Shortly after earning his first #1 album with Blacc Hollywood last month, a newly released KMEL interview with Wiz Khalifa finds the rapper speaking about the meaning behind the album’s title. During the interview Wiz also spoke about his song “House In The Hills” and detailed his experience being profiled by police.
First talking about the album, Wiz explained his hopes for the album’s reception and the title being suitable for a number of situations.
“There’s a reason behind everything,” he said. “There’s a reason behind me dropping the 28 Grams mixtape. There’s a reason behind me doing The Under The Influence Of Music Tour. Even the visuals on the album are very detailed to what goes on in my mind and what inspires me and what inspires other people. That’s why I really want people to get into the album.
“I felt like a lot of the ideas that turned into mainstream, whether it be Hollywood and movies or whether it be fashion, it comes from kids doing it on their own or people who have less and they make it,” he added of the title. “I just want people to embrace that and know that there’s validation for those ideas. I kind of wanted to give them their own moment, which is Blacc Hollywood. If something happens, it’s like, ‘Yo, that’s a Blacc Hollywood moment.’ Or we about to wild out in the club and just jump in the crowd and spit water everywhere or champagne. It’s Blacc Hollywood. You smoking weed in public? That’s Blacc Hollywood. You can do it guys. I’m telling you, just do it.”
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After listening to the album’s Curren$y featuring “House In The Hills” track, Wiz reacted generally to instances of police brutality and the recent death of Mike Brown in Ferguson.
“I think it takes artist being real like that,” he said. “I wrote that song maybe like a year ago, before anything, but it’s really relevant to right now, that’s why I feel like God is good and he puts everything into place. That’s real because even out here there’s a lot of that type of violence. It’s like the young Black youth and minorities, just more awareness about it I think would help people not only be so shocked and surprised by it but it would help us know how to deal with those types of situations so it doesn’t become one of us. I still think it’s not awareness because people think that it’s just like, ‘Oh it’s these special kids,’ or something like that. When it gets as extreme as somebody getting shot and killed, that’s one thing. But me, I’ve been driving since I was 16, I never got pulled over one time without having a gun to my head. They always pull me over and say, ‘Get out the car. What are you doing?’ Yanking me out the car. So I know how rough it could be and how you have to be not giving them any type of funk or they’ll do what they have to do. A lot of kids don’t know it’s that real out here. It’s so much times between these situations, so I try to constantly put some realness out there. Where people could feel it and know that we have a responsibility upon ourselves just to know better.”
Still, the Kush & Orange Juice rapper advocated for targeting the sources of injustice.
“I don’t hate cops,” he said. “I’ve had horrible experiences with them. But I don’t hate the cops. If I get pulled over I’m like, ‘Yes sir. No sir.’ Or if they want a picture or autograph because that’s a person as well. I’m not going to treat you like this just because of who you are. That’s the same thing I want. Don’t treat me like this just because I’m a young Black male.”
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Addressing several lines on the song in which he mentions his son’s future, Wiz also spoke about feeling judged while in public with his son.
“It sucks because I see it happening already, living in Bel Air and the places that I live,” he said. “I go shopping with him. People look at me and then they look at my son, they judge us automatically. We get judged. I don’t want people to judge him just because of where he comes from. He’s gonna have his own identity and personality. Like you said, it hurts. But he’ll be alright. He gon’ be cool.”
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