Wiz Khalifa Gets Emotional During Tiny Desk Concert Celebrating Mixtape Anniversary

On Tuesday, Wiz Khalifa shed tears during his first Tiny Desk set. He played songs from his 2010 mixtape Kush & Orange Juice and its 2024 sequel.

With a full band behind him, the rapper delivered six tracks in twenty minutes. The set list mixed old and new: "Red Eye," "Mezmorized," "The Kid Frankie," "Never Been," "Up," and "Crime Bud and Women." His father watched from the crowd with old friends.

"Y'all made me cry! F--k y'all," Wiz said on the set. He pulled off his sunglasses, wiping tears as the final notes played.

The band brought fresh life to each track. Kenneth Wright led on bass and directed the performance. DJ Bonics scratched records while Uncle Bubz worked the keys. Russell Gelman-Sheehan added guitar riffs, and Kendall Lewis kept time on drums. Their take on "Never Been" twisted the original into a rock anthem.

This show marked 15 years since the first mixtape hit the streets. His new work, Kush & Orange Juice 2, was released this April and reached No. 62 on the Billboard 200 chart.

"I see tons of maturity," Wiz shared, according to Rolling Stone. "I'm less disrespectful towards women. I talk way more about my kids, and my description of a perfect day back then is totally different from my description of a perfect day now, but it's still cool."

The new album has 23 tracks and features collaborations with Don Toliver, Juicy J, and Ty Dolla $ign. NPR picked this show for their Black Music Month series, which spotlights game-changing albums.

Between songs, Wiz was so quiet that the studio staff reminded him it was okay to interact with the crowd. He still remained distant until the final song. He wore Snoop Dogg's album art on his shirt, staying silent until his emotional finish with the final song "Crime Bud and Women."