Wiz Khalifa Says 'Taylor Gang' Is 'Not A Departure'

AUSTIN, Texas — In recent months, first with the chart-topping success of "Black and Yellow" and then with his underground hit "Taylor Gang," Wiz Khalifa seems to have gotten aggressive, a move that some see as a departure from his stony, laconic roots. But Wiz is not one of them.

" 'Taylor Gang' is not a departure for me or my style. Anybody who's been connected to my whole career, they know the variations of where I go and my beat selections," he told backstage at the Woodie Awards during South by Southwest. "Lex [Luger, who produced 'Taylor Gang'] has been a real big fan since back in the day, and I've been up on his music for a long time as well, so it's just been bound to happen. He's a great guy and he's really talented, so it's just good to see him getting the shine he deserves."

And to anyone who still doesn't agree with him, Wiz would like to point out that he's actually been working with Luger for a while now — he produced a handful of songs on Wiz's Cabin Fever mixtape — and that he wouldn't sign on to work with anyone if he doesn't feel like it would complement his music.

"I just find that little pocket where it matches up. I don't feel like I do anything that's inappropriate for my style, and he's always going to stay consistent as well," he said. "So when we meet up, you know, that's when it makes that magic. Cabin Fever has, like, six songs from Lex Luger on there, and people love that tape."

And with his hotly anticipated Rolling Papers album set to hit stores March 29, Khalifa said he's hoping fans won't bail on him just because he's gotten a bit aggro as of late. Though, if they do, he'll still continue doing what he does.

"It's definitely aggressive, but I've got songs on the album like 'On My Level,' 'Black and Yellow' is not really a calm song, so ... they've got to keep listening," he smiled. "Or, you know, they can stick there, but at the end of the day I know what I'm doing."

What do you think of Wiz's new music? Let us know in the comments!