Wiz Khalifa is Flying Solo

Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987 in Minot, North Dakota), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, signed to Rostrum Records. According to the Black and Yellow Songfacts, his stage name is derived from khalifa, an Arabic word meaning “successor”, and wisdom. His nickname growing up was “Wizard” which was shortened to Wiz when Khalifa was fifteen.




In 2005 he released his first official mixtape, Prince of the City: Welcome to Pistolvania, and later in 2006 he released his first full length street album entitled Show and Prove. Since then he has released a further six mixtapes and a collaboration mixtape titled How Fly with friend Curren$y. He released his debut album, Deal or No Deal, in November of 2009, it reached #1 on the iTunes hip hop chart, and then reached the top ten on iTunes’ overall album chart the week it was released. Previously signed to Warner Bros. Records, he left the label in July 2009 after numerous delays in releasing his planned debut album for the label, First Flight. Khalifa stated to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that, “I learned a lot during my time there and matured as an artist during the process. I’m happy to be moving on with all of my material and having the chance to be in control of my next moves”.He is also the founder of the rap crew Taylor Gang, which includes friends Kev Tha Hustler, Ekko, Smallz Money and Gene Stovall. They derived the name from the fact they always used to wear Chuck Taylor shoes.

Khalifa was born on September 8, 1987 in Minot, North Dakota to a mother and a father serving in the military. The family moved to Pittsburgh when Khalifa was the age of two. His parents’ military service caused the family to move on a regular basis.
Over the next thirteen years, he would move between Pittsburgh and South Carolina, Georgia, Oklahoma, Germany, Japan, and England as his parents were reassigned to different posts. In October of 1990 Wiz was separated from his mother,who left him in the hands of her sister while she served in Operation Desert Storm.

During his travels, Wiz was forced to mature quicker than his peers. He was constantly faced with new surroundings, new schools, and new sets of friends, and he found it difficult to become attached to anyone outside his family roots. This nomadic life gave Wiz an opportunity, though, to broaden his mind and offered him many experiences from which to draw inspiration. He began to perceive the world differently than most kids, and he would write his thoughts down every day.These thoughts would become the foundation for his future recordings.

By the age of 14, with a few songs under his belt, Wiz was already drawing comparisons with his commanding voice and witty wordplay. While he has been influenced by artists such as Jay-Z, Camron, and the Notorious B.I.G., Wiz was determined to create his own identity that would, one day, be loved and revered by fans.

Ready to take the next step, Wiz began his search for a recording studio to record new songs. He found one, ID LABS, where owner Eric Dan immediately recognized Wiz’s talents. Along with Chad Glick of ID Management, they began to network Wiz to another Pittsburgh native, Benjy Grinberg of Rostrum Records. Benjy realized the raw talent that Wiz possessed, and immediately brought him into the Rostrum family in 2002.

Soon after, Wiz Khalifa began his ascent into the music scene in the Pittsburgh area. He has been hailed by the award winning Pittsburgh Post-Gazette pop music critic, Ed Masley, as having “the skills, the looks, the confidence, the drive, and the charisma for the job.” The New Pittsburgh Courier says, “The combination of a young, charismatic M.C. with a slew of stop-and-rewind rhymes together with a local independent label with major industry connections has set the stage for a hip-hop artist representing Pittsburgh to reach superstar status for the first time ever.

In 2010, with the success of Kush and Orange Juice still present, Wiz Khalifa signed with Atlantic Records. Wiz’s style along with his production team, Johnny Juliano, Sledgren, and E. Dan make this a winning combination for success.

Most recently Wiz Khalifa was arrested on various marijuana charges after performing at one of his shows on his Waken Baken Tour. Wiz was allegedly found with over 2 ounces of marijuana. Wiz Khalifa recently spoke to MTV about what happened.

Wiz Khalifa’s song Black and Yellow, a known Steelers Anthem, which was also made into a Lakers Anthem Purp and Yellow, went viral a few weeks ago, with over 24 million views on Youtube. Currently Black and Yellow is #1 on the Billboard’s Hot 100.

His major label debut album is set to drop March 29th, entitled “Rolling Papers”

Here are some of his best releases:

Rolling Papers ALBUM
Fly Solo

Fenech-Soler are here.

And with their debut album, in all its glory they seem to have added to their already impressive repertoire of songs by adding a few belters. And well, you can be the judge of that. The album has got all of the old favourites which include Lies and Stop and Stare, pity there isn't "The Fight" though.

Here is my favourite from their new release and I'm sure its set to be their new single.



You're able to purchase the album now from Amazon.

Music That Attacked My Endothelial Cells, This Week

Nick Cave's Bad Sleaze..... and The Roots

Grinderman - Grinderman 2 (Album) (2010)

I didn't know they were making a new album.....


But I found it staring back at me from the New Release section.

Griderman 2 - imo - trumps the last 13 years worth of Bad Seed albums, and I love the Bad Seeds. This album, for me, is everything that was missing from Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! channelled through a Garage Rock Tannoy.

The Roots - How I Got Over (Album) (2010)

It's like they took a collection of Curtis Mayfields songs, stripped the vocals out, replaced them with well executed poignant-rhymes, some assorted indie rock and neo-soul guest vocalists and subsequently blew my mind....


Why was 1am, last Wednesday, in a friends house, the first time I heard this apparently quasi-successful band? I've was blind but now I'm much better.

The Return of the Kings?

Following the commercial, if not critical, success of 2008's Only by the Night, the brothers Followill return with their latest offering in the guise of their latest single.

"Radioactive", which appears on their new album, Come Around Sundown, has been described by the band themselves as a reaffirmation of the "spirituality" of the group as they grew up in Tennessee. Brace yourself.



Radioactive heralds another, and perhaps the last, step towards the abyss that is the dreaded tag of 'stadium rock'. It is so hard to associate the band who brought us the gritty Youth and Young Manhood and Aha Shake Heartbreak with this current group who have 'progressed' to highly-polished pop music in order to secure success in their native United States.

The commercial success of the platinum selling Only by the Night looked to have encouraged the Followills to further diverge from their early career, which saw them attract fans and plaudits alike with energetic rock and roll.

As a long time fan of the pre Only by the Night Kings of Leon, I was wary of this new offering at first. Having spent a day with it, my opinion of Radioactive has flip-flopped several times.

It IS mainstream. It IS a highly produced and mixed single. Crucially, however, it is rather good. The chorus, which had sounded 'cheesy' (for want of a less oft-levelled critical term) on first listen is infectious, rabble-rousing enough for the Sex on Fire brigade but also sufficiently soulful for many fans of earlier releases.

Recent recruits to the Kings of Leon bandwagon will love this song. Older fans who may have wished the Kings of Leon into exile may want to give this one a try. They might find themselves surprised.

http://www.mediafire.com/?mfotbsujp12ubuu

N.A.S.A. are so "Gifted"



Probably the most underrated song ever. Slick video, slick chorus, Lykke Li, Santogold, Kanye West and Nasa. Seriously, check out Nasa, check out the Spirit of Apollo and be free. One of the most original videos I've ever seen. Seriously. Enjoy.

MP3

Also Steve Aoki seems to be able to just dramatically change a song in a remix and make it his own! Check it out. HERE

Music That Stuck To My Shoe, This Week

I’ve stumbled into the general direction of some great music this week.

Gaslamp Killer - When I'm In Awe (feat. Gonjasufi) 2010

I’ve been shouting various words of praise into the ears of many regarding Gonjasufi’s “A Sufi and a Killer”. The bulk of that album was produced the Gaslamp Killer who’s set to release an EP this October. Pitchfork are hosting a “teaser” from the EP which features vocals from Gonjasufi. Sidewinder-Charming, in the Mojave Desert. I’ll go with that description.

http://pitchfork.com/forkcast/14780-when-im-in-awe-ft-gonjasufi

Roots Manuva (Meets Wrong Tom) – Duppy Writer (Album) 2010

I’ve already got a Roots Manuva Dub album, but this one is better, I know little about producer “Wrong Tom” but he knows Dub.

Tony McDermott’s cover art alone is worth the price of admission.



Dudley Perkins – Expression (Album) 2007

I found this for €5 lying, collecting dust, in a record store Hip-Hop section this weekend, the Madlib production credit and Stones Throw label sticker formed a collective mouth that demanded I fork over my hard earned Ark, I’m glad I did. If I had a Soul, I’d feed it this.



Inspired Flight - We All Want to Fly (Album)
2010

Sounds, and probably smells a bit like something from anticon. I found this via aimless link-clicking. Trippy, electronic music littered with guest MC’s.

This particular track is approaching territory occupied by The Books and is a free download on the bands website http://www.inspiredflightmusic.com

Tinie and his Tempah



Sooooo no big surprise that I'm tipping my hat in the way of suggesting Mr Tempah should be near if not at the heady heights of the chart with his next upcoming number "written in the stars" featuring the vovcals talants of Eric Turner (who? - if you know please enlighten me with a comment!) anyways Tinie's album is scheduled to drop in October and although is being kept heavily under wraps the very rare snippets released have been promosing, Swedish House Mafia featured "Miami 2 Ibiza" featureson the final track listing and having been put out by SHM is easily searchable on youtube ;)

Anyways standard video link below of Written in the Stars



Tinie Tempah - Written In The Stars