22, 2014, the album's third single "You and Your Friends" featuring Snoop Dogg and Ty Dolla Sign was released.[10] The song peaked at number 82 on the Billboard Hot 100.

On July 28, 2014, the album's fourth single "Stayin Out All Night" produced by Dr. Luke[11] was released.[12]

On August 5, 2014, "Promises" was released as the album's fifth single.[13] On August 6, 2014, the music video was released for "Promises".[14]

On August 12, 2014, "So High" featuring Ghost Loft was released as the album's sixth single.[15]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic 54/100[16]
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [17]
The A.V. Club D[18]
Consequence of Sound C[19]
Exclaim! 6/10[20]
The Guardian [21]
HipHopDX [22]
Now [23]
Slant Magazine [24]
Spin 5/10[25]
XXL 3/5 (L)[26]

Upon its release, Blacc Hollywood was met with generally mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 54, which indicates "mixed or average reviews", based on 16 reviews.[16] Luke Fox of Exclaim! said, "By his fifth studio release, the 26-year-old weed/Converse head has this whole pop-rap thing down to a science. Blacc Hollywood, an LP titled like it might bring some overarching theme, is the audio equivalent of the Transformers quadrilogy: a series of in-your-face, mass-appeal blockbusters that lure crowds and teach them nothing."[20] Bruce Smith of HipHopDX stated, "Blacc Hollywood has a little bit of everything from Khalifa: a strong club banger reminiscent of his breakout single “Black And Yellow” (“We Dem Boyz”), serious cuts like “House In The Hills” and “No Gain,” and several songs to smoke to. While the misses hold Blacc Hollywood back from being great, Wiz still reminds listeners that regardless of what they’re looking for, he’s capable of providing."[22] Jesse Cataldo of Slant Magazine said, "It's hard to tell whether he's genuinely torn between guilt and pride or just being pulled between diverging trends—playing up his largesse on some tracks, his emotional capacity on others. But what's clear is that in neither mode is he especially articulate. This sense of puzzled division remains the only really interesting thing about Blacc Hollywood, an album that's remarkable only as a ghostly portrait of a half-formed figure prowling the fringes of success."[24] Jordan Sowunmi of Now said, "Blacc Hollywood peaks when Wiz reverts to the hopeful, aspirational tone that powered his initial rise: the Curren$y-featuring House In The Hills combines an up-by-my-bootstraps narrative with palpable incredulity at his success. It’s the hit-chasing emcee at his most compelling: personal, endearing and undeniably heartfelt."[23]

David Jeffries of AllMusic said, "Stoned immaculate with a self-professed monthly weed bill of ten-thousand dollars, Wiz Khalifa isn't the type of rapper to make clear-headed, well-defined albums, but his fifth studio effort gets back to serious, sullen business often enough that it almost has a theme."[17] Michael Madden of Consequence of Sound stated, "At this point, he doesn’t seem interested in making an album to stake his legacy on. Hollywood is an improvement over 2012’s O.N.I.F.C., but it serves an overly similar purpose. At a time when so many A-list rappers are looking to outdo each other creatively, Wiz is sticking to his guns, and they’re jamming up."[19] Brandon Soderberg of Spin said, "Blacc Hollywood could be worse or lazier or just plain longer, but Wiz is a master of half-assed hedging. You're not going to expect more from him than you get here, and by standing for so little Wiz somehow remains relevant."[25] Evan Rytlewski of The A.V. Club stated, "On “No Gain,” Khalifa misuses his favorite L-word again, insisting, “Man, I work hard, literally,” but there’s no evidence of hard work on Blacc Hollywood. Khalifa’s 2011 breakthrough, Rolling Papers, compensated for his bland rapping with sticky pop hooks, and even his 2012 snoozer, O.N.I.F.C., offered some varied production to offset the tedium, but there are no such respites on Blacc Hollywood, an album every bit as vacant and unappealing as the artist who made it."[18]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 90,453 copies in the United States, making it his first album to take the top spot in its first week.[27] In its second week, the album dropped to number six on the chart, selling 30,000 copies.[28] In its third week, the album dropped to number ten on the chart, selling 19,700 copies.[29] In its fourth week, the album dropped to number 23 on the chart, selling 11,934 copies.[30] As of December 2014, the album has sold 215,000 copies.[31] In Canada, the album debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling 5,300 copies.[32]

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s)Producer(s) Length
1. "Hope" (featuring Ty Dolla Sign)Cameron Thomaz, Ned Cameron, Tyrone Griffin, Jr., Eric Dan, J. KulosekN. Cameron, I.D. Labs 5:24
2. "We Dem Boyz"  Thomaz, Noel "Detail" FisherDetail 3:44
3. "Promises"  Thomaz, Issac de Boni, James Scheffer, Rico Love, M. MuleJim Jonsin 3:30
4. "KK" (featuring Project Pat and Juicy J)Thomaz, Jordan Houston, Patrick Houston, Scheffer, M. Mule, Niko MarzoucaJim Jonsin, Finatik N Zac, Micah J Foxx 4:09
5. "House in the Hills" (featuring Curren$y)Thomaz, Shante Franklin, Kevin Allen, Dan, Kulosek, Edward MurrayI.D. Labs, Sledgren 4:52
6. "Ass Drop"  Thomaz, Issac de Boni, M. Mule, SchefferFinatik N Zac 2:46
7. "Raw"  Thomaz, MurraySledgren, RMB Justize (co.) 3:37
8. "Stayin Out All Night"  Thomaz, Lukasz Gottwald, Nick Ruth, Henry WalterDr. Luke 4:17
9. "The Sleaze"  Thomaz, Jeremy McArthur, David "Versis" DaRosaArthur McArthur, David Versis (co.) 4:25
10. "So High" (featuring Ghost Loft)Thomaz, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Danny ChoiStarGate, Ghost Loft 4:09
11. "Still Down" (featuring Chevy Woods and Ty Dolla Sign)Thomaz, Griffin, Jr., Kevin Woods, Dan, KulosekI.D. Labs 4:16
12. "No Gain"  Thomaz, Dan, KulosekI.D. Labs 4:19
13. "True Colors" (featuring Nicki Minaj)Thomaz, Onika Maraj, Rasool Diaz, Luca Polizzi, Brian "The Order" SokoKane Beatz, JMike, The Order, Polizzi[33] 4:15
Deluxe edition (bonus tracks)[34]
No. TitleWriter(s)Producer(s) Length
14. "We Dem Boyz (Remix)" (featuring Rick Ross, Schoolboy Q and Nas)Thomaz, FisherRMB Justize, Sledgren (co.), Ricky P (co.) 5:19
15. "You and Your Friends" (featuring Snoop Dogg and Ty Dolla Sign)Thomaz, Griffin, Jr., Robin Weisse, Dijon McFarlane, Calvin BroadusDJ Mustard 3:08

Charts

Chart (2014) Peak
position
scope="row" Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[37] 46
scope="row" Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[38] 40
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[39] 1
scope="row" Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[40] 28
scope="row" Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[41] 56
scope="row" French Albums (SNEP)[42] 31
scope="row" German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[43] 12
scope="row" Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[44] 8
Italian Albums (FIMI)[45] 41
scope="row" Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[46] 46
UK Albums (OCC)[47] 27
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[48] 3
US Billboard 200[49] 1
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[50] 1

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label
United Kingdom[51] August 18, 2014 CD, digital download Atlantic
United States August 19, 2014 Atlantic, Rostrum
September 30, 2014[52] Vinyl

References

  1. ↑ "Wiz Khalifa Announces New Album ‘Blacc Hollywood’". Rap-Up.com. 2013-06-24. Retrieved 2014-07-03.
  2. ↑ "New Mixtape: Wiz Khalifa – ’28 Grams’". Rap-Up.com. 2014-05-25. Retrieved 2014-07-03.
  3. ↑ "Wiz Khalifa To Release 'Blacc Hollywood' On August 19". Billboard. 2012-12-22. Retrieved 2014-07-03.
  4. ↑ Alan Sculley (2014-08-06). "Wiz Khalifa: 'Blacc Hollywood' is my best work". Usatoday.com. Retrieved 2014-08-20.
  5. ↑ "iTunes - Music - We Dem Boyz - Single by Wiz Khalifa". Itunes.apple.com. 2014-02-11. Retrieved 2014-07-03.
  6. ↑ "Video: Wiz Khalifa – ‘We Dem Boyz’". Rap-Up.com. 2014-04-14. Retrieved 2014-07-03.
  7. ↑ "Wiz Khalifa - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 2014-07-03.
  8. ↑ "KK (feat. Project Pat & Juicy J) [Explicit]: Wiz Khalifa: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. 2014-07-15. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Video: Wiz Khalifa f/ Juicy J and Project Pat – ‘KK’". Rap-Up.com. 2014-07-15. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
  10. ↑ "You And Your Friends (feat. Snoop Dogg & Ty Dolla $ign) [Clean]: Wiz Khalifa: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. 2014-07-22. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
  11. ↑ Diep, Eric (2014-07-28). "Wiz Khalifa Supplies The Party Songs On 'Blacc Hollywood' - XXL". Xxlmag.com. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
  12. ↑ "Stayin Out All Night [Explicit]: Wiz Khalifa: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. 2014-07-29. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
  13. ↑ "Promises [Explicit]: Wiz Khalifa: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. 2014-08-12. Retrieved 2014-08-18.
  14. ↑ "Video: Wiz Khalifa – ‘Promises’". Rap-Up.com. Retrieved 2014-08-20.
  15. ↑ "So High (feat. Ghost Loft) [Explicit]: Wiz Khalifa: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.com. 2014-08-12. Retrieved 2014-08-18.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Reviews for Blacc Hollywood by Wiz Khalifa". Metacritic. 2014-08-15. Retrieved 2014-08-20.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 David Jeffries. "Blacc Hollywood - Wiz Khalifa". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-08-20.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Rytlewski, Evan. "Wiz Khalifa returns with his clumsiest album yet". Avclub.com. Retrieved 2014-08-20.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Cosores, Philip. "Wiz Khalifa – Blacc Hollywood". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 2014-08-20.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Fox, Luke (2014-08-15). "Wiz Khalifa - Blacc Hollywood". Exclaim.ca. Retrieved 2014-08-20.
  21. ↑ Lanre Bakare (2014-08-14). "Wiz Khalifa: Blacc Hollywood review – rapping, trapping and hip-hop hooks". The Guardian. Retrieved 2014-08-20.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Smith, Bruce. "Wiz Khalifa - Blacc Hollywood". HipHop DX. Retrieved 2014-08-20.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Sowunmi, Jordan. "Wiz Khalifa - Blacc Hollywood". Nowtoronto.com. Retrieved 2014-08-20.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 "Wiz Khalifa: Blacc Hollywood". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2014-08-20.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Soderberg, Brandon. "Wiz Khalifa, 'Blacc Hollywood' Review". Spin.com. Retrieved 2014-08-20.
  26. ↑ "Wiz Khalifa Sticks To The Same Formula On 'Blacc Hollywood'". Xxlmag.com. 2014-08-22. Retrieved 2014-08-27.
  27. ↑ Tardio, Andres. "Hip Hop Album Sales: Wiz Khalifa, Iggy Azalea, Beyonce, Statik Selektah, Slaine". HipHop DX. Retrieved 2014-08-27.
  28. ↑ Tardio, Andres (2014-09-03). "Hip Hop Album Sales: G-Unit, Beyonce, Wiz Khalifa". HipHop DX. Retrieved 2014-09-03.
  29. ↑ Tardio, Andres (2014-09-10). "Hip Hop Album Sales: Jeezy, Wiz Khalifa, Iggy Azalea". HipHop DX. Retrieved 2014-09-10.
  30. ↑ Tardio, Andres (2014-09-17). "Hip Hop Album Sales: Lecrae, Jhene Aiko, Jeezy". HipHop DX. Retrieved 2014-09-17.
  31. ↑ "Grammys 2015 Preview: The Lowdown on the Best Rap Song and Best Rap Album Nominees". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. December 30, 2014. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  32. ↑ "A Journal of Musical ThingsWeekly Music Sales Report and Analysis: 28 August 2014 - A Journal of Musical Things". A Journal of Musical Things. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  33. ↑ "Twitter / KaneBeatz: My new sounds @wizkhalifa". Twitter.com. 2014-08-12. Retrieved 2014-08-18.
  34. ↑ "iTunes - Music - Blacc Hollywood (Deluxe Version) by Wiz Khalifa". Itunes.apple.com. 1987-09-08. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
  35. ↑ "Wiz Khalifa - Blacc Hollywood (Explicit)". Target. 2013-03-27. Retrieved 2014-08-02.
  36. ↑ "Wiz Khalifa - Incense (Prod. Purps of 808 Mafia & JGramm Beats)". HotNewHipHop.com. 2014-05-25. Retrieved 2014-08-16.
  37. ↑ "Wiz Khalifa – Blacc Hollywood" (in Dutch). Ultratop.be. Hung Medien.
  38. ↑ "Wiz Khalifa – Blacc Hollywood" (in French). Ultratop.be. Hung Medien.
  39. ↑ "Wiz Khalifa Album & Song Chart History" Billboard Canadian Albums Chart for Wiz Khalifa.
  40. ↑ "Wiz Khalifa – Blacc Hollywood". Danishcharts.com. Hung Medien.
  41. ↑ "Wiz Khalifa – Blacc Hollywood" (in Dutch). Dutchcharts.nl. Hung Medien.
  42. ↑ "Wiz Khalifa – Blacc Hollywood". Lescharts.com. Hung Medien.
  43. ↑ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH.
  44. ↑ "Top 40 album-, DVD- és válogatáslemez-lista – 2014. 35. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. LightMedia.
  45. ↑ "Artisti - Classifica settimanale WK 34 (dal 18-08-2014 al 24-08-2014)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  46. ↑ "Wiz Khalifa – Blacc Hollywood". Swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien.
  47. ↑ "Wiz Khalifa | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart
  48. ↑ "2014-08-30 Top 40 R&B Albums Archive . Official Charts Company.
  49. ↑ "Wiz Khalifa Album & Song Chart History" Billboard 200 for Wiz Khalifa.
  50. ↑ "Wiz Khalifa Album & Song Chart History". Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  51. ↑ "Blacc Hollywood (Deluxe): Amazon.co.uk: Music". Amazon.co.uk.
  52. ↑ "Wiz Khalifa - Blacc Hollywood T-Shirt + LP Bundle". Store.wizkhalifa.com. Retrieved 2014-08-18.