Wiz Khalifa: A Plaid Reality

By Kimberly M. Yancey

When the smoke rolls over into the driver’s seat and is accompanied by a plaid sleeve that is tatted up with Hip-Hop , you can assume he’s a gang member. That is our stereotype. His expressions remain infused with seedless remorse and rolled up enthusiasm. The music’s euphoric attitude crosses the line of familiarity and testimonial. Wiz Khalifa’s blunt imperfections compliments the highs of reality.

Wiz: Hey, how you doing, Kimberly?

I’m doing well.  How are you?

Wiz: I’m good.

That’s good. How are the shows going?

Wiz: Um, they’re really good! Every one of them’s been sold out so far so you know, that’s a good

thing.

Yeah that’s what I’ve been reading about, so that has to be exciting for you!

Wiz: Yeah, it’s really exciting you know, just to see a different crowd. A lot of these crowds, it’s my

first time coming out here so you know, it’s really cool to see them showing so much support and really paying to come to the show.

Is the internet the best way to promote your music ?

Wiz: Um, I think you know for me the internet is a real vital tool in promoting and you know, getting my music out there. Different stuff works for different people, but just the type of artist that I am, and how in touch with my fans I am, the internet just helps, it’s a catalyst for all that.

When did you realize you wanted to reach others through Hip-Hop?

Wiz: Um, well when I was like um, 14, I started recording songs and putting an album together and I had took like that whole summer off and was just in the studio. But like that kind of, you know, dedication and initiative that I felt to make music is what kinda drove me into it. Like, no one had to make me do it, it’s really what I wanted to do and how I felt, so it kinda worked itself out.

Could you tell me about the first time you ever performed for a crowd of people? Like, maybe it was in school or maybe you did for like a show?

Wiz: Yeah I was in school. I had wrote like a little rap for this play. I was in like fifth grade, my class like wrote a play and then I wrote a rap at the end, and like, we all like got on stage and rapped it. That was pretty cool, and then when I was like 12 or 13 that’s when I first started doin like talent shows and I was performing my own music instead of other people’s stuff so, that was a little bit different for people to see you know: somebody that young with they own song, and for me you know, it was just cool. I always felt confident when I went on stage so, it kinda just worked out.

How does it make you feel now to see your popularity grow over the years?

Wiz: It’s always been the same, you know? Um, just now there’s more people who actually know the words instead of are learning the words and becoming new fans. But any show that I had you know, I felt great energy from the crowd and I feel like I’ve left an impression and everybody always told me how much they admire my show or what I can do to do better you know, so through the years we’ve worked on it and made it better and better and now it’s at a point where I think a lot of people respect us so it’s really cool.

Are you ever tired?

Wiz: Nah I definitely don’t get tired or feel like I don’t want to do it anymore. I think you know, more success and more work just makes me want to work harder just to maintain that.

What pushes you to become a greater artist?

Wiz: Um, just like I said you know, just seeing how hard you know, like if I work really hard for every six months then at the end of that six months it pays off and everything’s going good, then that’s gonna–, I’m not gonna stop working hard or get tired I’m just gonna work harder so you know, it’ll last longer than six months or a year or whatever, I just wanna maintain what I’ve built and what I’ve been doing, and the only way to do that is to definitely work and work harder.

How important is it to you to have the perfect DJ for your mixtape?

Wiz: Um, well really my movement has always been you know, grassroots and based off of my music and what people know about me and expect from me, so I think when I first dropped my first mixtape it was new to a lot of people so it was just me putting them on to it, but as time went on more and more people started talking about it and other people start putting you on to it, so it becomes more of the thing to do. But um, I never felt like—I mean uh, my first mixtape was with DJ Big Mike and he’s always been real cool, but I don’t ever think it’s the DJ or anybody else who’s on the CD other than the CD I did with Curren$y. Anything other than that, I feel that people were messing with it strictly because of me.

Are you planning to drop more mixtapes this year?

Wiz: Yeah I’ma drop two mixtapes this year and an album for sure.

Ok, so could you tell me about your upcoming works?

Wiz: Yeah, the first one is gonna be Kush and Orange Juice, and the second one is gonna be um, Cabin Fever, and really what I did with that was like um, you know Flight School was pretty much put together, whereas like—I got a lot of different styles and different types of music that I make, and different types of zones that I go into, and what I really did was just, on Flight School I put a lot of those sounds together, so now I’m just like, gonna separate ‘em and put them on two different mixtapes and then you know, put it out there like that. So Kush and Orange Juice is gonna be like, you know the cool, weed-infused music and um, Cabin Fever it’s still gonna be weed-infused but it’s gonna be more like, aggressive and you know, just like some club stuff or like, you know just hittin’ hard like, real hard.

Lyrically, do you feel like you’ve evolved each time?

Wiz: Yeah definitely. I try to elevate myself lyrically, and keep it consistent with what I talk about and what I’m saying but you know, say it different ways and always try to be creative and come up with some new cool stuff.

How important for you is it to be trendy and add more substance?

Wiz: Um, I’m really not about being trendy or anything like that. I really just feel like the way I live my life and the way the people around me live, we reflect that in our music, and we put it out there and I think it catches on because it’s fun, it’s cool, it’s new, and it’s creative, so uh, yeah I think that’s why people mess with it.

How did you feel when you found out that you were part of the “10 Freshmen of the Year” for XXL?

Wiz: It was real cool! It was good. Like I said, I put in a lot of work last year, not really expecting too much out of it other than you know, just some more fans and a good foundation to stand on, you know  to get my career back in the position I want it to be so, um, that’s right up my alley with the things that I needed.

As a younger artist and an artist that’s still growing, where would you like to see yourself when you’re at the top of your career?

Wiz: Um, I can’t even really say! I don’t really want to put a ceiling on that, on the type of success that I could have you know? I feel like I could do anything so I don’t even know what’s waiting for me up there.

So after being with a major label like Warner Brothers, what was the transition like going back into being an indie artist?

Wiz: Um, it was just a point where me as being an artist I have to really pay attention to a lot of things, as far as where I wanted my career to go and how I wanted to be seen and you know, the way I was gonna bounce back from the Warner situation ‘cause it wasn’t a horrible situation, but it was just time for me to really like, lock it down and you know, get my stuff together and make it so it’s more presentable to other people on my own. Like, what Warner was doing with me on a large scale was cool but the groundwork still had to be put in so you know, I just sat back and seen what I had to do and impact it.

Do you ever feel there is too much attention?

Wiz: Nah, I don’t feel like there’s too much attention. Um, you know the attention changes when your popularity grows or whatever but that’s cool because I’ve been here for awhile so I’m used to that: people opinions going up and down and all that type of stuff but, other than that, nah I feel like it’s cool. I don’t really get into all the scrutiny and what people think, I just stick to what I’ve been doing that got me here.

Tell me about YOUR day.

Wiz: It depends know what I’m sayin like right now I’m on tour so I just wake up, smoke, get in  the van, go to the next city, smoke, uh, do a tour (laughs), take a shower, get ready for the show, and you know just do that. I just try to stay straight through it ,you know? When I’m doing my business I just get it done and then we have fun after that. But, if I’m at the house, if I’m in Pittsburgh: just wake up, smoke, take my dog out and  probably just chill out. I don’t do too much when I’m at home ‘cause that’s the only time I get to chill. So I’d probably just chill til’ like, 7 or 8 then go to the studio all night til’ like 5 or 6 in the morning and then just…I’m usually not home for more than 3 or 4 days so I get to do that a lil’ bit.

Do you ever find yourself missing your family more than usual?

Wiz: Naw I’m used to traveling you know! Since I was little I’ve been leaving my mom for, two and a half years at a time or I’d live away from my dad for three years at a time, so I’m used to bouncin’.

Were your parents in the military?

Wiz: Yeah well, Dad was in the military earlier, but they got out in like the early 90s. My stepmom is still in the military, but my mom and dad they split up when I was like two years old but they share custody so I move back and forth between ‘em.

With your parents being in the military, and you understanding their travels, do you feel like that has helped to become more comfortable on tour?

Wiz: Not really understanding their travels or anything like that, I would say more, just being so young and being able to detach myself from where I’m at and just go do what I gotta do. If I gotta leave for a minute, of course there’s family, there’s friends, there’s people I wanna see but, you know I’ve always been used to having to pack up and go so I think that helped me out, just being more mature when it comes to that. And also, just respecting how people in different areas do different things: just living around other people and being in suburban communities and urban communities, just knowing the difference between both and how to connect with both people, it helps you.

I’m  sure you still have a strong support system. How do they feel about your success?

Wiz: They feel great, man. They see me working. They always thought I was serious but they didn’t know how serious I was so they see that it’s working, that it’s paying off and they see how serious I take it now, and they know everything that goes into it so they love it.

That’s great. So is there anything you would like to do once this tour is over?

Wiz: Uh, I’m definitely gonna buy a car…(chuckle) ‘cause I’ve been wanting to do that since like last year but I haven’t been home, at ALL so I’m gonna take some time out and I’m gonna get a vehicle (chuckle) and umm…record my album.

Do you have a name for your album yet?

Wiz: I do, but I haven’t let it out yet. So we still got that on the way. I don’t know when I’m telling anybody…(chuckle).

So you’ll keep it a secret as long as possible?

Wiz: Mmhmm. Exactly.

Are there certain songs that you only perform in certain areas?

Wiz: Not certain songs that I ONLY perform in certain areas, but there will be—you know, my catalog is crazy, so there’s different fans and there’s different people who like different stuff so we mess with the crowd and we talk to the promoters beforehand or, I’ll talk to some of the fans and see what they diggin’ and then we’ll just plan it out according to that.

So has that been easier for you?

Wiz: Yeah that’s pretty much been the plan since the beginning so…you know.

How much time goes into production for a Wiz Khalifa mixtape/album?

Wiz: Um, just about the same time that goes into making the song. I work with Juliano, Ivy Lab, Sledren  and  I have this new cat Ryan Tedder that I’m workin with, so um, it’s really like the people that are close-knit and been around me since the beginning that really helped to develop my whole sound you know, so these are my go to guys. Out of them 4 or 5 dudes there’s always gonna be heat laying around know what I’m sayin? I record all the time whenever I’m free so, I’ll get in there and do 2 or 3 songs a night or try to put a couple ideas down just so I have a lot of stuff.

Are you doing well on the radio?

Wiz: Right now I don’t even know, I haven’t even been paying attention to all that stuff. I’ve just been grinding, doin’ this tour thing and my internet stuff and trying to stay on top of the game. I feel like, the radio and all that? That’s nothing I can run up there myself and do, so I worry about what I can handle on my own.

For the video, This Plane, as far as, going out there, shooting different scenes and  telling the story of the song, how do you become creatively motivated?

Wiz: Um, well, it just took a little bit of time. I always got my camera, so we just compiled some footage and put it together, then we got this little private jet area for a day, and we just looked out there and just made a tight little video that came together real nice.

Do you have a favorite song you have recorded since the start of your career?

Wiz: There’s a couple of em. I’m just gonna let the people decide, you know? Let the people choose, like I always do and um, we’re definitely gonna do like, a lot of videos and just visuals for it as well, so it’ll be pretty—both of the mixtapes will be pretty big.

Any features?

Wiz: Um, yeah they’re gonna have a couple of features. Just people that I’ve personally met and had a chance to work with. Anybody who knows me know that I don’t do features just for the sake of doing them know what I’m sayin? I want people to respect me for me, and anybody that I do work with or meet, we definitely gonna put that music out there.

Can we expect Curren$y ‘s lyricism on  upcoming mixtapes?

Wiz: Of course! Yeah Curren$y will definitely be on there.

What is it about him that you like lyrically?

Wiz: He’s just—he’s complex. Like, I like the fact that you have to pay attention and really you know, listen and break down what he’s saying, ‘cause he’s not saying too much, it’s just the way that he says it is kinda like coded, to a point where you have to either A.) live that life or know somebody who lives that life or know about these things, and you can tell that it’s authentic too. That’s what I get from Curren$y when he raps so that’s another reason why I dig him lyrically and he’s just a great dude know what I’m sayin? So I always want to see good people like I said that I meet and personally know that they’re good people, I always want to see them do well.

Should expect a lot of raw music from you this year?

Wiz: Oh yeah, definitely. I’m always gonna be just releasing music. There’s gonna be a point where I pull back and you know, ‘cause it’s all about strategy, so when the game changes the strategy gonna change so, we’re just gonna go with the flow.

Are you getting involved with any other projects this year?

Wiz: Yeah um, I’m doing a movie this year. We’re gonna make the How Fly movie for sure. Full length, it’s gonna be a big deal (laughs).

Wiz: I can’t tell too many details, we’re still getting it together, you know? So as soon as we learn some more about it (chuckle), then it’s gonna be straight but, it’s definitely gonna go down.

You’re working on an independent film?

Wiz: Um, something like that. I want it to be an independent because I want us to own everything and have control over all that shit, but it’s not gonna look like an independent film I want it look like, to be up there with the real stoner classics.

Who are your favorite directors?

Wiz: Yeah definitely Quentin Tarantino, that’s my man. Um…Spike Lee of course. Um…a couple other dudes. I can’t think of it like right off the top of my head. I just watch like, a whole bunch of movies. I watch all types of movies ‘cause that helps me lyrically in how I think and elevate and come up with creative shit too: just movie watching.

Was finding a concept for the film a challenge?

Wiz: Oh naw naw, just because it’s gonna be a real natural thing. Me and Curren$y already sat down and talked about a rough—what we wanna do, so now all we gotta do is just put it all the way together, because I want to do it right and make sure it’s right, and he does too so it’s not gonna be hard at all. It’s not gonna be difficult to come up with or shoot.

Did you take any acting classes?

Wiz: (laughs) Naw not yet but I’ve been told I’m pretty animated so I think I’ll be alright. I used to be in like, speech and drama classes back when I was in fuckin’…elementary school. I used to do plays and stuff like that so I got a little…I’m a little actor. (laughs)

I believe you have the ability to keep everyone entertained.

Wiz: Yeah, I think it’s gonna come out good. I’m pretty confident in my…theatrical skils.