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Key Takeaways
- Wiz Khalifa brought ‘Kush & Orange Juice’ to NPR’s Tiny Desk for a 15-year anniversary set with live instrumentation.
- The performance featured tracks from both the original mixtape and its sequel, blending nostalgia with growth.
- Wiz Khalifa ended the set in tears, delivering a raw moment that captured the emotional weight of his journey.
Wiz Khalifa stepped into NPR’s Tiny Desk and turned it into a smoky, soulful 15-year celebration of Kush & Orange Juice, the mixtape that helped define his sound and launched him into rap’s blog era spotlight. The performance was part of NPR’s Black Music Month programming, spotlighting albums that shaped culture and continue to resonate today.
Originally released in 2010, Kush & Orange Juice fused laid-back production with a lifestyle-first approach that became a signature for the Pittsburgh native. For this late anniversary celebration, he curated a live set that pulled from both the original mixtape and his recent follow-up, Kush & Orange Juice 2. The sequel builds on the original’s energy with a more mature edge, and the two projects sat comfortably side by side in this live reimagining.
Wiz Khalifa’s band brought a hometown feel and familiar chemistry. With DJ Bonics on turntables, Kenneth Wright as music director and bassist, Uncle Bubz on keys, Russell Gelman-Sheehan on guitar and Kendall Lewis on drums, the group worked through a six-song set that included “Mezmorized,” “Never Been” and “Red Eye,” to name a few.
The energy in the room felt tight from the start. Wiz Khalifa kept his focus on the music and stayed mostly silent between songs. NPR staff even stepped in after a few tracks to remind him it was okay to interact with the crowd, but he remained distant — until the final song. After “Crime Bud and Women,” the rapper turned to the room, wiped tears from his face, and delivered his only words of the set aimed toward the audience: “You made me cry. F**k y’all.”
The emotion wasn’t forced or overplayed at all. It came through naturally, wrapping the set in something more raw than celebratory. A mixtape that once moved through dorm rooms and smoke-filled basements now lives in a different space, reimagined with live instrumentation and decades of perspective behind it.
