High

The Story Behind "High" by Big Sean Featuring Wiz Khalifa

Picture 2011: a new generation of hip-hop stars is rising, blending melodic sensibilities with confident lyricism, and two of the most promising young rappers join forces. Big Sean, the Detroit MC riding the momentum of his breakthrough, teamed with Wiz Khalifa, the Pittsburgh rapper whose laid-back, melodic style had made him a star. Together they delivered this relaxed, atmospheric collaboration, a track that captured the easygoing confidence of two rising talents.

Two Rising Stars

By 2011, both artists were in the midst of their breakthroughs. Big Sean had emerged from Detroit as one of the most promising young rappers, his debut album generating significant buzz. "High" came from his debut studio album, Finally Famous, released that year. The track featured Wiz Khalifa, the Pittsburgh rapper whose relaxed, melodic style and easygoing persona had recently made him a major star. The pairing united two of the freshest young voices in hip-hop, both representing a new generation that blended confident rapping with a melodic, contemporary sensibility.

The Sound Of The Single

The track was a relaxed, atmospheric hip-hop song built around a mellow, hazy production. It paired Big Sean's confident, wordplay-driven delivery with Wiz Khalifa's laid-back, melodic style, creating an easygoing collaboration suited to its title's relaxed mood. The production was smooth and contemporary, reflecting the melodic, atmospheric direction much of the era's hip-hop was taking. It was a track that prioritized vibe and chemistry, the sound of two young artists comfortable in their rising success, trading verses over a laid-back groove with effortless confidence.

A Brief Chart Appearance

The single had only a fleeting moment on the pop chart, serving more as an album track than a major standalone hit. It appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 dated July 16, 2011, at number 98, which was both its debut and its peak, and it spent just one week on the Hot 100. That brief showing reflected its role within the broader campaign for Big Sean's debut album, which helped establish him as a rising star even as individual tracks like this one made only modest chart appearances.

The Mixtape Generation

Both artists on this track came up through a new model of building a career, one defined by the internet and the mixtape. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, rising rappers increasingly built their followings by releasing free mixtapes online, bypassing traditional industry gatekeepers and connecting directly with fans. Big Sean and Wiz Khalifa both rose through that channel, earning devoted audiences and significant buzz before their official major-label debuts. That grassroots, internet-driven path reshaped how hip-hop talent emerged, allowing artists to develop their styles and fan bases on their own terms. By the time of this collaboration, both had converted their online momentum into mainstream careers, exemplifying a generation of rappers who understood the power of the internet to build a following. Their pairing reflected that shared background, two artists who had earned their place through the new digital pathways of the era.

The Rise Of A Generation

The single captured a moment when a new generation of hip-hop talent was emerging, artists who blended confident lyricism with melodic, atmospheric sounds. It showcased the chemistry between two rising stars who would both go on to substantial careers, and it reflected the relaxed, contemporary direction the genre was taking. While it was a modest entry on the chart, the song stands as a snapshot of two young talents at the start of their ascents, an easygoing collaboration from the dawn of a new era in hip-hop.

Cue it up for a laid-back mood and let that mellow groove unfold. This is the relaxed confidence of two rising stars in their prime, a snapshot of a new generation of hip-hop talent on the rise.

"High" — Big Sean Featuring Wiz Khalifa's singular moment on the 2010s charts.