RAP ROYALTY
Wiz Khalifa, Snoop Dogg headline Duke City show
Wiz Khalifa grew up listening to the music of Snoop Dogg in the early ’90s. So it’s no wonder the two rap stars have teamed up for a summer tour. And the show is coming to Albuquerque on Tuesday, Aug. 23.
“I remember hearing Snoop’s music in’93, when it first came out and it was when West Coast rap was really hardcore, or looked at as hardcore, but it was something that I gravitated towards just because of the generally smooth sound of it,” he says during a recent interview. “It didn’t really come off as gangster rap to me. … That’s what I remember most.”
Wiz Khalifa is still in awe of being on tour with Snoop Dogg.
“There’s nobody else in the game like Snoop,” he says. “So just having that history and being able to grow up listening to his music, and then being able to meet him and be an acquaintance of his is really cool. But the fact that he’s still going and still adding to his legacy is super-dope.”
On the tour, Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa are bringing along Jhene Aiko, Kevin Gates, Casey Veggies and DJ Drama.
Khalifa became a fan of Aiko during his first “Under the Influence” tour.
“As a fan, I became an instant hardcore fan of hers,” he says. “So that’s why I love her. It’s good to have her on tour.”
As for Veggies, Khalifa has seen his work for many years, watching him grow up for a young performer.
“I’m willing to do anything in my part to help him get to the next point in his career and I feel like that’s the only thing that’s missing is that tour reputation,” he says. “That’s what I’ve been really good at is helping a lot of artists get tour things started, so I wanted to push him in the right direction, just as a friend.”
And Gates has toured with Khalifa’s artist Chevy in the past.
“This is my first time being able to work with him,” he says. “And I just love his energy and realness that he brings to rap music in general.”