Rating: 7.5/10
Wiz Khalifa and Snoop Dogg, two of rap’s most popular and beloved stoners, remind us of their love for all things herbal on the soundtrack for their upcoming movie, Mac and Devin Go To High School. The film casts Snoop as the big man on campus, while Wiz serves as the class valedictorian. The movie will serve as Wiz Khalifa’s acting debut and was supposed to be released this past April in a straight-to-DVD release, but has since been delayed with no release date announced. Regardless, the soundtrack has finally arrived, and although the accompanying movie is usually released at the same time, the scheduling ends up being for the best. Snoop and Wiz’s collaboration, in which sometimes they refer to each other by the names of their film characters (Dev and Mac), along with a short excerpt from the film on the track “Talent Show,” only adds to the excitement and intrigue for the film itself.
Mac and Devin Go To High School begins with the Drumma Boy-produced “Smokin On,” featuring a guest verse from the newest Taylor Gang member, Juicy J. The first 30 seconds is another possible excerpt from the film, serving as in intro to the album. This leads into Wiz rapping: “Cause if it’s in my joint/ Believe that it’s the best smoke” on a catchy hook, which sets the tone content-wise as expected for the whole album.
A variety of production styles from a group including The Smeezingtons (“Young, Wild and Free”), 1500 or Nothin’ (“It Could Be Easy”), Warren G (“I Get Lifted”), and Cardo (“That Good”) help sustain an album that lyrically doesn’t stray far from the theme of getting high. Somewhat surprisingly, Wiz and Snoop are able to take that topic far enough to stretch it out over 12 tracks in an enjoyable manner. Relating getting high to high school and girls also helps with keeping the album fresh, in addition to contributions from Bruno Mars (“Young, Wild and Free”), Curren$y (“OG”), and Juicy J (“Smokin’ On”). The smooth vocals of Mike Posner on “French Inhale,” which stands out as one of the more-influenced “stoner anthems,” due to its relaxing guitar-infused production and the complimenting, calming drums.
Snoop Dogg Talks Working with Wiz On Mac and Devin Go To High School:
In addition, “Young, Wild and Free” gained popularity when an unfinished version was leaked this past summer. The song’s chorus, which included the lines “So what we get drunk / So what we smoke weed / We’re just having fun/ We don’t care who sees,” became a summer anthem to young party-goers across the nation. The popularity led to a video for the song, which was officially released as the album’s lead single in October. The track went on to debut at the #10 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100.
Overall, the album demonstrates the unquestionable chemistry between Wiz Khalifa and Snoop Dogg, as the two are able to connect the stoner soundtrack with their unreleased movie from start to finish, thanks to Snoop’s O.G. Factor, Wiz’s memorable hooks, fitting production, and a few guest features. With the movie on the way, Snoop and Wiz have offered a solid effort in preparation for its release.