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.
Number 16
Wiz Khalifa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just keep goin', goin'
Goin', goin', goin' goin', goin', goin
Uh
I seen it comin' (yeah, I seen it comin')
Do everything for these niggas
They treat you like you did nothin' (you did nothin')
Now when I pull up, I ain't on top of my nig', I'm stuntin'
Smokin' somethin' playin' my newest shit
And you know it's bumpin'
You ain't used to it
You gon' grow accustomed (grow accustomed)
Niggas hate me 'cause they got no progression (no progression)
All the realest niggas they know and trust 'em (know and trust 'em)
And plus, your money's slow as fuck
I bet soon as I roll one up
That they gon' know it's us (know it's us)
Before I pass it, hit it twice and I hold it
Tryna get my money to the point
Where I can't fold it (I can't fold it)
Going away, going away
Going away (away) going away (away)
Going away (away)
Man, I'm fucked up (away)
Trippy niggas (away)
I don't give a shit about nothin'
But drugs (away) I'm lighting another joint
And cash
I made it happen (uh, I made it happen)
And niggas got mad at me 'cause I
Did this shit off of rappin' (this shit off of rappin')
Hear what they saying
Ain't need no luck 'cause I mapped it ('cause I mapped it)
And now I got my own gang, nigga
And I'm the captain (and I'm the captain)
You know me, player
Ballin' nigga and stackin'
All I say with a passion
All 'cause I'm bringin' racks in
(Bringin' racks in)
Remember when all them niggas was passed 'em?
(Niggas was passed 'em) but nowadays
They call me the main attraction (the main attraction)
Some niggas want the power, I want respect (I want respect)
Some niggas want the fame, I want the check (I want the check)
I'm in dubai, wake up, I'm in tibet
(I'm in tibet) them niggas had it, man
It's sort of sad they
Going away (uh) going away (come here)
Going away (away) going away (away)
Going away (away) away
We gettin' ratchet, right? Let's get ratchet
How do you resolve that?
There is no resolution these these people
They're resolve it within themselves
Because they're they're not really mad at me
They want what I got
The lyrics to Wiz Khalifa's song "Number 16" convey a sense of self-assurance and triumph over adversity. Khalifa reflects on his journey and the obstacles he has overcome to achieve success. He acknowledges that he has seen his success coming and has worked tirelessly for it, despite feeling underappreciated by others. He proudly embraces his accomplishments and enjoys the fruits of his labor, smoking and playing his latest music. He is unbothered by those who hate on him and knows that the real ones recognize and trust him. He contrasts his own progress with the slow and stagnant state of others, expressing his confidence and drive to keep pushing forward. Khalifa concludes by stating his desire for respect and financial gain over power and fame. He emphasizes that he has worked hard and strategically mapped out his path to success, forming his own gang and becoming its captain.
Line by Line Meaning
You know what that is
You are aware of the situation or circumstances
Just keep goin', goin'
Continue moving forward without hesitation
Goin', goin', goin' goin', goin', goin
Keep progressing relentlessly
I seen it comin' (yeah, I seen it comin')
I anticipated the outcome or events
Do everything for these niggas
I put in maximum effort for others
They treat you like you did nothin' (you did nothin')
They disregard or undervalue your contributions
But fuck that because all of this came from nothin'
Disregard those negative feelings because my success was built from humble beginnings
Now when I pull up, I ain't on top of my nig', I'm stuntin'
When I arrive, I am not just ordinary, I showcase my success
Smokin' somethin' playin' my newest shit
Enjoying some smoking and listening to my latest music
And you know it's bumpin'
You are aware that the music is great
You ain't used to it
You are not accustomed to this level of excellence
You gon' grow accustomed (grow accustomed)
Eventually, you will become familiar with it
Niggas hate me 'cause they got no progression (no progression)
People dislike me because they lack personal growth
All the realest niggas they know and trust 'em (know and trust 'em)
The most genuine individuals recognize and have faith in them
And plus, your money's slow as fuck
Moreover, your financial situation is extremely sluggish
I bet soon as I roll one up
I guarantee that once I roll a joint
That they gon' know it's us (know it's us)
They will immediately identify our presence
Before I pass it, hit it twice and I hold it
Before I pass the joint, I take two hits and retain it momentarily
Tryna get my money to the point
I am striving to reach a financial state
Where I can't fold it (I can't fold it)
Where I am unable to lose or squander it
Man, I'm fucked up (away)
I am feeling intoxicated or under the influence
Trippy niggas (away)
Individuals who are also intoxicated or high
I don't give a shit about nothin'
I am unconcerned about anything
But drugs (away) I'm lighting another joint
Except for drugs, I am lighting up another joint
And cash
And money
I made it happen (uh, I made it happen)
I achieved success or made things possible
And niggas got mad at me 'cause I
And people became angry with me because I
Did this shit off of rappin' (this shit off of rappin')
Accomplished this through my skills in rapping
Hear what they saying
Listen to what they are saying
Ain't need no luck 'cause I mapped it ('cause I mapped it)
I didn't rely on luck because I planned it out
And now I got my own gang, nigga
And now I have my own group of people
And I'm the captain (and I'm the captain)
And I am the leader or commander
You know me, player
You are familiar with me, my friend
Ballin' nigga and stackin'
I am successful and accumulating wealth
All I say with a passion
I express everything with intense emotion
All 'cause I'm bringin' racks in
All because I am earning large sums of money
(Bringin' racks in)
(Earning lots of money)
Remember when all them niggas was passed 'em?
Recall the time when those guys were surpassing him?
(Niggas was passed 'em) but nowadays
(They were surpassing him) but nowadays
They call me the main attraction (the main attraction)
They refer to me as the primary source of attention or interest
Some niggas want the power, I want respect (I want respect)
Some individuals seek power, but I desire respect
Some niggas want the fame, I want the check (I want the check)
Some people crave fame, but I prioritize financial rewards
I'm in dubai, wake up, I'm in tibet
I am in Dubai, and when I wake up, I find myself in Tibet
(I'm in tibet) them niggas had it, man
(I am in Tibet) those individuals possessed it previously, man
It's sort of sad they
It's somewhat unfortunate that they
We gettin' ratchet, right? Let's get ratchet
We are getting wild and crazy, right? So let's embrace it
How do you resolve that?
How can one find a solution to that?
There is no resolution these these people
These individuals don't have a resolution for themselves
They're resolve it within themselves
They have to find a resolution internally
Because they're they're not really mad at me
It's because they aren't truly angry with me
They want what I got
They desire what I possess
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cameron Jibril Thomaz, Charles Stepney, Derek Charles Dumont
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Peace 765
Wiz khalifa inspired me to rap when i was 15 back in 2015, his old music like taylor allderdice taught me alot and helped me get through some rough times, been rappin for almost 6 years now and still getting better and i owe alot of the inspiration, authenticity, and positive vibes to wiz music 💯 i hope everybody reading this doin good, keep dreamin i hope you accomplish your goals in life 🙏
Harvey DENTYOBIYCH
Take me back wiz!!!! Time stamped to my early 20s
KingSkully
Shii when i was 10-11 😆
Rabbitxx0420
That early Taylor Gang flow is untouchable!!
MECECARIBE
Muito bom o ritimo, segundas vozes, beat e trabalho inteiro por completo.👍👊🎵🎶😎😉
Marcos Felipe
Eu oro toda noite para uma música minha estourar, Sei que algum Dia Direi, Não Foi fácil, Mas Consegui 🙏🏽🙌🏽FÉ uma dia chega o dia 🤩🔊
S. Optics
This the album that changed my life for the better
kurt white
📍
Mello Benji
🔥🔥🔥🔥
Birute Grafinina
🔥Dear Wiz ,thank you for good,impressive music!!