Wiz Khalifa

Fresh out of high school, it was time to either sink or swim. In 2005 Wiz released his first mixtape, “Prince of the City: Welcome to Pistolvania.” The mixtape was quickly accepted by the local scene and began to gain buzz outside of Pittsburgh. With that excitement growing by the day, it was the perfect time for a proper commercial album. Wiz soon dropped “Show and Prove,” which Okayplayer.com claimed was “arguably the best album of the year.” The accolades began piling up and Khalifa was receiving significant co-signs from XXL, Rolling Stone, and VIBE, alike. A deal with Warner Bros. Records soon followed.

Any other 20-year-old probably would’ve let all this hype go to their heads, but not Wiz. As focused as ever, Wiz only saw this praise as an opportunity to work harder. In 2007, with the help of famed mixtape DJ, Green Lantern, Wiz released “Grow Season,” which was soon followed by “Prince of The City 2.” The sequel to “Prince of The City” would soon out grow its predecessor so much so that the demand for Khalifa’s music was greater than ever.

After receiving co-signs from a multitude of rap veterans, including Rick Ross and Diddy, and humbly rejecting Drake’s offer to join his recent tour, it became evident that Wiz also established himself as a prominent staple online with over 3,000,000 friends on Facebook, and over 1,000,000 fans following him on Twitter. With the video for his first Atlantic Records release, “Black & Yellow,” getting an astonishing 35 million views on YouTube, there is no question about it: Wiz Khalifa’s debut album is bound to be something great.