I’m late to this party but have finally arrived at Mac & Devin’s high school. Even though I dig both artists, I didn’t watch this movie when it came out cause I figured How High would never be topped. And it turns out I was right: the movie sucked horribly. I shouldn’t have to smoke some high-grade to find a laugh in a comedy.
Now as far as the soundtrack? This thing vibe! If you don’t know who Snoop is by now, you’re either Amish or recently woke from a coma and you’ve been in that coma since 1990. Snoop’s not only a dope emcee, but he’s also a weedologist. Him teaming up with Wiz Khalifa makes all the sense in the world. In fact, Wiz reminds me a lot of Snoop in a smoking weed, chill rap flow way. And that’s not to mention Wiz skinny, he the same height as Snoop, and weed is his oxygen of choice.
When this album comes on, it immediately makes me forget how terrible the actual movie is. The intro song, Smokin On, features Juicy J. and Wiz sets it off like:
[Verse 1: Wiz Khalifa]
Cut those cameras on cause my camos on
And my niggas back and we riding ’round town
With a big ol’ bag of weed, Taylor Gang, we ain’t in yo faculty
Me and Snoop Dogg done created a masterpiece
Smoke all day and I’m making this cash
And we ’bout it ’bout it like Master P
Go hard, stacking cheese, roll a joint, pass the trees…
Yup, Wiz lets you know from the beginning what it’s gonna be (as if you didn’t already). Snoop follows up after the first hook with:
[Verse 2: Snoop Dogg]
Let me turn you on and turn you out
To make you feel like you really wanna feel
For real, sho will, nigga I got that kill
You know what I got:
Captain Crunch, soda pop
Light green kush cut from a bush
Mix it together, get it together
Hypo grow with the hydro flow
Smoking on some shit called I don’t know
This is that shit that was caught
From my niggas on the block with a .44 Glock – oh no!
Reading these lyrics make me hungry.
Devin & Mac stick to the album theme the entire way through—high schoolers getting high off clouds. Let’s Go Study is a perfect, super chill, example of this and makes me think of the times I used to smoke with my girl friends growing up. Summer days, just enjoying the chaotic life I had with a blunt of delicious herbs and spices. The song starts with Snoop telling a girl he’s looking over some homework and needs help. He asks if she will study with him in the pimpy voice he’s coined. The hook for the song goes like this:
[Hook: Snoop Dogg]
I wanna go study, baby would you be my buddy?
And help me with my project, cause you are who I roll with
Honestly I know it, take me boo, you the one I wanna go with
5 days out the week, my stay’s out the street
It pays to be discreet, your fragrance is sweet
Then Snoop goes in on the first verse like:
[Verse 1: Snoop Dogg]
Honeydew, money do
But this ain’t about no money, this about me and you making ooh
Take it from me, first day of school I’m looking cool, I got my clothes pressed
I’m a senior but I’m seeming like an old vet
Time will pass me by if I don’t graduate this time so I expand my mind
Find ways, to elevate it, motivate it, calculate it, reinstate it
Look at you girl, you got me dedicated
Snoop Dogg is still on top of his rap game and that’s a pleasure in an era where rhymes with thought rarely make it into the mainstream. After his bars, Wiz follows up:
[Verse 2: Wiz Khalifa]
Uh, put me on the game
Though I keep my head in these books, I’m not a lame
Usually kinda square, I’m trying new shit for a change
Telling bitches things, like if wanna get with me you gone need a lot of brains
And just cause I don’t play, who say I can’t ball?
My nigga Mac, dude me and him is in the same hall
So don’t get mad if I relax and get my bake on
Just promise that you’ll try to catch me if my grades fall
These two artist gel perfectly and everything on this album works for me. Beyond the weed, there’s also extra depth. There’s a track on here where I can tell Wiz is a fan of Max B. For those who don’t know, Max B is known by rap heads as the WAVE gOD. He’s currently fighting a life sentence for a robbery that lead to someone’s death, but it looks like he might be coming home soon and get back to creating waves. Anyway, the song that told me Wiz is definitely a fan of Max is Talent Show:
[Hook: Wiz Khalifa]
Everytime I go out
I’m blowing that smoke out
I buy it, don’t even know the price
I talk cause I live it, come pay me a visit
And I’ll be somewhere up in the sky
My nigga it’s about to go down
We fly, it’s no lie, that we high, ’til we die
All we need up in here’s hoes now
Roll one up, clean the ride, ‘case them hoes wanna jump inside
If you look up Max B’s music, you’ll hear exactly what I mean by influence. It is definitely a homage to Max and it looks like Wiz has even publicly voiced numerous times how B is one of his favorite rappers.
Even though I might not see the movie that sparked this soundtrack as a classic, it’s beautiful because it gave birth to an album with a pimpy, weed smoking G from my era collaborating with the newer generation’s version for hip-hop greatness. I grew up to hip-hop and movies featuring some of my favorite artists, movies like Krush Groove, Disorderlies (The Fat Boys), How High, 8 Mile, and House Party. I’m glad that’s still happening for those who are coming up now.
It’s rare I do this anymore, but I didn’t skip one track on this album! I can only imagine how many pounds of bud were consumed in the making of this get-high, musical masterpiece. Two of the biggest emcees in hip-hop yesterday and today made me a fan all over again. I wonder if weed sales went up when this album dropped? I’m willing to bet they did. Take out a moment to watch a couple links I provided with these thoughts of mine. The movie wasn’t my slice of pie, but that doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy it. And this soundtrack tho? Undeniably dope.