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 βthe skills, the looks, the confidence, the drive, and the charisma for the job.β The New Pittsburgh Courier says, βThe 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.
Outsiders
Wiz Khalifa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drive the Chevy like a lam, rollin' up by the gram
Always stickin' to the plan, them other niggas lack the vision
I'm 20/20 and my eyes lower than theirs
I ride slower, supersize motor when you pull up they outside of the crib
You outsiders, we in, we outshine 'em
Taylor gang or outline 'em, ya dig?
We just on our grind, workin', tryin' to get our paper up
Workin' on myself, workin' on myself
While I work on everybody else, everybody else
Homie, I been workin'on myself, workin' on myself
While I work on everybody else, everybody else
The lyrics to "Outsiders" by Wiz Khalifa capture an artist's confidence in his own abilities, with Khalifa asserting that he is still the same person he has always been. He talks about driving his Chevy, rolling up weed, and sticking to his plan. His vision is clear, and he emphasizes that he is sharper than his opponents, without needing to act in a rush. He also makes it clear that he is going about his work, even if outsiders are trying to get involved. Khalifa does not gloat but emphasizes that he is about his business and will not let others ruin his focus. He concludes this part of the verses by stating that anyone in Taylor Gang will outshine their competition and can always deal with and outline the opposition.
Khalifa then goes on to talk about the grind, the everyday hustle of working on one's self and dealing with others at the same time. He emphasizes that he is working on himself, and through that work, he is working on others around him. He notes that he is always getting better and still focused on himself even when working on other things. Khalifa implies that he is not an outsider but is ready to take on all comers, with his team and his methods firmly in place.
Line by Line Meaning
Still the same Cam, who I was is who I am
I have not changed, I am still the same person I used to be.
Drive the Chevy like a lam, rollin' up by the gram
I drive my Chevy with style, rolling up joints regularly.
Always stickin' to the plan, them other niggas lack the vision
I stick to my plans and goals, while others fail to see my vision.
I'm 20/20 and my eyes lower than theirs
I have a clear vision, which is better than what other people can see.
I ride slower, supersize motor when you pull up they outside of the crib
I take my time while driving, with a more powerful car than others who wait outside.
You outsiders, we in, we outshine 'em
You are outsiders, while we are inside and better than you.
Taylor gang or outline 'em, ya dig?
We are the Taylor Gang or we will leave you behind, do you understand?
Ridin' with my windows down, roll another paper up
I drive with the windows down, and roll another joint to smoke.
We just on our grind, workin', tryin' to get our paper up
We are working hard and grinding, trying to make more money.
Workin' on myself, workin' on myself
I am focusing on improving myself.
While I work on everybody else, everybody else
While I also help everyone else around me.
Homie, I been workin'on myself, workin' on myself
Friend, I have been focusing on improving myself.
While I work on everybody else, everybody else
While I also help everyone else around me.
Lyrics Β© O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Cameron Thomaz
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@FloMC
Still the same Cam, who I was is who I am
Drive the Chevy like a lam, rollin' up by the gram
Always stickin' to the plan, them other niggas lack the vision
I'm 20/20 and my eyes lower than theirs
I ride slower, supersize motor when you pull up they outside of the crib
You outsiders, we in, we outshine 'em
Taylor gang or outline 'em, ya dig?
Ridin' with my windows down, roll another paper up
We just on our grind, workin', tryin' to get our paper up
Workin' on myself, workin' on myself
While I work on everybody else, everybody else
Homie, I been workin'on myself, workin' on myself
While I work on everybody else, everybody else
@easymoneyshakur7632
One of the rarest sounding beats Iβve ever heard, thereβs nothing like it π₯π₯π₯ Who else got this in they Wiz top 5 ?
@mateusfillipe927
fr bro, this song is fire
@buzzbuzzard3809
Beat so hard it made me cry no cap. Sick !!!
@karanvarma4843
Easily his best. This and Universal studios
@nick3777
Same top 5 for sure by Wizzle!
@cainmccallam4710
This one of the realest comments EVER. This song fuccin' SLAPS.
@Neopremium
Good thing this song never blew up real fans know this is one of his best π
@ASabo-oy2oe
My favorite and getting me thru a tough time rite now. Wiz!!!
@obey2133
In here wit cha ever since it dropped til we die
@anthonymelgar4161
Damn fucking right