Wiz Khalifa: Tiny Desk Concert

This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk honors the anniversaries of landmark albums that have shaped the course of music and culture.

Bobby Carter | June 10, 2025

Wiz Khalifa’s Kush & Orange Juice came out 15 years ago. To honor the anniversary, the Pittsburgh emcee assembled a group of Tiny Desk veterans, Pennsylvania natives and his DJ to reimagine highlights from the classic mixtape, plus tracks from Kush & Orange Juice 2, its similar, yet more mature follow-up.

Something was happening during the entire show and lots of us in the room could feel it. We were waiting for him to engage with us, but he didn’t. I stepped in after a few songs to remind him that it was OK to do so — still, nothing. But then, after “Crime Bud and Women,” Wiz spoke to the audience for the first and only time, wiping away tears: “You made me cry. F*** y’all!”

I can muster up a few guesses as to why the emotion overflowed. Wiz had a host of family and friends present in this very intimate setting, including his father. And he did tell me how much he loves performing. But honestly, this sonic masterpiece was good enough to hit the tear ducts.

SET LIST

“Red Eye”

“Mezmorized”

“The Kid Frankie”

“Never Been”

“Up”

“Crime Bud and Women”

MUSICIANS

Wiz Khalifa: vocals

Kenneth Wright: music director, bass

DJ Bonics: turntables

Uncle Bubz: keys

Russell Gelman-Sheehan: guitar

Kendall Lewis: drums

TINY DESK TEAM

Producer: Bobby Carter

Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant

Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell

Video Editor: Kara Frame

Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Maia Stern

Audio Engineer: Josephine Nyounai

Production Assistants: Ashley Pointer, Dora Levite

Photographer: Catie Dull

Tiny Desk Series Editor: Lars Gotrich

Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed

Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson

VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

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