Wiz Khalifa

About Wiz Khalifa

Cameron Jibril Thomaz started releasing mixtapes in Pittsburgh in the mid-2000s under the name Wiz Khalifa, building a reputation in a city not exactly known for rap exports. His early work caught the attention of Rostrum Records, and by 2006 he'd dropped his first album "Show and Prove" while still a teenager. The project didn't make much noise nationally, but his mixtape game stayed strong. "Kush & Orange Juice" in 2010 changed things—it became one of those rare mixtapes that actually mattered, downloaded millions of times and turning him into someone labels wanted.

Atlantic Records signed him, and "Black and Yellow" became unavoidable in 2010. The song hit number one, turned into a sports anthem for every Pittsburgh team, and got remixed by everyone with a microphone. His major label debut "Rolling Papers" came out in 2011 and went platinum, carried by that single plus "Roll Up" and the Snoop Dogg collaboration "Young, Wild & Free" from the Mac & Devin Go to High School soundtrack. The album showed his lane pretty clearly: melodic hooks, weed references, and party rap that felt laid-back even when it was designed for clubs.

He settled into a reliable pattern after that. "O.N.I.F.C." in 2012 had "Work Hard, Play Hard" and proved the first album wasn't a fluke. "Blacc Hollywood" in 2014 debuted at number one with "We Dem Boyz," which became another signature track. The song's choppy flow and quotable ad-libs made it stick around longer than typical radio rap. His output stayed consistent—mixtapes between albums, collaborations with producers like TM88 and Sledgren, features on other people's tracks. Nothing felt desperate or like he was chasing trends too hard.

Then "See You Again" happened in 2015. The Paul Walker tribute with Charlie Puth became one of the biggest songs of the decade, sitting at number one for twelve weeks and racking up billions of streams. It's the song your parents know him from, which is funny given most of his catalog is about the exact opposite of emotional piano ballads. The success was massive but almost separate from his core discography—he didn't really pivot toward that sound afterward.

Recent years have seen him maintain his position without really expanding it. "Rolling Papers 2" came in 2018, more mixtapes and collaborative projects followed, and he's leaned into the cannabis entrepreneur thing pretty heavily with his own weed strains and brands. His touring stays consistent, playing festivals and doing his thing for fans who've been around since the mixtape days. He's not chasing another "See You Again" moment, seemingly comfortable being exactly who he's been: the Pittsburgh rapper who made smoking weed and good vibes into a sustainable two-decade career.

Wiz shows feel like hanging out rather than witnessing something transcendent. Crowds know every word and drift into a smoke-hazed singalong. He's present and unbothered, keeping things moving without much stage drama. The energy is more communal than electric.

Known for Black and Yellow, See You Again, We Dem Boyz, Work Hard, Play Hard, Young, Wild & Free

See Wiz Khalifa Live