Trouper pop-punk act Fall Out Boy and rapper Wiz Khalifa appear to be from not only opposing genres, but also opposing lifestyles. Like beauty, this assumption is only skin deep however, as on a night in New Jersey, the two genres fused and the crowd marvelled at its unexpected musical glory.
Their joint venture, “The Boys of Zummer Tour” debuted in front a crowd mixed with pop-rockers and hip-hop devotees, coming together to observe the fusion of their polar opposite genres. Wiz and Fall Out Boy could not be more different. Most of Khalifa’s allure lies in his unwavering passion for drugs; namely weed. A heavy majority of his music is focused on drugs and sex, however he has stated that he is naturally maturing, and life events such as the birth of his child has influenced an evolution to his music.
Fall Out Boy’s songs focus largely on political statements, the journey of making it as a band and the power of “the people”. This is shown through their records such as “Thriller” and “I Don’t Care“. The two bands do share the same values, however, of providing an escape for their fans.
In the opening of his set, Wiz exclaims to the crowd “I love feeling free”, and Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy adding to the good vibes, “life is just hard sometimes… for the next hour and half, lets fight back against that.” When these two genres collide, their messages reach a broader audience of people, connecting fans and musicians alike.
