2Chainz’ verse is full of the absurdity and struggle punchlines that we have come to love from 2Chainz. Wiz’s simple of chorus of the repeatedly phrase “It’s nothin’” is actually catchy enough to keep you listening past the one minute mark. Speaking of typical, “It’s Nothin” contains the ever-so-popular 2Chainzzzzzzz feature that is popular on every rapper’s mixtape or album. “Fall Asleep” has a chorus (sung by an android?) that states the track’s name repeatedly, in which you may actually fall asleep because it is largely under-whelming. “Fall Asleep” and “Time” are the typical “ya niggas stole my whole swag”, hater-ambition tracks that are popular in today’s rap society. Don’t worry though I’m sure you won’t be listening to the song after the first verse, oh well. “Got Everything” is a pop-influenced track that contains an Amber Rose-sound alike on the hook that goes by the name of Courtney Noelle. The first time I heard this I had to check myself for diabetes because Wiz sounds like he is reciting ghost-written lyrics from Will Smith or Flo-Rida. “Work Hard, Play Hard” is more pop-driven than “Black and Yellow” as its beat sounds like something off a Disney Channel or Kidz Bop compilation. In the next stanza of the album comes the obvious commercially-driven singles which were probably required to be in the album by Atlantic Records’ “tie and suit” executives.
Wiz takes the background in the song as he raps about………weed, again. Cam’s old-school style of fun and sensible rambling fits over a beat that sounds ready for an Empire of the Sun soundtrack. “The Bluff” is definitely the highlight of the album as Killa Cam adds excitement to an album rid of new ideas or motifs. The yawn-worthy track will make you skip to the next track by the two minute mark. Akon brings us back to 2007 as he wails and does numerous “ooooohhhh”, which will make you feel like you’re listening to “Bartender” or “Smack That”. The next track is “Let it Go”, a lackluster radio-ready track as it features the disappearing and reappearing artist, Akon.
“Bluffin” continues the theme of money consumption and materialism but features Wiz flexing his “old-school” approach a la “Mesmerized” a bit more as he dives deeper in his lyrical repertoire and makes a catchy hook that is radio-ready. The free-spirited feeling acquired when listening to this track is in line with airplane, dream-y, and lavish themes of the album. The track is very appropriate for the opening of the album as it introduces the audience to his core of themes that will be relevant during the rest of the album. is “Paperbond” which incites Wiz talking about how he “wakes up and bakes up” and his extravagant amounts of money over a lush, synth-heavy beat. The first full length song off O.N.I.F.C. but his repeated use of weed-champagne-and-ambition content begins to grow tired after hearing it for the tenth time in as many tracks. Wiz may resort back to his “signature style” on O.N.I.F.C. The same things that make Wiz Khalifa a “stoner-icon” maybe the same qualities that hold him back from being considered with the hip-hop elite. With new levels of fame being reached, don’t expect anything new artistically from Wiz, as you won’t be intellectually-inspired from this album. He also reached new levels of fame after been featured on the chart-topping Maroon 5 single, “Payphone” and gathering Three Six Mafia rap legend Juicy J for his label, Taylor Gang Records.
Wiz gradually diverted back to his old ways on the releases of his recent mixtapes Taylor Allerdice and Cabin Fever 2. After the release of the pop-influenced major label debut, Rolling Papers, old-school Taylor Gang fans were baffled that maybe Wiz had taken his career in a new, commercially-drive direction, which is common among Atlantic Record signees a la Lupe Fiasco’s Lasers. Although his style may have transformed a small amount, to say the least, from retro Jordans and snap-backs, to a mix of Jimi Hendrix and Cruella DeVille (see album cover) Wiz Khalifa gives his fans a glimpse of Wiz circa 2009 on O.N.I.F.C that taps into his mastery of chill, laid-back beats coupled with rhymes of extravagant spending and materialism. Fans that became loyal to Wiz Khalifa’s signature style of lyrics about endless weed and champagne compounded over lush beats popular from the critically-acclaimed releases of Burn after Rolling and Kush & OJ, maybe pleased with the release of his major label sophomore effort O.N.I.F.C.