Wiz Khalifa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wiz Khalifa
Wiz Khalifa in 2024
Born	Cameron Jibril Thomaz (1987-09-08) September 8, 1987 (age 37) Minot, North Dakota, U.S.
Education	Taylor Allderdice High School
Occupation	Rapper singer songwriter actor entrepreneur
Years active	2005–present
Works	Discography filmography
Spouse(s)	Amber Rose ​ ​ (m. 2013; div. 2016)​
Children	2
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Origin	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres	Hip-hop
Labels	Taylor Gang Asylum Atlantic Warner Bros. Rostrum

Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), known as Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper. He first signed with Rostrum Records and released his first album, Show and Prove, in 2006. Later, he worked with Warner Bros. Records. His 2008 song, "Say Yeah", became a small hit on music charts.

After leaving Warner Bros., he released his second album, Deal or No Deal, in 2009. In 2010, he signed with Atlantic Records. His first song with them, "Black and Yellow", was a tribute to his hometown, Pittsburgh. This song became a huge success, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He then released his third album, Rolling Papers, in 2011.

His fourth album, O.N.I.F.C., came out in 2012. His fifth album, Blacc Hollywood (2014), was his first to reach number one on the Billboard 200 chart. In 2015, his song "See You Again" with Charlie Puth became a massive hit. It was part of the Furious 7 movie soundtrack, honoring actor Paul Walker. This song stayed at number one for 12 weeks and became one of his biggest successes. His sixth album, Rolling Papers 2, was released in 2018.

Besides music, Wiz Khalifa has also acted in TV shows like Dickinson and The Eric Andre Show. He also had a main role in the 2012 movie Mac & Devin Go to High School with Snoop Dogg. He has lent his voice to animated shows such as American Dad! and Big City Greens. In 2008, he started his own record label, Taylor Gang Entertainment.

Early Life and His Name

Wiz Khalifa was born Cameron Jibril Thomaz on September 8, 1987, in Minot, North Dakota. His parents were in the military and divorced when he was about three years old. Because his parents were in the military, he moved around a lot. He lived in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Around 1996, he settled in Pittsburgh with his mother. He went to Taylor Allderdice High School there. Before he was even a teenager, he started writing and performing his own songs.

His stage name, Wiz Khalifa, has a special meaning. "Khalifa" is an Arabic word that means "successor." "Wiz" comes from "wisdom," and he was called "young Wiz" because he was good at everything he did. His grandfather, who is Muslim, gave him the name "Khalifa." Wiz Khalifa even got a tattoo of his stage name when he turned 17.

By the time he was 15, he was regularly recording his music at a local studio called I.D. Labs. The studio owner, E. Dan, was impressed by his talent. He offered Wiz Khalifa an internship at the studio. In return, Wiz Khalifa could record his music for free. E. Dan, who knew a lot about the Pittsburgh hip-hop scene, helped guide the young artist early in his career.

Music Career Highlights

Starting Out (2005–2008)

The president of Rostrum Records, Benjy Grinberg, first heard Wiz Khalifa in 2004. He was impressed by the young rapper's talent. Grinberg met the 16-year-old artist and decided he wanted to work with him. He felt Wiz Khalifa was a "diamond in the rough" who could become special with help. Wiz Khalifa signed with Rostrum Records and spent seven years developing his skills.

He released his first mixtape, Prince of the City: Welcome to Pistolvania, in 2005. This led to his first full album, Show and Prove, in 2006. Rolling Stone magazine even called him an "artist to watch" that year. In 2007, he signed with Warner Bros. Records. His song "Say Yeah" became a minor hit on Billboard charts.

Wiz Khalifa left Warner Bros. Records in 2009. He said he learned a lot and grew as an artist there. He was happy to move on and control his next steps in music.

New Beginnings and Big Hits (2009–2012)

After leaving Warner Bros., Wiz Khalifa continued working with Rostrum Records. He released the song "Teach U to Fly" and a mixtape called How Fly with rapper Curren$y. On this mixtape, he started to mix singing with his rapping. He also released his second album, Deal or No Deal, in November 2009.

In 2010, XXL magazine featured him as one of their "Top 10 Freshman" artists. He also released a popular free mixtape called Kush and Orange Juice. This mixtape became a top trending topic on Twitter. In July 2010, Wiz Khalifa confirmed he was signing a deal with Atlantic Records.

Wiz Khalifa performing in Boston in August 2010

He was named MTV's Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010. He won with many votes, beating other popular artists. He also went on his own "Waken Baken Tour," which sold out in many cities.

Wiz Khalifa at SXSW in 2010

In 2010, he released "Black and Yellow," his first single with Atlantic Records. This song quickly became a huge hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song's title refers to the colors of the city of Pittsburgh. On March 29, 2011, he released his first studio album with Atlantic Records, Rolling Papers. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart. In June 2011, he won Best New Artist at the BET Awards of 2011.

In 2012, Wiz Khalifa announced his second album, O.N.I.F.C.. This album also debuted at number two on the charts. It included popular songs like "Work Hard, Play Hard" and "Remember You". He also collaborated with Maroon 5 on their hit song "Payphone" that year.

Later Albums and Continued Success (2013–Present)

In April 2013, Wiz Khalifa shared that he was working on a new album. He also released an EP called Live in Concert with Curren$y. On June 24, 2013, he announced his fifth studio album would be called Blacc Hollywood.

On February 11, 2014, he released the first song from Blacc Hollywood, titled "We Dem Boyz". In March 2015, Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth released "See You Again". This song was a tribute to actor Paul Walker from the movie Furious 7. It became a massive global hit.

Wiz Khalifa performing in Toronto, July 2016

In 2015, he toured the United States with Fall Out Boy and Hoodie Allen on "The Boys of Zummer Tour". In December 2015, he released the mixtape "Cabin Fever 3". His album Khalifa was released in February 2016. His sixth album, Rolling Papers 2, came out in July 2018.

In April 2020, Wiz Khalifa released a new EP called The Saga of Wiz Khalifa. It featured collaborations with artists like Tyga and Logic. In May 2020, he was featured on the song Drums Drums Drums with Travis Barker. In 2021, he appeared on The Masked Singer as "Chameleon" and finished in third place. In 2023, he released four mixtapes: Star Power, See Ya, Khali Sober, and Decisions.

Personal Life and Interests

Wiz Khalifa started dating model Amber Rose in 2011. They got engaged in 2012 and married in 2013. They have one son together. In 2014, they announced their divorce, but they share custody of their son. In June 2024, Wiz Khalifa announced he was expecting a daughter with his girlfriend, Aimee Aguilar.

Wiz Khalifa also trains in martial arts. In May 2017, he began learning Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Soon after, he started training in Muay Thai. In April 2023, it was announced that he would have his first Brazilian jiu-jitsu match.

Honors and Recognition

The Pittsburgh City Council declared December 12, 2012, as Wiz Khalifa Day in the city. This was to honor him and his connection to Pittsburgh. He graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh.

Discography

Studio albums

• Show and Prove (2006)
• Deal or No Deal (2009)
• Rolling Papers (2011)
• Mac & Devin Go to High School (with Snoop Dogg) (2011)
• O.N.I.F.C. (2012)
• Blacc Hollywood (2014)
• Rolling Papers 2 (2018)
• Multiverse (2022)
• Wizzlemania (2025)

Tours

• Waken Baken Tour (2010)
• Rolling Papers World Tour (2011)
• Under the Influence of Music Tour (2011, 2012, 2014)
• ... the Influence Tour (2013)
• Boys of Zummer Tour (2015)
• High Road Summer Tour (with Snoop Dogg) (2016)
• Dazed & Blazed Tour (2018)
• Decent Exposure Tour (2019)
• 2009 Tour (with Currensy) (2019)
• Vinyl Verse Summer Tour (with Logic) (2022)
• High School Reunion Tour (with Snoop Dogg) (2023)

Filmography

Awards and Nominations