Wiz Khalifa Bio
Cameron Jibril Thomaz, known professionally as Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and actor. Born on September 8, 1987, in Minot, North Dakota, he rose from Pittsburgh’s underground hip-hop scene to global commercial success as a recording artist and cultural figure. He achieved his widest mainstream impact with the 2015 single “See You Again,” featuring Charlie Puth, recorded for the Furious 7 soundtrack in tribute to the late actor Paul Walker. Beyond music, Khalifa founded the record label Taylor Gang Entertainment in 2008 and launched the cannabis brand Khalifa Kush, while also taking on acting roles in television and film.
Early Life and Background
Cameron Jibril Thomaz was born on September 8, 1987, in Minot, North Dakota, to Lawrence Thomaz and Katie Wimbush, both of whom served in the United States Air Force. His parents divorced when he was about three years old, after which he lived as a military brat, moving with his family to Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan. He settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with his mother around 1996 and attended Taylor Allderdice High School, where his interest in music deepened.
Soon after moving to Pittsburgh, Wiz Khalifa began writing and performing his own lyrics before he reached his teenage years. By the age of fifteen, he was regularly recording at a local studio called I.D. Labs, where the owner, E. Dan, a veteran of the Pittsburgh hip-hop scene, took the young artist under his wing. Dan offered him an internship in exchange for free recording time and helped develop his early sound and approach to the craft.
His stage name reflects his personal and family background. Khalifa is an Arabic word meaning “successor,” while wisdom was shortened to Wiz when he was a young boy. The name was also reinforced by his grandfather, who is Muslim and felt the title reflected what his grandson was doing with his music. Khalifa marked his commitment to the name by getting a tattoo of “Wiz Khalifa” on his seventeenth birthday.
Path to Music
Wiz Khalifa’s path into the music industry began in Pittsburgh’s local hip-hop community, where he honed his skills as a teenager at I.D. Labs. Rostrum Records president Benjy Grinberg first heard about the rapper in 2004 through a contribution to a Pittsburgh artists’ mixtape. When Grinberg met the sixteen-year-old artist, he immediately saw potential and signed him to the label, kicking off a seven-year period of artist development.
Under Rostrum Records, Khalifa released his first mixtape, Prince of the City: Welcome to Pistolvania, in early 2006, followed later that year by his debut studio album, Show and Prove. Rolling Stone named him an “artist to watch” in 2006. In 2007, he signed with Warner Bros. Records and released additional mixtapes through Rostrum, including Grow Season and Prince of the City 2.
His Eurodance-influenced 2008 single “Say Yeah” received urban radio airplay and reached both the Rhythmic Top 40 and Hot Rap Songs charts. He parted ways with Warner Bros. in 2009, citing numerous delays in releasing his planned debut album for the label, and went on to release the independent album Deal or No Deal in November 2009, setting the stage for his major-label crossover.
Wiz Khalifa Career
Early Career (2005-2009)
Wiz Khalifa’s early career was shaped by a series of mixtapes and independent releases through Rostrum Records. After the 2006 release of Show and Prove, he maintained a steady output, dropping mixtapes like Grow Season, Prince of the City 2, Star Power, and Flight School. His 2008 single “Say Yeah” marked his first minor hit on the Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 and Hot Rap Songs charts.
Following his split with Warner Bros. in 2009, Khalifa released his second album, Deal or No Deal, on November 24, 2009. He continued building a devoted grassroots fan base with the April 2010 mixtape Kush and Orange Juice, which became the number one trending topic on Twitter and topped Google’s hot search trends. He was named MTV’s Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010 and 2010 “Rookie of the Year” by The Source magazine.
Breakthrough (2010-2015)
Khalifa’s mainstream breakthrough came after signing with Atlantic Records in 2010. His first single for the label, “Black and Yellow,” a tribute to the colors of his hometown of Pittsburgh, peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and earned two Grammy Award nominations. He then released his major-label debut album, Rolling Papers, in March 2011. Despite mixed critical reception, the album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 197,000 copies in the United States, and earned him the Best New Artist award at the 2011 BET Awards.
His 2012 follow-up, O.N.I.F.C., debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with 131,000 in first-week sales and spawned the platinum-certified single “Work Hard, Play Hard.” In 2014, Khalifa released his fifth album, Blacc Hollywood, which became his first to debut atop the Billboard 200, supported by the lead single “We Dem Boyz.”
The defining moment of his career arrived in March 2015 with “See You Again,” featuring Charlie Puth, recorded for the Furious 7 soundtrack in tribute to the late actor Paul Walker. The single spent twelve non-consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, received diamond (14× platinum) certification from the Recording Industry Association of America, and earned three Grammy Award nominations, marking his furthest commercial success to date.
Notable Works and Milestones
Wiz Khalifa’s signature work is the 2015 single “See You Again” with Charlie Puth, which became one of the most-streamed songs in history. He also founded the record label Taylor Gang Entertainment in 2008, signing artists including Juicy J, Ty Dolla Sign, and Berner. In recognition of his impact, the Pittsburgh City Council declared December 12, 2012, to be Wiz Khalifa Day in the city.
Wiz Khalifa Award Nominations
Wiz Khalifa has received multiple Grammy Award nominations across his career, including two for his 2010 single “Black and Yellow” and three for “See You Again” featuring Charlie Puth. His work on “See You Again,” which spent twelve non-consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and received diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America, stands as the centerpiece of his major nominations history.
Wiz Khalifa Awards Won
Wiz Khalifa has been recognized with several major industry awards. He won the Best New Artist award at the 2011 BET Awards following the release of Rolling Papers. He was also named MTV’s Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010 and 2010 “Rookie of the Year” by The Source magazine, reflecting his rapid rise from underground mixtape artist to mainstream success.
Wiz Khalifa Family
Wiz Khalifa was born to Lawrence Thomaz and Katie Wimbush, both of whom served in the United States Air Force. His parents divorced when he was about three years old, and he was raised primarily by his mother in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is the grandson of a Muslim grandfather who helped inspire his stage name.
Personal Life
Wiz Khalifa began dating model Amber Rose in early 2011. The couple got engaged on March 1, 2012, and married on July 8, 2013. They have one son, born in 2013. On September 24, 2014, Rose filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences, and the two have since shared joint custody of their son. In 2019, Khalifa began a relationship with Aimee Aguilar, and the couple announced in June 2024 that they were expecting their first child together, a daughter. He currently resides in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.