Wiz Khalifa has had one of the most interesting careers in hip-hop history. Born 39 years ago today, the Black and Yellow rapper wasn’t actually born in Pittsburgh. Instead, he was a military brat born in Minot, North Dakota. Both parents served in the Air Force, and their jobs took him all across the world early on. By the time he reached nine years old, his family finally settled down in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
By the time he reached his early 20s, he was slowly carving out his lane as one of hip-hop’s coolest rappers. Wiz Khalifa was an extremely simple artist to get into, all about good weed, fast cars, and beautiful women. By 2009, he and New Orleans legend Curren$y started devouring blogs with their breezy, carefree rapping on countless mixtapes.
The two rappers’ timelines split when Khalifa signed to Atlantic Records. The label immediately noticed his cool demeanor and ability to craft an addictive hook, and pushed him to the moon. On September 14, 2010, he released “Black and Yellow”, which quickly became the definitive Pittsburgh anthem. All the local sports teams donned the colors, and he represented the town’s color scheme by putting it on his Dodge Challenger.
Wiz Khalifa Turns 39 Years Old Today, With One of the Most Fascinating Careers in Hip-Hop History
Khalifa quickly parlayed his success into serious pop crossover success. Besides Drake, you could argue that he was the biggest artist in hip-hop. He was cool enough to kick back and become hip-hop’s most famous stoner since Snoop Dogg. But Wiz Khalifa could also slot in seamlessly as the rap feature on a Maroon 5 hit record.
That pop stardom eventually manifested further in one of the biggest songs of all time with “See You Again”. The song serves as a tribute to Paul Walker, who died in a horrific car crash on November 30, 2013. With tender piano chords and a massive Charlie Puth hook, it became an anthem for anyone who has ever lost someone in death.
Nowadays, Wiz Khalifa lives his life as the stoner we all knew and loved him for. However, that love for weed got him in trouble, as he was arrested in 2024 for smoking cannabis on stage in Romania. The country sentenced him to nine months in prison. However, because he’s a U.S. citizen and the country has yet to file an extradition order, he hasn’t served that sentence.
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The post Born 39 Years Ago Today (Not in Pittsburgh), Hip-Hop’s Most Famous Stoner Since Snoop Dogg Turned a Paul Walker Tribute Into a 2010s Anthem appeared first on VICE.
