
Lounging on a beaten-up leather couch tucked away in an industrial loft in downtown Brooklyn, Wiz Khalifa asks, “Did you see my new tatt?” turning to reveal a freshly inked mega mass sprawling across his spine. Covered head-to-toe in body art, it’s hard not to notice the lanky Pittsburgh emcee’s impressive display of ink.
This is our second time chopping it up with Khalifa, and although only 6 months have passed, it’s clear that new ink isn’t the only thing that has changed. The last time we spoke, it was just Wiz in the back room of Honey’s downtown office space. Quiet, intimate, and very cloudy. Fast forward a few months, fresh off a win for MTV’s “Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010,” secured by Khalifa’s cult-like followers dubbed “The Taylor Gang,” it suddenly feels like the calm before the storm.
Suits, from his label, buzz about, making sure Khalifa stays on track, doesn’t talk too much about his newly inked deal (recently signed to Atlantic Records), and generally doting on the 22-year-old. But Khalifa stays unfazed, moving only to welcome a special delivery, roll-up, and check out his ‘fits for the day (he loved the “Pulp Fiction” selection of sharp, tailored suits).
Khalifa’s last album title, Deal or No Deal, is particularly fitting. In 2009, he parted ways with Warner Brothers and churned out a slew of successful mixtapes – most notably Kush and Orange Juice, with over a million downloads. Now, deal intact, gearing up for a massive North American tour slated to kick off on September 16th in Philadelphia, Khalifa is about to be thrown into a whirlwind of press while finishing up his latest untitled project. Welcome to the eye of the storm. But before his flight takes off, he dishes about weed, women, and the pressures of being “next.”
~Love,Dummie~
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