Wiz Khalifa Book
Wiz Khalifa Book
Contents
A Brief History of Hip-Hop & Rap
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Biography 8 Early Life
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Career 12 Personal Life
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Discography 26 Mac & Devin Go to High School 31 The MTV Movie Awards
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A Brief History of Hip-Hop & Rap Rap Vs. Hip-Hop
Hip-hop is a form of popular music that’s comprised mainly of emceeing and deejaying. The other two components that complete the four elements of hip-hop are graffiti and breakdancing. As hip-hop evolves into big business, the four elements (emceeing, deejaying, graffiti, and breakdancing) are constantly being merged with others like clothing trends, slang, and general mindset.
Rap is a form of music that stemmed from hip-hop culture. Hip hop is a lifestyle with its own lingo, dress code, etc. In the words of KRS-One, “hip-hop is something you live, rap is something you do.”
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Hip-Hop Defined
Hip-Hop Started in the Bronx
A product of cross-cultural integration, rap is deeply rooted within ancient African culture and oral tradition. Hip-hop is believed to have originated in the Bronx by a Jamaican DJ named Kool Herc. Herc’s style of deejaying involved reciting rhymes over instrumentals. At house parties, Herc would rap with the microphone, using a myriad of in-house references. Duplicates of Herc’s house parties soon drifted through Brooklyn, Manhattan. Herc and other block party DJs helped spread the message of hip-hop around town and spawned tons of followers.
Hip-Hop As a Melting Pot
Some of the earliest rap songs ever recorded include “King Tim III (Personality Jock)” by Fatback Band and “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugarhill Gang. The latter reached the #36 spot on the Billboard charts (a huge feat by 1970’s standards), thus demonstrating hip-hop’s ability to draw commercial appeal.
Hip-hop as a musical melting pot is still evolving. It has become more eclectic, borrowing from soul, jazz and live instrumentations with the likes of De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, and most recently Kanye West championing the ‘soulful rap’ movement.
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Humble Beginnings
King Tim III (Personality Jock)� by Fatback Band
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Biography Wiz Khalifa
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Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by the stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper. He released his debut album, Show and Prove, in 2006, and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 2007. His Eurodanceinfluenced single, “Say Yeah”, received urban radio airplay, charting on the Rhythmic Top 40 and Hot Rap Tracks charts in 2008. Khalifa parted with Warner Bros. and released his second album, Deal or No Deal, in November 2009. He released the mixtape Kush and Orange Juice as a free download in April 2010; he then signed with Atlantic Records. He is also well
known for his debut single for Atlantic, “Black and Yellow”, which peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. His debut album for the label, Rolling Papers, was released on March 29, 2011
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Early life
Khalifa was born on September 8, 1987 to a mother and a father serving in the military. His parents divorced when Khalifa was about three years old. His parents’ military service caused him to move regularly: Khalifa lived in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan before settling in Pittsburgh where he attended Taylor Allderdice High School. His stage name is derived from khalifa, an Arabic word meaning “successor”, and wisdom, which was shortened to Wiz when Khalifa was a young boy Khalifa stated to spinner.com that the name also came from being called “young Wiz
‘cause I was good at everything I did, and my granddad is Muslim, so he gave me that name; he felt like that’s what I was doing with my music.” He got his stage name tattooed on his 17th birthday. He includes Jimi Hendrix, Camp Lo, The Notorious B.I.G. and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony among his influences.
Career 2005 – 08: Early mixtapes and Show and Prove
Rostrum Records president Benjy Grinberg first heard about Wiz Khalifa in 2004 when the rapper’s contribution to a mixtape of various new Pittsburgh artists attracted his interest. When Grinberg finally met the 16-year-old artist, he immediately decided he wanted to work with him, later telling HitQuarters: “Even though he wasn’t all the way developed you could just tell that he was a diamond in the rough, and that with some polishing, guidance and backing he could become something special.”Khalifa signed to the label shortly after and began a seven year period of artist development.
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Khalifa released his first mixtape, Prince of the City: Welcome to Pistolvania, in 2005. The mixtape paved the way for his first full length album entitled Show and Prove in 2006. Khalifa was declared an “artist to watch� that year in Rolling Stone magazine.
Rolling Stone magazine
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In 2007, Khalifa signed to Warner Bros. Records and released two mixtapes through Rostrum Records: Grow Season, hosted by DJ Green Lantern and released on July 4, 2007, and Prince of the City 2, released on November 20, 2007. His debut Warner Bros. single “Say Yeah” reached number 25 on the Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 music chart and number 20 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Tracks. The song samples “Better Off Alone” by Alice Deejay. Khalifa’s vocals from “Say Yeah” appear near the end of Pittsburgh mash up producer Girl Talk’s 2008 album, Feed the Animals, over music from Underworld’s “Born
Slippy”, Usher’s “Love in This Club”, and the Cure’s “In Between Days”. Khalifa appeared with The Game, David Banner and Play-n-Skillz at U92’s Summer Jam at the USANA Amphitheatre in West Valley City, Utah on August 2, 2008. Khalifa released the mixtapes Star Power in September 2008, and Flight School in April 2009 on Rostrum Records.
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2009 – 10: Deal or No Deal
Continuing his association with Rostrum Records, Khalifa released the single “Teach U to Fly”, and the mixtape How Fly, a collaboration with New Orleans rapper Curren$y, on August 9, 2009. Khalifa introduced a more melodic style on the mixtape, alternating between singing and rapping. He opened for Wu-Tang Clan member U-God at the 2009 CMJ Music Marathon in New York City. Khalifa released the mixtape Burn After Rolling on November 2, 2009, where he raps over familiar beats from other artists, including the songs “If I Were A Boy” and “Diva” by Beyoncé, “Walking on a Dream” by Empire of
the Sun, “Luchini AKA This Is It” by Camp Lo, and “Best I Ever Had” by Drake. Khalifa released his second album, Deal or No Deal, on November 24, 2009.
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Khalifa performed at Emo’s in Austin, Texas in March 2010 as part of the 2010 South by Southwest Music Festival. He appeared on the cover of XXL magazine that same month, for the magazine’s annual list of Top 10 Freshman, which included Donnis, J. Cole, Pill, Freddie Gibbs, and Fashawn. Wiz Khalifa was named 2010 “Rookie Of The Year” by “The Source”, with alongside Rick Ross, “The Man Of The Year”. He toured with rapper Yelawolf on a 20-date tour, the Deal Or No Deal Tour. Khalifa released the free mixtape Kush and Orange Juice for download on April 14, 2010. Due to Khalifa’s devoted
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grassroots fan base, the mixtape became the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter with the hash tag #kushandorangejuice, and “Kush and Orange Juice download” ranked No. 1 on Google’s hot search trends.
2010: Signing with Atlantic Records
Citing music industry insiders, New York magazine wrote that Khalifa signed with Atlantic Records in April 2010, although the rapper did not confirm it. He stated to AllHipHop in June 2010 that he was working on a new album, but was weighing his options and had not yet decided on a label to distribute it. Khalifa confirmed to MTV on July 30 that he was signing an Atlantic Records deal. Khalifa was featured in a remix and video for the 2010 Rick Ross single “Super High”, alongside Curren$y. He guested on the mixtape Grey Goose, Head Phones, and Thirsty Women by St. Louis rapper M.C,
and was featured on the track “The Breeze (Cool)” on rapper Wale’s August 2010 mixtape More About Nothing. Khalifa was named MTV’s Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010, winning with nearly 70,000 votes, and beating out finalists Nicki Minaj, J. Cole, Travis Porter, and Diggy Simmons.
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Khalifa appeared at the Soundset 2010 festival in May 2010 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, alongside Method Man & Redman, Del the Funky Homosapien and Hieroglyphics, Atmosphere, Murs, Cage, and others. He also performed at the 2010 Rock the Bells festival, along with hip hop veterans Wu-Tang Clan, Snoop Dogg, Lauryn Hill, A Tribe Called Quest, Rakim, KRS-One, Jedi Mind Tricks and Slick Rick. Khalifa declined an invitation to tour with rapper Drake and launched his own “Waken Baken” tour, a 50-city national tour with rapper Yelawolf. The tour, scheduled to last from
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September to November 2010, has, as of October, sold out every venue. On November 2010, during his “Waken Baken” tour at East Carolina University, Wiz Khalifa was arrested for possession and trafficking of marijuana. He was then released the next morning after a $300K bail, and resumed his tour. Khalifa performed in a cypher during the 2010 BET Hip-Hop Awards. He recited his verse from the song, “The Check Point”, from his mixtape with Curren$y, How Fly.
2010 – 11: Mainstream success, Rolling Papers and O.N.I.F.C
Khalifa released “Black and Yellow”, his first single for Rostrum/Atlantic, produced by Stargate, which has received radio airplay. The single was peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100; the title of the song refers to the colours of the City of Pittsburgh. Khalifa released his debut album with Atlantic Records in 2011. He appeared with Curren$y on the track “Scaling the Building” on producer Ski Beatz’ 2010 album, 24 Hour Karate School. Khalifa’s record label is Taylor Gang Records, named after his love of Chuck Taylor All-Stars, and Taylor Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh, PA, where he graduated from.
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On March 29, 2011, Khalifa released his first studio album, Rolling Papers. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 197,000 copies in the United States. Shortly afterward on March 31, 2011 Wiz Khalifa performed at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia as part of the school’s annual Dooley’s Weekend. On June 26, 2011, Khalifa was nominated and won Best New Artist at the BET Awards of 2011. Khalifa collaborated with British rapper Tinie Tempah whom Tinie announced in an interview with Rolling Stone that his next single is
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to be called “Till I’m Gone” and would feature Wiz Khalifa and is to be produced by Stargate. The single and the video song were released at the end of June 2011. On April 11, 2012 Khalifa announced that he will release his second studio album titled “Only Nigga In First Class” but will be released to mainstream markets as the abbreviated O.N.I.F.C.
Personal life
Thomaz proposed to model Amber Rose on March 1, 2012 showing off the ring on Twitter. He is personal friends with Snoop Dogg, Juicy J, Yelawolf, and fellow Pittsburgh rapper Mac Miller. In March 2012, Thomaz purchased a 2.8 private wooded acres with a 3,891-square-foot residence in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, a small community southwest of Pittsburgh. The residence includes 5-bedroom, 4-bath eco-friendly, Brazilian Koa floors, stainless steel appliances, a separate guest house, and a lavish master suite with high ceilings. He currently resides there with his fiancĂŠe Amber Rose.
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Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose
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Discography Independent albums
Show and Prove is the first independent album by Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa. It was released September 5, 2006 on Rostrum Records. The album has sold over 10,000 copies. As of September 2011, songs on the album had registered a combined 1.8 million listens by over half a million members of the last.fm music site. The first single of the album was “Pittsburgh Sound�. Show and Prove
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Deal or No Deal is the second independent album by rapper Wiz Khalifa, released November 24, 2009 on Rostrum Records. The first and only single from the album is “This Plane�. Some of the tracks were part of his 2007 mixtape, Prince of the City 2 It sold 5,900 in its first week shooting to #1 on I-Tunes chart. To date, the album has sold over 103,000 + copies. soundscan sales. Deal or No Deal
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Studio albums
Rolling Papers is the debut studio album by American rapper Wiz Khalifa, released March 29, 2011, on Atlantic Records, and Rostrum Records. The album features collaborations with Too $hort, Curren$y, and Chevy Woods. It contains the singles “Black and Yellow”, “Roll Up”, “On My Level”, and “No Sleep”. The album has been noted by music writers for having a pop rap style. Rolling Papers debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 197,000 copies in the United States. It received generally mixed reviews from music critics, who complimented its hooks, but criticized its subject matter.
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Rolling Papers
Collaborative albums
Mac & Devin Go to High School is a collaborative soundtrack, and album by American rappers Wiz Khalifa, and Snoop Dogg, which was released on December 13, 2011, by Atlantic Records.
Mac & Devin Go to High School
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Mac & Devin Go to High School Background
Snoop Dogg announced plans for the release of a film, and soundtrack alongside with Wiz Khalifa back in January, with the release of the song “Dat Good”, originally intended to be the soundtrack’s lead single. It was supposed to be set for a straight-toDVD release on April 20, but was pushed back. Wiz Khalifa spoke on the soundtrack saying “It’s a real big deal because nobody’s done it like that as far as a veteran in the game, an OG, a pioneer and then the newest, youngest, most exciting dude in rap coming through, and really just giving people a complete project,” Wiz said. “I’m a fan of it, separate myself from making it, [I’m]
a huge fan of it. Can’t wait.” As far as the musical vibe of the soundtrack, Snoop described it. “It’s something to relax you and get you through the day; it’s some real good music. The music is quality, I don’t even have no title for it, as far as what kinda music is it, it’s centric, it’s ...,” Dogg said searching for the right words before his partner-in-rhyme lent a hand.
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Singles
Chart performance
“Young, Wild & Free”, the soundtrack’s lead single which features Bruno Mars, and produced by The Smeezingtons, was released on October 11, 2011. In its first week it sold 159,000 digital copies, debuting at number ten on the US Billboard Hot 100, and forty four on the Canadian Hot 100. The music video was filmed on October 19, 2011. The track “Smokin’ On” featuring Juicy J, was released in January 17, 2012 as a promo single, and the second overall from the album.
The album debuted at number twenty-nine on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 38,000 copies in its first week. As of February 2012 the album has sold 107,000 copies in the US. In Canada, the album debuted at number ninety-six. As of March 25, 2012 the Soundtrack has sold 118,500 copies in the United States.
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The MTV Movie Awards Wiz Khalifa Plans Theatrical MTV Movie Awards Performance
“My show is evolving and everything that I’m doing, so it’s going to be more themed,” Khalifa revealed to MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway after his rehearsal at the Gibson Theater in Universal City, California. “You know it’s for the movie thing so it’s going to be more theatrical, so people are going to see that side of it as well as me performing and giving my energy.” Khalifa has already done some on-camera work. Last year he and Snoop Dogg shot their upcoming stoner comedy“Mac & Devin Go to High School.”It was Wiz’s first acting gig, but by the time the movie
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wrapped the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania MC saw his progress. “I had to do makeup every day to cover my tattoos. I had to spray my hair to get the blond out, but it was cool. It was an experience, and it was really, really fun to be a novice at acting, be brand-new and then have to learn,” Khalifa told MTV News last December. “I watched the movie, and I can actually see myself getting better in the movie.” For now however Wiz seems really focused on the music. On August 28 he is scheduled to drop his sophomore album O.N.I.F.C. (Only N---a in First Class) and is currently
promoting the LP’s first single “Work Hard, Play Hard,” which he will be performing Sunday night during the big show. Of course tonight’s “theatrical” set should build anticipation for the upcoming album and if it helps Wiz land an new acting gig or two, he’d welcome the opportunity. “That would be tight,” he said with his patented Khalifa cackle.
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News Wiz Khalifa Arrested On Drug Charges, 5 Rappers Arrested For Marijuana
Wiz Khalifa was arrested on April 23, in Nashville, TN. Officials with the Metro Nashville Police said officers were called to a where Khalifa was staying, because residents started complaining of a strong odor of marijuana, according to Eonline. According to the arrest report obtained by E! News, police said the room reeked of marijuana and that they saw the 24-year-old throw his blunt out the window. When asked if there was any more marijuana in the room, both Khalifa and his friend, 27-year-old Lonnie Howard, said there wasn’t, but police later found
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more marijuana on Howard. Amber Rose’s future husband and Howard eventually admitted to having marijuana on their person and were both cited on misdemeanor possession. Khalifa and Howard have until May 14 to show up at the Davidson County courthouse for booking on the charges. The “Black and Yellow” rapper was in town as part of Vanderbilt University’s annual rites of Spring concert, in which he was the headliner. While this isn’t the first run-in with the police for the Pittsburgh based
rapper, Khalifa was arrested in November of 2010 and charged with a felony count of trafficking in marijuana, a felony count of maintaining a dwelling/vehicle/place for sale or storage of marijuana and one misdemeanor charge of possession of drug paraphernalia, according to MTV News Khalifa is not the only rapper to have been caught with illegal greenery Here are 5 other rappers arrested for marijuana.
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New Relase
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“ That’s how I live and I won’t change for the world! ”
Progetto realizzato da Adriano Nicolosi. Stampato nel giugno del 2012 presso la tipografia Progetto Stampa SA - Chiasso
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