Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987 in Minot, North Dakota), bett… Read Full Bio ↴Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987 in Minot, North Dakota), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, signed to Rostrum Records. According to the Black and Yellow Songfacts, his stage name is derived from khalifa, an Arabic word meaning "successor", and wisdom. His nickname growing up was "Wizard" which was shortened to Wiz when Khalifa was fifteen.

In 2005 he released his first official mixtape, Prince of the City: Welcome to Pistolvania, and later in 2006 he released his first full length street album entitled Show and Prove. Since then he has released a further six mixtapes and a collaboration mixtape titled How Fly with friend Curren$y. He released his debut album, Deal or No Deal, in November of 2009, it reached #1 on the iTunes hip hop chart, and then reached the top ten on iTunes' overall album chart the week it was released. Previously signed to Warner Bros. Records, he left the label in July 2009 after numerous delays in releasing his planned debut album for the label, First Flight. Khalifa stated to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that, "I learned a lot during my time there and matured as an artist during the process. I'm happy to be moving on with all of my material and having the chance to be in control of my next moves".He is also the founder of the rap crew Taylor Gang, which includes friends Kev Tha Hustler, Ekko, Smallz Money and Gene Stovall. They derived the name from the fact they always used to wear Chuck Taylor shoes.

Khalifa was born on September 8, 1987 in Minot, North Dakota to a mother and a father serving in the military. The family moved to Pittsburgh when Khalifa was the age of two. His parents' military service caused the family to move on a regular basis.
Over the next thirteen years, he would move between Pittsburgh and South Carolina, Georgia, Oklahoma, Germany, Japan, and England as his parents were reassigned to different posts. In October of 1990 Wiz was separated from his mother,who left him in the hands of her sister while she served in Operation Desert Storm.

During his travels, Wiz was forced to mature quicker than his peers. He was constantly faced with new surroundings, new schools, and new sets of friends, and he found it difficult to become attached to anyone outside his family roots. This nomadic life gave Wiz an opportunity, though, to broaden his mind and offered him many experiences from which to draw inspiration. He began to perceive the world differently than most kids, and he would write his thoughts down every day.These thoughts would become the foundation for his future recordings.

By the age of 14, with a few songs under his belt, Wiz was already drawing comparisons with his commanding voice and witty wordplay. While he has been influenced by artists such as Jay-Z, Camron, and the Notorious B.I.G., Wiz was determined to create his own identity that would, one day, be loved and revered by fans.

Ready to take the next step, Wiz began his search for a recording studio to record new songs. He found one, ID LABS, where owner Eric Dan immediately recognized Wiz's talents. Along with Chad Glick of ID Management, they began to network Wiz to another Pittsburgh native, Benjy Grinberg of Rostrum Records. Benjy realized the raw talent that Wiz possessed, and immediately brought him into the Rostrum family in 2002.

Soon after, Wiz Khalifa began his ascent into the music scene in the Pittsburgh area. He has been hailed by the award winning Pittsburgh Post-Gazette pop music critic, Ed Masley, as having “the skills, the looks, the confidence, the drive, and the charisma for the job.” The New Pittsburgh Courier says, “The combination of a young, charismatic M.C. with a slew of stop-and-rewind rhymes together with a local independent label with major industry connections has set the stage for a hip-hop artist representing Pittsburgh to reach superstar status for the first time ever.

In 2010, with the success of Kush and Orange Juice still present, Wiz Khalifa signed with Atlantic Records. Wiz's style along with his production team, Johnny Juliano, Sledgren, and E. Dan make this a winning combination for success.

He is also well known for his debut single for Atlantic, "Black and Yellow", which peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. His debut album for the label, Rolling Papers, was released on March 29, 2011. He followed that album with O.N.I.F.C. (abbreviated for mainstream markets from "Only Nigga In First Class") on December 4, 2012 which was backed by the singles "Work Hard, Play Hard" and "Remember You". O.N.I.F.C. debuted at number two with 131,000 in first week sales.

Pittsburgh City Council declared 12-12-12 (December 12, 2012) to be Wiz Khalifa Day in the city. Khalifa graduated from Pittsburgh's Taylor Allderdice High School and in January 2012, purchased a home in nearby Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.

In April 2013, Khalifa revealed that after having his son he decided to work on a new album that he was planning to release in 2013. On April 17, 2013, Wiz Khalifa and Curren$y announced that they will drop their collaboration EP Live in Concert on April 20, 2013. The EP featured seven new songs. On June 24, 2013, he announced that his fifth studio album would be titled Blacc Hollywood and would be released in 2013. On September 3, 2013, Khalifa revealed he had recorded songs with Miley Cyrus, Adele and Juicy J for Blacc Hollywood. In October 2013, Mannie Fresh confirmed that he provided production for the album. On February 11, 2014, Khalifa released Blacc Hollywood's first single titled "We Dem Boyz". The album was then supported by the singles "KK", "You and Your Friends", "Stayin Out All Night", "Promises" and "So High".

Khalifa released an EP with TY Dolla $ign on March 31, 2015, entitled "Talk About It In the Morning". That same month, Wiz released the lead single for the film "Furious 7" called "See You Again" as a tribute to Paul Walker. The single has since gone on to global success. "See You Again" spent 12 non-consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, tying for the longest-running rap number-one hit in the US.

On January 23, 2015, Khalifa was featured on a remix release of the Fall Out Boy song "Uma Thurman". On May 18, they performed the song together on the 2015 Billboard Music Awards show. In the summer of 2015, he began touring the United States with Fall Out Boy and Hoodie Allen in a tour titled "The Boys of Zummer Tour". The tour featured performances of "Uma Thurman" by Fall Out Boy and Khalifa. Later that year, on December 15, 2015, Wiz released the mixtape "Cabin Fever 3". During the Golden Globes on January 10, 2016, Wiz announced that his next album, titled Khalifa, would be released on the 22nd of that month. However, the album was released on February 5, 2016. On May 24, 2016, he released "Pull Up", a standalone single in promotion of his sixth album, Rolling Papers 2, which was released on July 13, 2018.

On April 20, 2020, Khalifa released, The Saga of Wiz Khalifa. The album included collaborations with Tyga, Logic, Mustard and Ty Dolla $ign. In May 2020, Khalifa featured on the song "Drums Drums Drums" with Travis Barker.

In 2021, Khalifa competed in season five of The Masked Singer as "Chameleon". He finished in third place.

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Wiz Khalifa Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Up early, smokin' and plottin'
Looking at these lames being thankful I'm not them
This year couple million out the game
And you're wondering how I got them
I got it from going hard, I always stay on my job
Wanna get high you should come to my spot then
And smoke with some heavyweight niggas
Jets, Taylor Gang nigga losing's not a option

Now I'm always on the road
And everywhere I go people asking what I'm rocking
I tell em this is next year's fresh and this year's best
And some shit you niggas not in, so quit copyin'

Yeah man
You niggas got it confused, trying to do what the fuck we do
That's not the point
The point is for you to do you
It's a beautiful thing

I'm in the regal, you in a rut
Stuck, can't come up
Old, jealous niggas hatin' on us
Bitches is wishin' you'd shut the fuck up
I'm in the position, set my niggas up tough
What the fuck, just jump
Continents I promise it
I could go from bucks to billions in a minute
Made a split second decision
Executed with precision
I feel attention when I walk in the room
Old cuddly ass niggas go to hidin' they woman
Thinkin' I'mma walk up to 'em, but I don't do it
Baby girl know the big shit from the manure

I could help you shine like a jeweler
Candy paint make an old whip newer

Overall Meaning

In the first verse of the song, Wiz Khalifa talks about his success and how he got there. He starts off by saying he is up early, smoking and plotting. He then looks at those around him who he perceives as lame and is thankful he is not like them. He talks about making a couple of million this year and how people are wondering how he got there. He responds to this by saying he worked hard and always stays on his job. He invites anyone who wants to get high to come to his spot and smoke with him and other heavyweight niggas from Jets and Taylor Gang, emphasizing that losing is not an option.

In the second verse, Wiz Khalifa talks about his position, being in the regal, while others are stuck, jealous and hating on him. He sets his niggas up tough and promises to go from bucks to billions in a minute, executing it with precision. He talks about how he feels the attention when he walks in a room and how old cuddly ass niggas go to hiding their women. He emphasizes that he can help someone shine like a jeweler and how candy paint can make an old whip newer.

Overall, the song is about Wiz Khalifa’s success and how he achieved it through hard work and staying on his grind. He encourages others to do the same and not try to copy what he does as everyone has their own path to success.

Line by Line Meaning

Up early, smokin' and plottin'
I woke up early and started my day by smoking and thinking about my plans for the future.

Looking at these lames being thankful I'm not them
I see other people who are not successful and I am grateful that I am not in their position.

This year couple million out the game
I made a few million dollars this year from my work.

And you're wondering how I got them
You might be curious how I was able to make that much money.

I got it from going hard, I always stay on my job
I earned my money through hard work and by always being focused on my work.

Wanna get high you should come to my spot then
If you want to smoke, you can come to my place and do it with me.

And smoke with some heavyweight niggas
You can smoke with some serious smokers if you come to my place.

Jets, Taylor Gang nigga losing's not a option
I belong to the Jets and Taylor Gang and we are not going to lose.

Now I'm always on the road
I am always traveling for my work.

And everywhere I go people asking what I'm rocking
People are always curious about what kind of fashion I am wearing.

I tell em this is next year's fresh and this year's best
I let them know that what I am wearing is trendy now and will be even more popular next year.

And some shit you niggas not in, so quit copyin'
Some of the things I wear are unique to me, so stop trying to copy my style.

You niggas got it confused, trying to do what the fuck we do
You guys are confused and are trying to copy us without knowing what we actually do.

The point is for you to do you
The point is for you to focus on yourself and develop your own unique style.

I'm in the regal, you in a rut
I'm doing well and driving a nice car while you are stuck in a bad situation.

Stuck, can't come up
You are stuck and cannot improve your situation.

Old, jealous niggas hatin' on us
There are older people who are envious of our success and are not supportive.

Bitches is wishin' you'd shut the fuck up
Women are hoping you will stop talking because they are not interested in what you have to say.

I'm in the position, set my niggas up tough
I am in a good position to help my friends and make sure they are successful.

What the fuck, just jump
Take risks to succeed.

Continents I promise it
I am very successful and can promise great things in various regions of the world.

I could go from bucks to billions in a minute
I have the potential to make a lot of money very quickly.

Made a split second decision
I made a quick and smart decision to get ahead.

Executed with precision
I was successful because I carried out my decision with great accuracy and skill.

I feel attention when I walk in the room
People notice and pay attention to me when I enter a room.

Old cuddly ass niggas go to hidin' they woman
Older, weaker people try to protect their girlfriend or wife from me when they see me.

Thinkin' I'mma walk up to 'em, but I don't do it
People think I will go up to them and confront them, but I do not.

Baby girl know the big shit from the manure
Women know how to tell valuable things from worthless things.

I could help you shine like a jeweler
I have the ability to help others look good and be successful.

Candy paint make an old whip newer
With the right kind of paint, an old car can look new and trendy.

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CAMERON THOMAZ, SHANTE FRANKLIN, L MIZELL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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