This week, we got the third and perhaps final installment of Wiz Khalifa's Cabin Fever mixtape series, which began all the way back in February 2011. Released before the major label Rolling Papers, the first edition presented a very new and startling persona for the once laid-back and amicable rapper: Trap Wiz. He linked up with Lex Luger on his post-Flockaveli and Teflon Don victory lap, as well as Gucci Mane mainstay Drumma Boy and nascent talents Sonny Digital and DJ Spinz, giving his Pittsburgh-via-LA sound a decidedly ATL feel for a change.
It kicked off an evolution of Trap Wiz that's still ongoing, as evidenced not only by the new tape but also by the majority of the Rolling Papers 2 cuts he's shared thus far. Wiz really connected with something in the sound, and the Cabin Fever series gave him space to come into his own, sounding a little out-of-place throughout most of the first tape, but hitting his stride on the second and even blending in with his Atlanta peers on the third.
Today, we're selecting our picks for the ten best tracks of the series' 34 cuts. Let us know your personal choices in the comments.
"Errday" feat. Juicy J
From "Cabin Fever"
At the time of Cabin Fever's release, Wiz and Three 6 Mafia's Juicy J couldn't have seemed more different, one a kush-loving chiller and the other a horrorcore-pioneering legend. Their first collaboration was "Errday," and who could have known that it'd be the start of one of the most successful odd-couple pairings of the last decade? Over another Luger beat, these two trade bars on an iconic hook and swap tales of their ridiculous lifestyles. They drop some hilariously blunt lines like "You got one grill, Juicy got four" and "I heard that money grow on trees so I grew one," and Juicy even previewed his "Who Da Neighbors" hook here. Ten months later, he would officially sign to Taylor Gang, setting the tone for the years that followed.
"GangBang" feat. Big Sean
From "Cabin Fever"
The first time we ever heard Wiz do his thing over a Lex Luger joint, this one does a great job of meshing his melody-friendly sound with a more aggressive trap beat. He keeps things low-key by pausing in the middle of verses for chuckles and jay puffs, before Sean comes on and frankly blows him out of the water. His verse includes the best Pinto Grigio reference that predates A$AP Rocky's "West Side Highway" and a nod to Flo Rida's "Right Round," making it very memorable indeed. As a lighthearted, low-stakes event, "GangBang had everything that many of the more self-serious cuts on the first tape were missing.
"Middle Of You" feat. Chevy Woods
From "Cabin Fever"
Sandwiched between two of the most aggressive and awkward tracks on the tape ("Hustlin" and "WTF"), "Middle Of You" is a complete outlier on the first tape. It's the one song that could have conceivably fit on Rolling Papers, with its poppy, insanely catchy melody making it almost seem like a wasted opportunity on a free release. It's more than just a radio-ready single though, with WillPower's excellent beat recalling So So Def's glory days, and Wiz's singing hitting one of its career high-points. Unfortunately, Chevy's verse is kind of forgettable, but it's no buzzkill either.
"MIA" feat. Juicy J
From "Cabin Fever 2"
Featured on five of Cabin Fever 2's 14 tracks, Juicy J settled comfortably into his role of Wiz's elder sidekick, the "Godfather of Trap" as it were. They both flex with impeccable steez over a muscular I.D. Labs beat, marking one of the first times that Wiz sounded truly at home over a beat that could realistically appear on a Waka Flocka Flame tape. The finest moment, though, is Juicy rhyming bumblebee, money tree, and jamboree.
"Ridin Round" feat. Juicy J
From "Cabin Fever 2"
My personal pick for the Cabin Fever series' best track overall, "Ridin Round" features some very rare Juicy production that sounds like a spiritual successor to UGK and OutKast's "Int'l Player's Anthem." Just as he and DJ Paul pristinely flipped Willie Hutch on that track, him and Crazy Mike do David Ruffin's "Rode By The Place" justice with an absolute banger. The one flaw? An extended spoken word outro.
"Deep Sleep"
From "Cabin Fever 2"
The second tape's answer to "Middle Of You," "Deep Sleep" is a retro-flavored, melodic break from the pummeling trap that dominates the rest of the tape. I.D. Labs gives a Keith Sweat classic the chopped and screwed treatment, rendering his bedroom jam "How Deep Is Your Love" a heavy-lidded, but still somewhat romantic weed nap, and Wiz does what he does best: vibes.
"Thuggin" feat. Chevy Woods & Lavish
From "Cabin Fever 2"
Cabin Fever 2 has more tracks than the other two tapes, so it's no surprise that there's more for every type of Wiz fan to love there. "Thuggin" brings together the hit squad of I.D. Labs and Sledgren for a stormy, omminous piano-led slapper, and when combined with two scene-stealing verses from Chevy and a very surprising rando named Lavish, it's one of the tape's best cuts. Trap Wiz is usually at his best when he has a squad of slightly more intimidating rappers behind him, and "Thuggin" is the best example of this.
"Respect" feat. Juicy J & K Camp
From "Cabin Fever 3"
The most noticeable feature of CB3 is the SremmLife-style blend of EDM/pop/trap that runs through many of its tracks, with two of ATL's most melodically gifted trap producers (TM88 and Sonny Digital) producing most of it. The awesome opener "Respect" has the former creating something like a gritty version of early video games' 8 bit soundtracks that rings out over 808 Mafia sirens and clattering percussion. K Camp continues to come into his own as a singer with a charmingly conversational delivery, with Wiz's verse actually seemingly more melodic than his hook, and of course, Juicy J holds it down as usual. Somehow, Wiz continues to come up with new ways to brag about weed, the best being: "Got a cone full of guacamole, let's go get these chips."
"Move On" feat. Kevin Gates
From "Cabin Fever 3"
Let's be real, Wiz is overshadowed by his co-star here, but Gates knocks this one out of the park. There's plenty of places on CB3 where you could accuse Wiz of biting Swae Lee's style (especially the "Foreign Bitches" chorus), and this hook is one of them, but beyond he's just lazy lyrically, rhyming Pittsburgh with "know you heard." Gates comes through with a fantastic verse though, opening with a line about throwing a ring around his finger AND his dick, and closing by creatively informing us how much money he keeps on his person.
"Call Again" feat. Problem
From "Cabin Fever 3"
The obligatory Cabin Fever old-school cut! These tend to be great, and "Call Again" is no exception, with a funky beat from the legend himself, Easy Mo Bee. Wiz shows that he could've made it as a New Jack Swing artist with a smooth hook, and Problem comes through with one of the better relationship-themed storytelling verses of the year. Again, this one's somewhat dragged down by an extended Juciy J outro, but you can just skip that part.