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.
Funk Flex
Wiz Khalifa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My lines are clever, and all my bitches dimes or better
I'm 'bout my cheese mozzarella
Chains like the old roc-a-fella
I know your girls a freak, but you'll never beat acapella
I got it locked the hell up,
Sewn
And they need no help I did it on my own
If they made anotha me it'd be a million dolla clone
Haters gonna hate, the bitches say I'm on
My moneys like my hair, now its gettin' kinda long uhh
Comin' up people sworn they seen us
Now I'm rich needa chick bad as Kanye's Pheonix
So roll up please in flex we trust
Let them lames be lame, we gon' just be us
So roll up please in flex we trust
Let them lames be lame, we gon' just be us
In Wiz Khalifa's "Funk Flex," he boasts about being part of the Taylor Gang and how the higher, the better. He mentions how his lines are clever and how all his girls are "dimes" (a term used to describe physically attractive women). Wiz is all about his money, comparing his desire for money to his love for the cheese, mozzarella. He also bragged about his chains, comparing them to those of the old Roc-a-fella (Jay-Z's record label) as a symbol of his success.
Wiz is confident in his skills as a rapper, proclaiming that he can outdo anyone in acapella, and that he's got a lock on the game. He takes pride in how far he's come on his own, traveling to many places and being successful without any assistance. Wiz believes that if they were to make a copy of him, it would be worth a million dollars.
He ends the song by stating that with Flex, they trust, and that they will stay true to who they are, regardless of what anyone else thinks. Wiz encourages the listener to roll up and enjoy the music, while he and his crew live their lives to the fullest without worrying about anyone else.
Line by Line Meaning
Flyer than ever, rep Taylor Gang where thee higher the better
I am at the peak of my career and represent my crew Taylor Gang where the standards are high and only the best are accepted.
My lines are clever, and all my bitches dimes or better
My rap rhymes are intelligent and my female partners are all very attractive.
I'm 'bout my cheese mozzarella
I am very focused on making money, like the cheese mozzarella.
Chains like the old roc-a-fella
My jewelry is as valuable as what the Roc-A-Fella record label was once worth.
I know your girls a freak, but you'll never beat acapella
I understand you may have a sexually adventurous partner, but nothing can compare to my freestyle rap skills.
I got it locked the hell up, Sewn
I have established my success and it is secure.
And they need no help I did it on my own
I achieved this success alone, without anyone's assistance.
Oughta be pilot all the places that i've flown
I have traveled to many different locations and levels of success.
If they made anotha me it'd be a million dolla clone
If there were another person like me, they would be worth a lot of money and successful like me.
Haters gonna hate, the bitches say I'm on
I have critics, but women acknowledge my success and favor me.
My moneys like my hair, now its gettin' kinda long uhh
My wealth is growing and increasing, like my hair length.
Comin' up people sworn they seen us
As we are becoming successful, people claim to have known and seen us all along.
Now I'm rich needa chick bad as Kanye's Pheonix
Now that I am wealthy, I desire a woman as attractive as Kanye West's wife, Kim Kardashian West.
So roll up please in flex we trust
Let's smoke marijuana and have faith in our ability to succeed.
Let them lames be lame, we gon' just be us
Let our detractors be unimpressive and boring, we will remain true to ourselves and our style.
Contributed by Elizabeth J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Dianeediegoo
went to his show last night!! shit was SICK!! TGOD!! all day everyday!!
@CloverDaKid
wiz killed it man
@hollaatyaboy12
i know it ain't a real freestyle but it would still be hot on an album
@BIGREID94
not off the dome but still dope as hell
@TRISKIT.
I like how the swag came full circle
@GyaciMan
Wiz puts his raps in his iPhone notes like me
@MikelTheBossxX
big L murdered this
@Kristinaleein
his laugh is so hilarious haahaha.. i'm cracking up to 1:18 - 1:21
@ImaturatyRocks
i wonder if they make his laugh into a ringtone xD
@KEENDAWG55
WIZ KILLED THIS U ALREADY KNO WE FUCKEN WIT U BLOOD DC UPTOWN ALLDAY AND HILLTOP