Wiz Khalifa’s wild ride Down Under
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Rap wiz … hip hop star Wiz Khalifa is touring Down Under. Picture: Supplied
Source: Supplied
Speak to any musician, underground, overground, whatever … one thing they’d all like is a hit.
A bona fide chart-topping song that cuts through all the noise, especially in an age when artists put out albums on these things called CDs, a musical conduit slowly being marginalised by new laptops that don’t even have compact disc drives. You can’t argue with a hit single though, iTunes doesn’t lie.
In March, 27-year-old Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa was five albums into his career, respectively Show and Prove (2006), Deal or No Deal (2009), Rolling Papers (2011), O.N. I. F. C (2012) and Blacc Hollywood (2014). Things were progressing well and then something rather large happened, he made a track that appeared in Furious 7 titled See You Again featuring Charlie Puth, a dedication to the late Paul Walker who tragically died in car crash in 2013.
‘It changed my life’ … Wiz Khalifa’s song See You Again was a game changer for the rapper. Picture: Supplied
Source: Supplied
The melancholy torch song meets hip hop jam came out and swiftly burned its way to the top of the US Billboard Singles charts, staying there for 12 weeks before OMI’s Cheerleader pipped it in week 13. “It may go back up again,” Khalifa says conspiratorially, like he has a deal with the Illuminati. The clip has been viewed a lazy 736 million times on YouTube.
Khalifa is chilling on a bus post-gig in Missouri, sounding rather tired. What does it mean to him to have changed so many people’s lives with just one song?
“It’s good, man. It changed my life too. It’s good we could dedicate a song to Paul and the Fast and The Furious family. His legacy is being celebrated every day as well as making music history,” he quips.
“Charlie Puth wanted me on the song, it was something he asked for. I was like ‘Wow, I guess it was meant to be’,” he says. As for the kernel of the idea, Khalifa can’t quite recall how it came together because he’s, err, rather fatigued.
“I was probably just chillin’ one day and they asked me to come up with a song and I wrote my first verse and that was dope, they loved it. They asked me to write another verse, I wrote it, they loved it. Being that it was for The Fast and The Furious a lot of people had to approve it, but the rhymes and the video were what people see and that’s how it all came together. We shot that clip in Miami after a wild night,” he says.
Shop til you drop … rapper Wiz Khalifa is known for his eye-catching dress sense. Picture: Supplied
Source: Supplied
Khalifa is a cars guy now, the song’s success has allowed him to buy whatever he likes really. “I like old school cars. I got a couple of low-riders, I have a Chevy El Camino, that’s a nice car,” he understates. Indeed, Khalifa recently posted a video of his two year old son Sebastian in that vehicle, flicking the switches to make the low rider bounce. Khalifa has attracted plenty of headlines in the last two years after a messy breakup with Amber Rose — the mother of his son — and alleged dalliances with Playboy models.
Sebastian won’t be heading out here for the Australian tour. “I have Facetime but it’s not the same as holding my son … I used to get anxious but that’s something I’m dealing with now, I’m sad he can’t come on the tour,” he says. Having seen Khalifa’s video tour diaries, it’s possibly for the best. Bombay Sapphire would be pleased with all the free publicity. “A (gin) endorsement would be nice,” he exhales.
“Last time I was in Australia did some good shopping down there, I like Ksubi, I went to their store, that’s one of my favourite brands, one of my favourite jeans brands,” he says.
“They hug your butt nicely,” says your anxious scribe, not realising “your” could mean Wiz. Gulp.
“Yeah, they do, I’ve got pretty skinny legs,” he says, nonplussed.
Tatts the way … Wiz Khalifa and his trademark ink. Picture: Supplied
Source: Supplied
Khalifa has been playing Work Hard, Play Hard, We Dem Boyz, Black and Yellow and Taylor Gang on the current US Boys of Zummer tour and Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy (who is touring with Khalifa) has been chiming in to sing Charlie Puth’s parts on the closing song.
“I’m definitely bringing my band and then from there I’ll figure out who’s cutting it.” See You Again is currently “at the end of the set … but it could change.”
Khalifa and his posse are adept at working out who’s cutting it and who isn’t. The dreadlocked one is enjoying the life of a number one artist while he can. His Facebook page — which Khalifa is not in charge of — recently put a call out for “Who wants to party with gang? Party girls only!!” and a request for photos, a phone number and a link to their “Unprivate” (sic) Instagram account”. A charming invitation to party with his motley crew.
When asked if any Australian girls had emailed their particulars, Khalifa pauses and rebuts: “I don’t really judge people based off’a their looks.” He then goes away from the phone and says “Oh maaa-unn!!” like a member of his entourage has shown him something that’s taken his fancy. When quizzed about what he’s looking at Wiz plays dumb “Nothing [eight second pause]. No … nothing.”
“I do my Twitter and Instagram myself. Facebook is somebody else. I have my own company I’m about to launch called Selfie. It’s a social media outlet that lets you talk directly to your friends and your fans. It’s different, it’s not like Twitter, you actually see the person in real life and it’s surreal and cool. It’s another way to have a real friend on the other side of the world. It’s another way to extend the family,” he says.
Family is important to Khalifa, whether it’s business or personal, the two seem to fray on each other.
So, the elephant in the room, can Khalifa possibly follow up See You Again with something as big? He seems befuddled.
“Nahhhh … I mean yeah. I just wanna make more consistent music, I’m not really trying to equal it. The whole new album is sounding really good, there’s a lot of underground stuff.”
His sixth studio record will drop early next year and is titled Rolling Papers 2: The Weed Album.
SEE: Riverstage, 59 Gardens Point Rd, Brisbane, $ 84.90+bf, Sept 27; Margaret Court Arena, Rod Laver Arena, Batman Avenue and Olympic Boulevard, Oct 1. $ 84.90, livenation.com
