Fifteen years after shaking up the mixtape world with Kush & Orange Juice, Wiz Khalifa is back with a long-awaited sequel that feels both nostalgic and forward-looking. The Pittsburgh rapper—who helped define the “stoner rap” era of the early 2010s—proves he’s still evolving, still experimenting, and still driven.
“When I dropped the first one, I was living that life—hanging with fans, rocking Chucks and camo, sipping orange juice, smoking Kush. We were broadcasting a whole lifestyle,” Wiz reflects.
Kush & Orange Juice 2 isn’t just a callback—it’s a 23-track journey through the new dimensions of Wiz’s artistry. The album features familiar faces from his Taylor Gang crew like Ty Dolla $ign, Juicy J, and Chevy Woods, while welcoming new voices like LaRussell, Don Toliver, and Larry June. Standout tracks include the confident Pimps n Hustlers and the electric Curren$y collab Jet Taylor, both of which channel the vibe that made the original mixtape a cult classic.
Despite the pressure of following up such a beloved project, Wiz didn’t flinch.
“I wasn’t scared at all. I knew it’d be a challenge, but I also trusted myself to know if I still had it,” he says. “There were moments I thought, ‘Maybe I’m done, maybe I cracked the code.’ But the fans showed me. Once it was finished, I was 100% confident.”
His journey—from Black & Yellow and We Dem Boyz to the global smash See You Again (which spent 12 weeks at No.1 and went diamond)—shows just how far he’s come. And yet, he’s still rooted in his beginnings. Recent freestyles over J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar beats prove he’s staying sharp.
“It was all strategic,” Wiz explains. “I disappeared from social media for four months. No scrolling, no distractions. I had to unplug to really lock in creatively.”
In a recent Billboard interview, he also opened up about his deep admiration for Snoop Dogg and J. Cole—two artists who continue to inspire and influence him.
