Wiz Khalifa

Wiz Khalifa is a US rapper from Minot, North Dakota, who is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His birth name is Cameron Jibril Thomaz. He is associated with the genres east coast hip hop, hip hop and pop rap, and is linked with Taylor Gang and TGOD Mafia.

Early life and name

Born in 1987, Khalifa moves frequently as a child because of his parents’ military service. He lives in Pittsburgh from the age of two, but also spends time in South Carolina, Georgia, Oklahoma, Germany, Japan and England while his parents are stationed in different places. He starts writing down his thoughts every day during these years, and says that these notes form the basis of later recordings. His nickname as a child is “Wizard”, which becomes “Wiz” when he is fifteen. His stage name comes from “khalifa”, an Arabic word meaning “successor”, together with the idea of wisdom.

Career beginnings

By the age of 14, he is already making songs and drawing attention for his voice and wordplay. He finds a studio called ID LABS, where Eric Dan recognises his talent. Through Chad Glick of ID Management, he is introduced to Benjy Grinberg of Rostrum Records, who brings him into the label in 2002. He is signed to Rostrum Records and later leaves Warner Bros. Records after delays around a planned debut album there called First Flight.

Mixtapes, albums and key releases

In 2005, Khalifa releases his first official mixtape, Prince of the City: Welcome to Pistolvania. The following year he puts out his first full-length street album, Show and Prove. He later releases six more mixtapes, as well as the collaboration mixtape How Fly with Curren$y.

His debut album, Deal or No Deal, appears in 2009 and reaches number one on the iTunes hip hop chart, as well as the top ten on the overall iTunes album chart that week. In 2010, after the success of Kush and Orange Juice, he signs with Atlantic Records. His first Atlantic single, “Black and Yellow”, reaches number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and his Atlantic debut album Rolling Papers follows in 2011.

He then releases O.N.I.F.C. in 2012; the title is shortened from “Only Nigga In First Class” for mainstream markets. The album is supported by the singles “Work Hard, Play Hard” and “Remember You”, and debuts at number two with 131,000 first-week sales. Pittsburgh City Council declares 12 December 2012 as Wiz Khalifa Day.

In 2013, he and Curren$y announce the collaboration EP Live in Concert, and he later says his fifth studio album will be Blacc Hollywood. He records for that album with Miley Cyrus, Adele and Juicy J, and Mannie Fresh provides production. The album is led by “We Dem Boyz” and is also supported by “KK”, “You and Your Friends”, “Stayin Out All Night”, “Promises” and “So High”.

He releases the EP Talk About It In the Morning with Ty Dolla $ign in 2015. That same year he releases “See You Again” for the film Furious 7 as a tribute to Paul Walker. The song spends 12 non-consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, matching the longest run for a rap number-one single in the United States. He also appears on a remix of Fall Out Boy’s “Uma Thurman”, performs it with the band at the Billboard Music Awards, and tours with Fall Out Boy and Hoodie Allen on the Boys of Zummer Tour. Later in 2015 he releases the mixtape Cabin Fever 3.

In 2016 he releases the album Khalifa. He later puts out Rolling Papers 2 in 2018, and The Saga of Wiz Khalifa in 2020, which includes collaborations with Tyga, Logic, Mustard and Ty Dolla $ign. He also features on “Drums Drums Drums” with Travis Barker in 2020.

Collaborators, crew and other work

Khalifa founds the rap crew Taylor Gang, whose early members include Kev Tha Hustler, Ekko, Smallz Money and Gene Stovall. The name comes from the Chuck Taylor shoes they wear. He is also part of TGOD Mafia. His production team is noted as Johnny Juliano, Sledgren and E. Dan.

His influences include Jay-Z, Cam’ron and the Notorious B.I.G. In 2021, he appears on season five of The Masked Singer as Chameleon and finishes third.

He graduates from Taylor Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh and later buys a home in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.