At just 25 years old, Wiz Khalifa is at the helm of a growing empire that includes TV commercials, film development, acting roles, merchandise and huge record sales. The rapper—famous for his breakout 2010 hit “Black & Yellow” and “Young, Wild and Free” with Snoop Dogg—performs at Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal CityWalk on November 13.
We sat down briefly with the lanky, tattooed rapper from Pittsburgh to ask him a bit about his musical background, influences and what’s next for the young rapper whose rise to stardom has been anything but under-the-radar.
Talk about the first time rap music struck you. When was it and do you remember the song?
I was in Atlanta in a mall with my mom and “Crossroads” by Bone Thugz & Harmony came on. That was the first time I felt like I really took in rap music. Before that, I had always listened to what my dad had playing around the house. I’d heard rap music before, you know, older stuff from my dad like Father MC or Big Daddy Kane. I mean, I liked rap music in general before but Bone was the first time I was like ‘whoa’.
How do you think your work stacks up against your first tracks?
I think there’s a different approach to it. Back then, I was still trying to just put stuff out, just trying to find myself and my voice. Now I have my old stuff to compete against. I mean, once you’ve made a bunch of songs, you don’t wanna repeat the same shit so you have to keep moving. Things are more professional now, too.
Things then were really informal, actually. We were just trying to put stuff out. People now accept me as who I am in 2012 and my music so I’d say everything’s changed since back then. I’m the same artist but have grown.
You rep Pittsburgh mostly but your childhood was spent all over. Talk about your connection to that city.
I grew up all over and now I tour all over. But in the end Pittsburgh is my hometown to me. So everything I do is to, in some way, put Pittsburgh on the map. It doesn’t really matter where I’ve been.
Who are some of your favorite rappers and where do you see yourself ranked among them?
Snoop is one of my favorite rappers, for sure, but I terms of ranking myself I don’t know. I mean, I’m about being carefree and having fun and just hope that comes out through the music.
You’ve worked with Snoop and you guys are publicized friends. Tell folks something about Snoop that people might not know about.
Photo by Aron Cooperman
Well, there isn’t like one single ting. I think a lot of people think Snoop just smokes all day and is always partying, but he works all the time. He’s always doing something. He’ll be doing radio shows, making TV appearances and perform at night. On the road there’s time, so Snoop will just lay down verses and make songs on the go, too. He’s crazy.
You’re getting into acting and producing films. You’ve made comedies that deal with weed. What’s your favorite stoner film?
All Cheech & Chong films are my favorites [laughs]. So is Grandma’s Boy.
Too Short is another known rapper you’ve worked with and grew up listening to. Talk about his influence and how you two ended up working together.
I first heard of him in the early ’90s and it was actually through my mom. She listened to a lot of Too Short’s music. We’d move all over the place and took long car rides and Too Short was always played. So I grew up with a lot of Too Short. Once I started making music and getting known, I said “I want to finally make a song with Too Short.” We contacted him, he was down with it and we just knocked it out.
Talk about your writing process, especially on your more recent releases like Rolling Papers.
It’s hard making an album, man. I pretty much write everything. And I think that shows my growth and strength as a writer and performer. That’s where I’m at right now. I think my writing skills are a bit more than what people think. They all think I just make catchy stuff but it’s more than that. It shows everything that comes with my lifestyle right now.
What are your impressions of rap these days?
I think we’re doing really good, man. Everyone’s on top of their game with dope videos and artwork. Everyone’s trying new and different things in the studio. I think it’s going great and everyone’s really doing their thing.
“Fly Solo” is a popular track of yours where you sing. You hear a track and decide to sing or rap? How does that work?
It really just depends on my mood.
Last comment for your diehard fans?
Thanks for the support. I hear everything you guys say, I really do.
Wiz Khalifa performs at Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal CityWalk on November 13. Click here for Wiz Khalifa Tickets
Article by David Ma
David Ma is a free lance music writer whose work appears in: Pitchfork, URB, Egotripland.com, Wax Poetics, XLR8R, Clout Magazine, DJ Times, Soul Culture, Metro Newspaper, San Jose Mercury News, Slap Magazine, and The Source. He also runs the audioblog www.nerdtorious.com.
