Wiz Khalifa: A Journey Through His Hits and Contribution to Hip-Hop
Wiz Khalifa has been relevant in hip-hop for as long as the full lifespan of a driving-aged high schooler, and he’s hit such a rarified air of success that it doesn’t seem like his popularity is ever going to wean.
The Pittsburgh-born rapper broke into the rap game in 2006 with his debut project, Show and Prove, and over the next three years, dropped a variety of albums and hits that helped establish a unique lane of relaxed yet refined rapping that is both lyrical and focused – one that no one has been able to step into without being labeled a biter.
After signing with Warner Bros. in 2007, Khalifa released the enigmatic single “Say Yeah,” which was completely different from any mainstream hip-hop of the time and preceded his major label debut, Deal or No Deal.
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But perhaps some of Wiz’s best musical gems to date have come from his mixtapes, and that was very much the case with his 2009 project Kush and Orange Juice – a Curren$y-inspired, jazzy, and smooth offering that proved the rapper’s preeminent pairing with producers Cardo, Sledgren, and ID Labs and became a stoner’s hip-hop bible.
From there, Wiz Khalifa’s career skyrocketed, dropping albums like Rolling Papers and O.N.I.F.C., and mega-hits like 2010’s “Black and Yellow” and "Work Hard, Play Hard," which helped him earn Best New Artist at the 2011 BET Awards. By this time, Wiz was beginning to expand his empire beyond his music and hip-hop.
By 2012, Khalifa’s Taylor Gang began gaining heavy steam as he joined day-one artists Chevy Woods and Tuki Carter with established industry rappers like Juicy J and Ty Dolla $ign. The collective was formative and helped prove that Wiz could assemble a roster of talented artists independent of his solo career.
Additionally, with the help of fellow Taylor Gang artist and longtime friend Berner, Wiz began expanding his product empire, particularly surrounding marijuana. In 2014, he partnered with RiverRock Cannabis to create his "Khalifa Kush" (KK) weed strain and became sponsored by Berner’s Cookie Company, a medical marijuana producer and dispensary.
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Wiz continued releasing solid music as the years progressed but became more of a cultural icon. He famously dated and married model Amber Rose in 2013, with whom he had his son Sebastian before they divorced a year later. Furthermore, he became an advocate for wellness by engaging in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai training with a future fight even in the works against a yet-to-be-named opponent.
From 2013 on, Wiz Khalifa continued to work hard in the studio. In April of that year, he announced his now-cult-followed Live in Concert collaborative EP with Curren$y that helped Wiz further be able to straddle the line between being a mainstream artist and also one who didn’t forget his music roots and those who helped him get there. The six-track project perfectly mixed both rappers’ styles and provided the laid-back vibes the two artists trademarked years earlier.
That EP was followed by Khalifa’s 2014 solo LP Blacc Hollywood, which boasted the anthem “We Dem Boyz.” From then until around 2018, Wiz was relatively silent on the album front, but did return to his mixtape bag, dropping Rude Awakening (with Juicy J and TM88), the compilation project Khalifa, and a series of EPs.
Most recently, Wiz Khalifa has kept his focus on music as he’s released four projects within the last 19 months – 2022’s Stoner's Night (with Juicy J), Full Court Press (with Big K.R.I.T., Smoke DZA, and Girl Talk), Multiverse, and 2023’s See Ya. He also appeared on N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN’s online show Drink Champs in April, detailing some of his career's most memorable moments so far.
