Show and Prove

iTunes Review

After he finally broke through to the masses in 2010, Wiz Khalifa’s fans rediscovered Show and Prove, the Pittsburgh rapper’s 2006 debut. Released when Khalifa was just 18, Show and Prove might have been called “Learn and Prove,” as it displays Khalifa’s versatility and hunger, not only as an aspiring rapper but as a longtime rap listener. Khalifa is not tied to one regional sound and he draws openly from East Coast and Southern traditions. “Bout Mine” and “Damn Thing” have enough sub-woofer thump to please Atlanta rap fans, while “Stay In Ur Lane” is so classically New York that it could be modeled on something from Jay-Z’s Hard Knock Life. Unsurprisingly for a rapper who was 15 in 2003, Wiz’s style bears the influence of more recent rap heroes. “Sometimes” and “Keep the Conversation” follow in the footsteps of Kanye West, while “Stand Up,” “I’m Gonna Ride,” “Let Em Know,” “History In the Making” reveal the big impact that Cam’Ron and the Dipset crew had on young Khalifa. And his early years left us one unassailable anthem in the form of “Pittsburgh Sound,” the most enjoyable and unpretentious civic anthem in recent hip-hop history.