The “Prince of Pittsburgh” is making his way to the city of Columbus.
Wiz Khalifa, commonly called Wiz, has been making a name for himself in hip-hop since releasing his first mixtape in 2005. Now at age 22, Wiz has radio stations all over the country, rocking his songs like his single, “Say Yeah.”
Born in Minot, N.D., Wiz traveled the world with his parents who were serving in the military. Despite his travels, Wiz ultimately found a hometown in the Midwest. He said he doesn’t feel pressure to represent Pittsburgh in his music, but he does feel an obligation.
“That’s where I started. That’s my bread. I feel like I got to keep that going,” Wiz said in an interview with The Lantern.
The 6-feet-4-inch rapper, known for his tattoos and his love of Chuck Taylor shoes, said that he believes that it’s the type of person the artist is that makes the music.
“I’m a cool person, laid back, and I think my fans see it reflect in my music,” he said.
Wiz signed a deal with Warner Bros. Records in 2006, but went his separate way in the summer of 2009. He now works with the independent label Rostrum Records.
Wiz said that mixtapes could only take his music so far, but it was the Internet that took his music all around the world. His MySpace page, YouTube channel and Twitter page have been the main tool to increasing his fan base, he said.
There are more than 75,000 people following @RealWizKhalifa on Twitter. Wiz said he wants his fans to tweet him because he always makes sure to tweet them back.
He has an array of influences from Big Daddy Kane to Ohio’s own Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Wiz said he is a really big fan of hip-hop, and he listens to different types of music to keep his sound “wired.”
He said he has never felt underrated. People see that he is consistent because of the hard work and the amount of time he puts into his projects, he said.
“I feel as soon as people hear my music, they become fans. They decide what they like and don’t like. I don’t feel I deserve more credit,” he said.
Wiz said he has already gotten to meet the person he’s always wanted to meet: Snoop Dogg. As for anybody he meets now, he said it would be, “nice to meet you.”
He hasn’t had the chance to perform overseas, but Wiz said that is something he looks forward to doing. He said that overseas people live the music and there is a high level of fan appreciation. He said that he believes there is a lot of money to be made overseas.
He is working on two upcoming projects. His first project, “Kush x Orange Juice,” will be released in March. Wiz said he has a lot of different sounds, but for this project he focused on his “laid-back, weed-infused” sound. He said his rapping on this project is more abstract, complex and poetic.
The other project he is working on is “Cabin Fever.” Wiz said this project is more aggressive and in-your-face. A single from the project has already leaked onto the Internet, he said. Both projects will get his fans ready for his latest album, which he will drop sometime this year, Wiz said.
Wiz will be performing at Skully’s Music Diner at 1151 N. High St. on Feb. 24. Presale tickets are $5 at royalcolumbus.com and Magnolia Records. Admission at the door is $10.
