In the year of the Auto-Tune, Wiz Khalifa came to us au naturale, championing a DIY ethos and guerilla-style marketing campaign that refused to be ignored. At just 23, Khalifa (born Cameron Jibril Thomaz) made a name for himself by ditching the majors (specifically, Warner Bros. Records, back in 2009), releasing independently (see 2010’s Kush & Orange Juice), and using the Web to bring his music to the masses. This March, Khalifa unveiled Rolling Papers, his debut studio album and first at his new Atlantic-label home. Not surprisingly, the disc quickly hit #1 on the R&B, hip-hop, and rap charts, thanks in part to its ubiquitous (and anthemic) hit single, “Black and Yellow.” This Friday, the Pittsburgh-bred rapper makes his lone Southern California tour stop at the Santa Barbara Bowl. I recently spoke with Khalifa from his tour bus in Nebraska.
What’s a normal day like for you nowadays? Wake up, try to find some breakfast, do a bunch of interviews, record, and perform.
Then sleep? Maybe … [laughs].
Do you have a studio on the bus? A lot of musicians seem to be adamant about not writing on the road. Yeah. But I don’t write stuff down, so if I think of it I record it. That’s pretty much how I get my stuff done. Every couple days I’ll put something down, even if it’s just a hook. You gotta get something out.
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