Rolling Papers (album)
Encyclopedia
Rolling Papers is a studio album
by American rapper Wiz Khalifa
, released March 29, 2011, on Atlantic Records
, and Rostrum Records
. The album features collaborations with Too $hort
, Curren$y, and Chevy Woods. It contains the singles "Black and Yellow
", "Roll Up
", "On My Level
", and "No Sleep
".
Rolling Papers debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200
chart, with first-week sales of 197,000 copies in the United States. It received generally mixed reviews, with most critics praising the album's hooks while criticizing the limited amount of topics covered lyrically.
, Khalifa released his mixtape Kush & Orange Juice, which immediately became widely praised as one of the best hip hop mixtapes of 2010. After generating buzz from the mixtape, Khalifa not only won MTV's "Hottest Breakthrough Hip Hop Artist of 2010" award, but he also became the center of a bidding war between various labels, including Rick Ross'
Maybach Music Group
label. He also came to the attention of fellow rapper Drake
, who offered him the chance to co-headline his album tour. After declining both rapper's offers, he announced that he was signing with Atlantic Records
live on July 30 on MTV's "RapFix Live," and confirmed that he had begun work on his debut on the label. His first official single, "Black and Yellow
," produced by Stargate
, became one of the highest selling hip hop singles of 2010, eventually selling over two million digital downloads.
, Rick Ross
, Too $hort
, and Snoop Dogg
would appear on the album in late January, 2011. In 2010, Khalifa had also toured and been in the studio with long-time friend Yelawolf
making their appearance on the album a possibility. He also confirmed via twitter, that he had been in the studio and finished two tracks with rapper, Game, one of which will appear on Khalifa's album. Fellow Pittsburgh
and Rostrum Records
labelmate rapper, Mac Miller
, has also confirmed working with Wiz for the album in the studio. Upon the album's release, the only guest appearances on the album are Too $hort
, Curren$y and Chevy Woods.
and Rostrum Records
, making it his first release on a major label.
" was released as the lead single
on September 14, 2010. The song was written in honor of Khalifa's hometown city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's
sporting team's colors, and became the unofficial anthem of the Pittsburgh Steelers
. The single topped the US Billboard Hot 100
and Rap Songs chart, and reached six on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart. It became one of highest selling Hip-Hop songs of 2010, obtaining massive radio air-play and eventually attaining sales of 2,342,000 in the US. It also reached the top ten in Canada and the United Kingdom and reached the top forty in many other countries. The song is also notably popular for being remixed numerous times by fellow rappers, including Lil Wayne
, Tyga
, Slim Thug
, Young Jeezy
, Wale
, Donnis
, Game, SoLouCity YG
, Kendrick Lamar
, Jim Jones
and Maino
. The official remix entitled, "Black and Yellow" (G-Mix) would later be released in February, and feature Snoop Dogg
, Juicy J
and T-Pain
.
"Roll Up
" was released as the second single on February 3, 2011. It peaked at number thirteen on the US Hot 100, seven on the US R&B charts, and two on US Rap charts. It achieved moderate success in international markets, where it reached the top fifty in the UK. "The Race
" was released as the second promotional single on March 8, 2011, and debuted at sixty-six on the US Hot 100. "On My Level
", featuring Too $hort
, originally released via digital download
on February 22, 2011 as the first promotional single, was later released as the third official single in North America on May 28, 2011. It debuted at fifty-two on the US Hot 100, and has reached a current peak at sixty-one on US R&B charts. "No Sleep
" was released as the third promotional single on March 22, 2011. It became one of the best performing releases from the album, as it debuted at number six on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song was later released as the fourth single from the album on August 9, 2011. It has also debuted at number 38 on the Billboard Pop Songs
chart.
chart, with first-week sales of 197,000 copies in the United States. It entered at number one on Billboard
s R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and Rap Albums
chart. In its second week, the album dipped to number five on the US Billboard 200
after selling additional 59,300 copies, bringing its total sales in the US to 257,500 units. In its third and fourth week on the US charts, the album sold another 37,000 and 34,000 units, bringing its total sales in the US to 328,000 units. On June 21, 2011 the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
for shipping over 500,000 copies. As of November 16, 2011, the album has sold 606,000 copies in the United States Rolling Papers debuted at number six on the Canadian Albums Chart
. The album debuted at number forty-seven on the UK Albums Chart
, and in its second week, slipped to number seventy-eight. The album debuted at number two on the UK R&B Albums Chart
, and maintained that position in its second week. Additionally, Rolling Papers debuted at number thirty-five on the Norwegian Albums Chart, number forty-nine on the Dutch Albums Chart
and number sixty on the French Albums Chart
.
s. At Metacritic
, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
score of 59, based on 24 reviews, which indicates "mixed or average reviews". Brandon Soderberg of Spin
wrote that it "embraces the doggedly one-note approach of the numerous mixtapes that built his substantial following". Slant Magazine
's Matthew Cole found Khalifa's lyrics "boring" and stated, "he seems to regress to the tepid sing-song rapping that the music demands". Julian Benbow of The Boston Globe
called it "the safest album possible, a collection of radio-accessible singles and one homer". Sputnikmusic
's Sobhi Abdul-Rakhman gave it one-and-a-half out of five stars and panned it as "overproduced, generic disney channel
beats by names no one knows, derivative choruses and melodies that obviously sound manufactured by a tie-wielding Atlantic executive, and lyricism that fails at even being anthemic for parties". Jesse Serwer of The Village Voice
criticized the tracks with "beats even more pop than 'Black & Yellow'", adding that "Wiz has grown into a more skillful hookmeister than rapper".
However, Allmusic editor David Jeffries complimented Khalifa's "keen sense of melody and fat sack of hooks" and stated "Khalifa’s chilled and confused Rolling Papers is an acquired taste [...] purposeful mood music, perfect for bong loading or just hanging out". Steve Jones of USA Today
found him "limited thematically", but complimented his "laid-back flow and knack for catchy rhymes over melodic beats". Entertainment Weekly
s Brad Wete called the album "lyrically limited to getting high, stealing chicks, and blowing cash [...] Yet it burns with an underdog's passion and a champion's spite". BBC Online's Lloyd Bradley stated "Apart from some of the tedious subject matter – being stoned, drinking etc – it’s the sort of rap that deserves mainstream attention as it’s musically thoughtful and endearing beyond the dancefloor". Pitchfork Media
's Sean Fennessey called it "mood music for the mindless" and wrote that its production team "has given this album surprising cohesion". Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone
commented that Khalifa "manages to give life to those kinds of cash-gorged perma-baked clichés by warmly luxuriating in the space between pop's fresh-faced exuberance and hip-hop's easy arrogance".
Despite finding its music "catchy and melodic", HipHopDX writer Omar Burgess commented that "a majority of the production on Rolling Papers seems like a failed attempt for more Top 40 radio play". Hamish MacBain of NME
stated "Six songs in [...] the start of Rolling Paper's descent into eight loooong, dull filler tracks that, musically and lyrically, are completely indistinguishable from one to the other". Kevin Ritchie of NOW
wrote similarly, "Around the midpoint, his preoccupation with 'bitches and champagne' (and weed) starts to wear thin as he leans harder on pop choruses, resulting in forced and cutesy-sounding tracks". Jesal Padania of RapReviews complimented Khalifa's "solid taste in music", but called his lyrics "generally poor" and wrote that "Khalifa's rapping ability is extremely limited, as is his range". David Amidon of PopMatters
wrote that "lyrical laziness pervades the album heavily, and Wiz’s flow even sounds less tight than it has in the past". Lev Harris of The Quietus
called the album "a rap autopilot that engages all too often [...] revert[s] back to the pop rap blueprint as drawn by Dre
and Snoop Dogg
", noting its lyrical content as too "preoccup[ied] with weed". The A.V. Club
s Nathan Rabin called it "monomaniacal, largely undistinguished" and commented that "unlike Snoop, Khalifa never seems to be having much fun".
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American rapper Wiz Khalifa
Wiz Khalifa
Cameron Jibril Thomaz , better known by the stage name Wiz Khalifa , is an American rapper. He released his debut album, Show and Prove, in 2006, and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 2007...
, released March 29, 2011, on Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, and Rostrum Records
Rostrum Records
Rostrum Records is an independent record label, founded in 2003 by Benjy Grinberg in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The label is currently focusing on its newest artist, Mac Miller, as well as his first album, titled Blue Slide Park which was released on November 8th 2011.With success by Rostrum...
. The album features collaborations with Too $hort
Too $hort
Todd Anthony Shaw , better known by the stage name Too Short , is an American rapper, producer, and actor who started his career at the age of fourteen in East Oakland, Oakland, California.-Career:...
, Curren$y, and Chevy Woods. It contains the singles "Black and Yellow
Black and Yellow
"Black and Yellow" is a song by American rapper Wiz Khalifa from his debut studio album, Rolling Papers. It was released on September 14, 2010 as the lead single from the album. The song was written by Wiz Khalifa, and StarGate, and it was produced by StarGate. It was released as a CD single in...
", "Roll Up
Roll Up
"Roll Up" is a song by American rapper Wiz Khalifa. It was released as the second single from his debut studio album, Rolling Papers; having been written by Wiz Khalifa, and StarGate...
", "On My Level
On My Level
"On My Level" is a song by American rapper Wiz Khalifa, released as the first promotional, and later third official single from his debut studio album, Rolling Papers. It features American rapper Too Short. The song was written by Wiz Khalifa, Too Short, James Scheffer, Danny Morris, Rico Love, and...
", and "No Sleep
No Sleep (Wiz Khalifa song)
"No Sleep" is a song by American rapper Wiz Khalifa, released as the third promotional and later fourth official single from his debut major-label studio album, Rolling Papers. The track features production from Benny Blanco, and Detail, and was written by Cameron Thomaz, Benjamin Levin, and Noel...
".
Rolling Papers debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, with first-week sales of 197,000 copies in the United States. It received generally mixed reviews, with most critics praising the album's hooks while criticizing the limited amount of topics covered lyrically.
Background
Following the release of his independent second album, Deal Or No DealDeal or No Deal (album)
-Charts:...
, Khalifa released his mixtape Kush & Orange Juice, which immediately became widely praised as one of the best hip hop mixtapes of 2010. After generating buzz from the mixtape, Khalifa not only won MTV's "Hottest Breakthrough Hip Hop Artist of 2010" award, but he also became the center of a bidding war between various labels, including Rick Ross'
Rick Ross (rapper)
William Leonard Roberts II , better known by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper. He derived his stage name from the drug trafficker "Freeway" Ricky Ross, to whom he has no connection...
Maybach Music Group
Maybach Music Group
Maybach Music Group is a record label founded by Rick Ross, currently distributed by Warner Bros. Records, which took over distribution following the expiration of a deal with Def Jam Recordings....
label. He also came to the attention of fellow rapper Drake
Drake (entertainer)
Aubrey Drake Graham , who records under the mononym Drake, is a Canadian recording artist and actor. He originally became known for playing Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation....
, who offered him the chance to co-headline his album tour. After declining both rapper's offers, he announced that he was signing with Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
live on July 30 on MTV's "RapFix Live," and confirmed that he had begun work on his debut on the label. His first official single, "Black and Yellow
Black and Yellow
"Black and Yellow" is a song by American rapper Wiz Khalifa from his debut studio album, Rolling Papers. It was released on September 14, 2010 as the lead single from the album. The song was written by Wiz Khalifa, and StarGate, and it was produced by StarGate. It was released as a CD single in...
," produced by Stargate
Stargate (production team)
This is a list of songs written and produced by the Norwegian production team Stargate.-Produced singles:-1999:5ive - Invincible*05. "Two Sides to Every Story"*06. "You Make Me a Better Man"Noora Noor - Curious*01. "Curious"...
, became one of the highest selling hip hop singles of 2010, eventually selling over two million digital downloads.
Title significance
On January 26, 2011, Wiz announced the album's title and release date via Ustream.tv. According to Wiz, there are three different meanings behind the Rolling Papers title.Guests
Khalifa had confirmed that rappers; Curren$yCurrensy
Shante Scott Franklin, born April 4, 1981, better known by his stage name Curren$y, is an American rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana.-Early career:...
, Rick Ross
Rick Ross (rapper)
William Leonard Roberts II , better known by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper. He derived his stage name from the drug trafficker "Freeway" Ricky Ross, to whom he has no connection...
, Too $hort
Too $hort
Todd Anthony Shaw , better known by the stage name Too Short , is an American rapper, producer, and actor who started his career at the age of fourteen in East Oakland, Oakland, California.-Career:...
, and Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
would appear on the album in late January, 2011. In 2010, Khalifa had also toured and been in the studio with long-time friend Yelawolf
Yelawolf
Michael Wayne Atha , better known by his stage name YelaWolf, is an American rapper. He is currently signed to Shady Records, Ghet-O-Vision Entertainment and Interscope Records...
making their appearance on the album a possibility. He also confirmed via twitter, that he had been in the studio and finished two tracks with rapper, Game, one of which will appear on Khalifa's album. Fellow Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
and Rostrum Records
Rostrum Records
Rostrum Records is an independent record label, founded in 2003 by Benjy Grinberg in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The label is currently focusing on its newest artist, Mac Miller, as well as his first album, titled Blue Slide Park which was released on November 8th 2011.With success by Rostrum...
labelmate rapper, Mac Miller
Mac Miller
Malcolm McCormick , known by his stage name Mac Miller , is an American rapper from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
, has also confirmed working with Wiz for the album in the studio. Upon the album's release, the only guest appearances on the album are Too $hort
Too $hort
Todd Anthony Shaw , better known by the stage name Too Short , is an American rapper, producer, and actor who started his career at the age of fourteen in East Oakland, Oakland, California.-Career:...
, Curren$y and Chevy Woods.
Release and promotion
On April 14, 2010, Khalifa released his eighth mixtape, Kush & Orange Juice. The following year, on February 18, 2011, Khalifa released another mixtape, Cabin Fever, in promotion for the album. Rolling Papers was released on March 29, 2011 by Atlantic RecordsAtlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
and Rostrum Records
Rostrum Records
Rostrum Records is an independent record label, founded in 2003 by Benjy Grinberg in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The label is currently focusing on its newest artist, Mac Miller, as well as his first album, titled Blue Slide Park which was released on November 8th 2011.With success by Rostrum...
, making it his first release on a major label.
Singles
"Black and YellowBlack and Yellow
"Black and Yellow" is a song by American rapper Wiz Khalifa from his debut studio album, Rolling Papers. It was released on September 14, 2010 as the lead single from the album. The song was written by Wiz Khalifa, and StarGate, and it was produced by StarGate. It was released as a CD single in...
" was released as the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
on September 14, 2010. The song was written in honor of Khalifa's hometown city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
sporting team's colors, and became the unofficial anthem of the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. The single topped the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and Rap Songs chart, and reached six on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart. It became one of highest selling Hip-Hop songs of 2010, obtaining massive radio air-play and eventually attaining sales of 2,342,000 in the US. It also reached the top ten in Canada and the United Kingdom and reached the top forty in many other countries. The song is also notably popular for being remixed numerous times by fellow rappers, including Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
, Tyga
Tyga
Michael Stevenson , better known by his stage name Tyga , is an American rapper signed to Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Universal Republic Records. He is of Vietnamese and Jamaican descent...
, Slim Thug
Slim Thug
Stayve Jerome Thomas , better known as Slim Thug, Boss Hogg or Thug Boss, is an American rapper. He gained mainstream attention for his contribution to the popular single from rapper Mike Jones, "Still Tippin'"....
, Young Jeezy
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins , better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is the member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America and a former member of BMF...
, Wale
Wale (rapper)
Wale Victor Folarin , better known by his stage name Wale , is an American rapper from Washington, D.C. Wale was born to Nigerian parents. He rose to prominence in 2006, when his song "Dig Dug " became popular in his hometown. Wale became locally recognized and continued recording music for the...
, Donnis
Donnis
Ladonnis Decurtis Crump , better known by the stage name Donnis, is an American rapper based in Atlanta, Georgia. He released his debut mixtape, Diary of an ATL Brave, in 2009, and signed to Atlantic Records in 2010.XXL Staff . “”.-Early life:Donnis was born on June 2, 1984 in Montclair, California...
, Game, SoLouCity YG
YG (rapper)
Keenan Jackson , most known by his stage name YG , is an African-American Compton-based rapper and songwriter of the West Coast scenery. In his earlier years he was gang affiliated with the Westside Tree Top Piru gang. He was signed by Def Jam in 2009 and released his first single titled "Toot It...
, Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar , formerly known by his stage name K. Dot, is an American rapper, and songwriter. He first gained major attention after the release of his 2010 mixtape O D. In 2011, his album Section.80, released exclusively through iTunes, instantly ranked as one of the top digital hip-hop releases...
, Jim Jones
Jim Jones (rapper)
Joseph Guillermo Jones II , better known by his stage name Jim Jones, is an American rapper and original member of The Diplomats, also known as Dipset. He is Co-CEO of Diplomat Records...
and Maino
Maino
Maino is an American rapper from Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City, New York.-Early life:...
. The official remix entitled, "Black and Yellow" (G-Mix) would later be released in February, and feature Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
, Juicy J
Juicy J
Jordan Michael Houston, better known by his stage name Juicy J is an Academy Award winning American rapper and record producer from Memphis, Tennessee and is the co-founder and a member of the duo Three 6 Mafia . He is also the younger brother of Project Pat...
and T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
.
"Roll Up
Roll Up
"Roll Up" is a song by American rapper Wiz Khalifa. It was released as the second single from his debut studio album, Rolling Papers; having been written by Wiz Khalifa, and StarGate...
" was released as the second single on February 3, 2011. It peaked at number thirteen on the US Hot 100, seven on the US R&B charts, and two on US Rap charts. It achieved moderate success in international markets, where it reached the top fifty in the UK. "The Race
The Race (Wiz Khalifa song)
"The Race" is the second promotional single by American rapper Wiz Khalifa from his third studio album, Rolling Papers. The song was written by Wiz Khalifa and produced by I.D. Labs.The song debuted and peaked at #66 on the Billboard Hot 100....
" was released as the second promotional single on March 8, 2011, and debuted at sixty-six on the US Hot 100. "On My Level
On My Level
"On My Level" is a song by American rapper Wiz Khalifa, released as the first promotional, and later third official single from his debut studio album, Rolling Papers. It features American rapper Too Short. The song was written by Wiz Khalifa, Too Short, James Scheffer, Danny Morris, Rico Love, and...
", featuring Too $hort
Too $hort
Todd Anthony Shaw , better known by the stage name Too Short , is an American rapper, producer, and actor who started his career at the age of fourteen in East Oakland, Oakland, California.-Career:...
, originally released via digital download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
on February 22, 2011 as the first promotional single, was later released as the third official single in North America on May 28, 2011. It debuted at fifty-two on the US Hot 100, and has reached a current peak at sixty-one on US R&B charts. "No Sleep
No Sleep (Wiz Khalifa song)
"No Sleep" is a song by American rapper Wiz Khalifa, released as the third promotional and later fourth official single from his debut major-label studio album, Rolling Papers. The track features production from Benny Blanco, and Detail, and was written by Cameron Thomaz, Benjamin Levin, and Noel...
" was released as the third promotional single on March 22, 2011. It became one of the best performing releases from the album, as it debuted at number six on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song was later released as the fourth single from the album on August 9, 2011. It has also debuted at number 38 on the Billboard Pop Songs
Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs)
The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart...
chart.
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, with first-week sales of 197,000 copies in the United States. It entered at number one on Billboard
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
s R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and Rap Albums
Top Rap Albums
Top Rap Albums is a record chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks Rap and hip-hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart began publication for the week of November 13, 2004....
chart. In its second week, the album dipped to number five on the US Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
after selling additional 59,300 copies, bringing its total sales in the US to 257,500 units. In its third and fourth week on the US charts, the album sold another 37,000 and 34,000 units, bringing its total sales in the US to 328,000 units. On June 21, 2011 the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
for shipping over 500,000 copies. As of November 16, 2011, the album has sold 606,000 copies in the United States Rolling Papers debuted at number six on the Canadian Albums Chart
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...
. The album debuted at number forty-seven on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, and in its second week, slipped to number seventy-eight. The album debuted at number two on the UK R&B Albums Chart
UK R&B Chart
The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week...
, and maintained that position in its second week. Additionally, Rolling Papers debuted at number thirty-five on the Norwegian Albums Chart, number forty-nine on the Dutch Albums Chart
MegaCharts
MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top...
and number sixty on the French Albums Chart
Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique
The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...
.
Critical response
Rolling Papers received generally mixed reviews from music criticMusic criticism
See also Music journalism for reporting on classical and popular music in the media.The Oxford Companion to Music defines music criticism as 'the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres'. In this...
s. At Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
score of 59, based on 24 reviews, which indicates "mixed or average reviews". Brandon Soderberg of Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
wrote that it "embraces the doggedly one-note approach of the numerous mixtapes that built his substantial following". Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
's Matthew Cole found Khalifa's lyrics "boring" and stated, "he seems to regress to the tepid sing-song rapping that the music demands". Julian Benbow of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
called it "the safest album possible, a collection of radio-accessible singles and one homer". Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic, or simply Sputnik, is a music website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites...
's Sobhi Abdul-Rakhman gave it one-and-a-half out of five stars and panned it as "overproduced, generic disney channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
beats by names no one knows, derivative choruses and melodies that obviously sound manufactured by a tie-wielding Atlantic executive, and lyricism that fails at even being anthemic for parties". Jesse Serwer of The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
criticized the tracks with "beats even more pop than 'Black & Yellow'", adding that "Wiz has grown into a more skillful hookmeister than rapper".
However, Allmusic editor David Jeffries complimented Khalifa's "keen sense of melody and fat sack of hooks" and stated "Khalifa’s chilled and confused Rolling Papers is an acquired taste [...] purposeful mood music, perfect for bong loading or just hanging out". Steve Jones of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
found him "limited thematically", but complimented his "laid-back flow and knack for catchy rhymes over melodic beats". Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
s Brad Wete called the album "lyrically limited to getting high, stealing chicks, and blowing cash [...] Yet it burns with an underdog's passion and a champion's spite". BBC Online's Lloyd Bradley stated "Apart from some of the tedious subject matter – being stoned, drinking etc – it’s the sort of rap that deserves mainstream attention as it’s musically thoughtful and endearing beyond the dancefloor". Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
's Sean Fennessey called it "mood music for the mindless" and wrote that its production team "has given this album surprising cohesion". Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
commented that Khalifa "manages to give life to those kinds of cash-gorged perma-baked clichés by warmly luxuriating in the space between pop's fresh-faced exuberance and hip-hop's easy arrogance".
Despite finding its music "catchy and melodic", HipHopDX writer Omar Burgess commented that "a majority of the production on Rolling Papers seems like a failed attempt for more Top 40 radio play". Hamish MacBain of NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
stated "Six songs in [...] the start of Rolling Paper's descent into eight loooong, dull filler tracks that, musically and lyrically, are completely indistinguishable from one to the other". Kevin Ritchie of NOW
NOW (magazine)
Now is a free weekly newspaper in Toronto, Canada. It was first printed on September 10, 1981 by Michael Hollett and Alice Klein. Now is an alternative weekly mixing arts and entertainment news with political coverage....
wrote similarly, "Around the midpoint, his preoccupation with 'bitches and champagne' (and weed) starts to wear thin as he leans harder on pop choruses, resulting in forced and cutesy-sounding tracks". Jesal Padania of RapReviews complimented Khalifa's "solid taste in music", but called his lyrics "generally poor" and wrote that "Khalifa's rapping ability is extremely limited, as is his range". David Amidon of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
wrote that "lyrical laziness pervades the album heavily, and Wiz’s flow even sounds less tight than it has in the past". Lev Harris of The Quietus
The Quietus
The Quietus is a British online rock music and pop culture magazine, focusing on arts news, reviews, and features. The site is an editorially independent publication led by John Doran and a group of freelance journalists and critics, some of whom have worked for other media outlets...
called the album "a rap autopilot that engages all too often [...] revert[s] back to the pop rap blueprint as drawn by Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
and Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
", noting its lyrical content as too "preoccup[ied] with weed". The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
s Nathan Rabin called it "monomaniacal, largely undistinguished" and commented that "unlike Snoop, Khalifa never seems to be having much fun".
Track listing
Personnel
Credits for Rolling Papers adapted from Allmusic.- Darren Ankenman – photography
- Chris Athens – mastering
- Benny Blanco – engineer, guitar, instrumentation, producer, programming
- Amanda Berkowitz – A&R
- Big Jerm – engineer, producer, vocal engineer
- Tim Blacksmith – executive producer
- Christopher Bodie – illustrations
- Greg Gigendad Burke – art direction, design
- Brandon Carrier – composer, producer
- E. Dan – engineer, mixing, producer
- Eric Dan – composer
- Danny D – executive producer
- Sarah Demarco – project coordinator
- Zvi Edelman – A&R
- Tor Erik – instrumentation
- M.S. Eriksen – composer
- Mikkel S. Eriksen – engineer, instrumentation
- Warren "Oak" Felder – composer
- Shante Franklin – composer
- Lanre Gaba – A&R
- Chris Gehringer – mastering
- Serban Ghenea – mixing
- Brandon Greene – composer
- Benjy Grinberg – executive producer
- John Hanes – mixing
- T.E. Hermansen – composer
- Tor Erik Hermansen – instrumentation
- Matt Huber – assistant, engineer
- Jim Jonsin – keyboards, producer, programming
- Benjamin Levin – composer
- Jeremy "J Boogs" Levin – production coordination
- Damien Lewis – assistant engineer
- Andrew Luftman – guitar
- Bei Maejor – producer
- Robert Marks – engineer, mixing
- Danny Morris – composer, keyboards
- Don Murray – engineer
- Tim Roberts – assistant engineer
- Nick Romei – package manager
- James Scheffer – composer
- Todd Shaw – composer
- Stargate – producer
- Phil Tan – mixing
- Cameron Thomaz – composer
- Miles Walker – engineer
- Andrew Wansel – composer
- Pop Wansel – producer
- Jason Wilkie – assistant
- Richard Butler - composer
Chart positions
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
6 |
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
49 |
| French Albums Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
60 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart | 35 |
| Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
68 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
47 |
| UK R&B Albums Chart UK R&B Chart The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week... |
7 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
2 |
| US R&B/Hip Hop Albums | 1 |
| US Rap Albums Top Rap Albums Top Rap Albums is a record chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks Rap and hip-hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart began publication for the week of November 13, 2004.... |
1 |
Certifications
| Country | Provider | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| United States | RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
Gold |
External links
- Rolling Papers at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Rolling Papers at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...