American rapper Wiz Khalifa (Cameron Jibril Thomaz) first performed in India at the multi-genre festival Time Out 72 in Goa in 2017. Ahead of his debut gig, the hip-hop hotshot had said he’d gauge what the crowd wanted from his show and bring them that. He is all set to perform in the city at the Sunburn Arena today, and says that it’s going to be one big party. That’s because Wiz is aware of what kind of songs people want to hear. “I know what the vibe is. I always want to bring the best show. I just kind of judge, if I were in the crowd at the event, what I would want to see,” he told us ahead of his second tour to the country — he performed in Delhi yesterday. “India is such a diverse country and I love my Taylor Gang family there. They keep showing me so much love by always showing up and bringing a friend. I love making new fans no matter where I go,” he added, referring to his fans, who he is certain have grown in numbers since his last visit here.
The multi-platinum artiste has dropped six studio albums since Show and Prove in 2006 — the last one being Rolling Papers 2 in 2018. He is arguably most famed for his single Black and Yellow (2010), which peaked at number one on Billboard Hot 100, becoming his first top single in the US. His mixtape in the same year, Kush and Orange Juice, was the highest trending topic on the internet when it released.
The superstar of rap hasn’t lost his wizardry, as his track See you Again on Furious 7 (2015) topped the charts for 12 weeks and his latest album, Rolling Papers 2, debuted at number two. The songwriter and actor says about evolving as a rapper, “From around the time that I did Kush and Orange Juice, Rolling Papers as well as Black And Yellow to where I am at right now, my rapping hasn’t really changed much. I just make sure I’m free with my music and how I choose the beats. I’m just open.”
One of the highlights on his front in recent times has been his six-year-old son Sebastian Taylor Khalifa debuting as a live performer, alongside the Young, Wild and Free hitmaker at the Dazed & Blazed Summer Tour 2018. The rapper had also shut down haters who criticised him for sending his son — whom he has with model wife Amber Rose — to school on a bus, in spite of his wealth. The 32-year-old artiste insists that he is teaching Sebastian important life lessons that the musician himself learnt from his mother. “...like using your manners and spreading love. She’s always there when I’ve needed her and I’m gonna do the same,” he signs off.
