Wiz Khalifa - Fly And Fleshy

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It's pretty good company when your name gets mentioned with Rick Ross and Lupe Fiasco as "Best New Artists." Lupe has a Grammy and Rick Ross recently held the number one album in the country. However, the national spotlight has yet to shine on Wiz Kahlifa. He's a 19-year old Pittsburgh native who's looking to put his city on the map like Nelly did with St. Louis or NWA did with Compton.



His style of music is like a 360 because it shows influence from different areas at all times. Releasing his first album at the age 13, Wiz has grown up as an artist without even dropping a major label album yet. He's been signed to Warner Bros. music for a year now and now the time is right for them to push the necessary buttons on his debut. Wiz is on promotional runs and hitting studios with A-list producers such as The Runners and T.I.'s frequent collaborator DJ Toomp.



Rolling Stone magazine called him "one of the next big things" and we recently sat him down during his promotional runs to speak. Wiz covered topics from his early years in music to growing up in a military family. And of course, he wanted us to know what it's like being the face of Pittsburgh and putting them on the map.



What's up Wiz? How you doing?



I'm good how you?



I'm feeling outstanding right now. What you got going on presently?



I'm just chilling right now. I was supposed to have a show but things didn't work out for that.



So musically what do you have going on? Are you working on the album still or are you gearing up for promotions?



I'm working on the album and I'm on tour as well. We just trying to get exposure right now through radio and TV as much as possible.

What major producers did Warner Brothers get for you? Timbaland is almost always the first choice then J.R. Rotem.... Who did they get for your album?



I don't have any set collaborations just yet. I've been working with my producers from Pittsburgh and they'll be on the bulk of the album. I hit the studio with DJ Toomp and The Runners but we just doing records at this point and working on the album still. I've been on promo (tours) a lot; so wherever I am I hit the studio with producers in that area. I'm just meeting people and establishing relationships right now."



Do you know what you want the album to take yet?



I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing. If anyone knows me from my mixtape work or anything like that, they know how I am and what to expect. Every project that I do is different from the last one. It's always good quality, but I always switch it up. The album is going to be real musical and I want something different that comes out these days.



Reading over your profile I noticed that you grew up in a military family. How would you say that lifestyle made you different as a person?



It helped shape me as a person. It made me more open to new people. As an artist, you have to meet new people at all times and be ready to leave an impression on them. Growing up in that military environment helped me get away from shyness and helped me understand the different types of people that's out there in the world.



Your mom served in Desert Storm. While she was gone, do you recall thinking about the possibly of her not coming back?



Nah, not really because I was so young at the time. They kept that type of information away from us. I knew she was gone, but I just knew I wasn't seeing her or my pops. I was staying with my grandmother in Pittsburgh with my brother. It was cool and everything because I had all the love I needed as a kid.



You started in Hip Hop at 13 or 14 right?



Yeah, I was 13 when my first album came out.

Was music your way of getting emotions out that early? What made you start rapping that young?



I was staying with my father at the time. He's a business man and everywhere he goes he opens up a business. He got real estate everywhere. We were in Pittsburgh at the time and he saw that I was into music. So, he opened up a studio and got engineers and everything. Since then it Hip Hop has been non-stop.



What would you say makes you different from other rappers and helps you stand out?



My music is well-rounded from the lyrics I put into my songs to the quality of the beats that I choose. My fanbase is huge because of that. Artists these days say you have to do this and that to sell; but I don't feel like I have to put myself in any type of box to be noticed.



The deal with Warner Brothers, how did that situation begin?



I was talking with a lot of labels; but Warner was the only people that came correct. They were the most in-tune with what we wanted to do. My A&R from day one was real passionate about the whole project. He wanted to help build my career rather than looking at me saying, 'This is just a young cat with some songs.' So I was real interested in seeing what could pan out with Warner Brothers.



What was the defining moment with Warner Bros. that made you say, "Let's do the deal."



Probaly when I went out to Cali and I met with everybody. I felt what they had going on. They walked me around the whole building and they were down with my project and were down with my music. I signed about a year ago and I see where I'm at now and where everything is headed and I'm still happy about it."



Rolling Stone Magazine, AllHipHop.com, and XXL Magazine all called your name as "one of the next big things" on the Hip Hop scene. Did that affect your ego at all once you saw that?



It didn't make me cocky or anything like that; but it definitely excites me. It´s crazy to me that people see as "the next big thing" and I've always had the confidence in myself. Really it´s humbling for me to know that people who see 20 new artists a day I stand out to them.



One website put you in the same space at the same time as they put Rick Ross and Lupe Fiasco before their first albums dropped. Why are they two albums deep and you haven't released one yet?



I feel like anything that's going to be around for a minute it´s going to take time. I feel like we have a lot of time to learn the game because I'm only 19. We're more educated than where we stand in the game than people my age. I don't mind taking the time we did to get to this point. Since we did, we have a lot more information to make things happen for me.



You city hasn't been presented like other major markets. What does it mean to you to put your city on the map?



It´s big for me! Pittsburgh is an untapped resource and it´s a lot of talent here. I was always waiting for someone to be on from the Burgh; I just never thought it was go be me as the face.



What does your city have that will make it stand out like ATL, NYC, and all the other cities in Hip Hop culture?



It´s different because the town isn't as East Coast influenced as Philadelphia even though we're in the same state. We have different beats here and we have more of a Southern influence and Mid-West influence. So we like to call Pittsburgh the Middle East. Because of that, the music that we make here has to cater to all audiences at all times. You have your hoods that listen to only East Coast artists and then you have your hoods that listen only to Gucci Mane and Yo Gotti. Then you have hoods that only listen to West Coast music so you have to be able to do everything.


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My nigga is doin it big........Hit my sig for Wiz's discography.....Props in 24 for the interview...good look.