Coordinates	9°1′48″N38°44′24″N
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Jeffery Johnson, Jr.
Born	Little Rock, Arkansas April 02, 1990
Height	5'11
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Genre	Hip Hop
Occupation	Rapper, Vocalist
Years active	2009–present
Label	MyndState, Zone 4, MusicLine Group, Interscope
Associated acts	Soulja Boy, Wale , J. Holiday, Waka Flocka Flame, T-Pain, Fabolous, Wiz Khalifa Big Sean, Kanye West, DJ Drama, Mishon, Maino
Website	Roscoe Dash website }}

Jeffery Johnson, Jr. (born April 2, 1990), better known by his stage name Roscoe Dash, is an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia.

Career

Major label success

Roscoe Dash is currently a part of Interscope Records. His debut album, ''Ready Set Go!'', was set to release on October 5, 2010 according to his recent mixtape Demolition 2020. However, it currently has no release date after a couple pushbacks. Dash and fellow record acts are collaborating on a new mixtape called "Jigger What: The Next Level." It is scheduled to be released on his website this summer. Roscoe Dash released his third mixtape ''Dash Effect'' on August 3, 2011. During the summer of 2009, Roscoe Dash, along with a few other singers including Drew Mann, performed at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia for a celebration of a popular radio station. The radio station, Hot 107.9, held a concert called "Birthday Bash" for thousands of people.

Personal life

|source=Roscoe Dash, on what motivated him to start rapping.}} Johnson is the oldest of his siblings. He has a brother, two half-sisters, and two stepbrothers. Johnson also has a daughter.

Discography

Studio albums

+ List of albums, with selected chart positions	scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;"	Title	Album details	Peak chart positions
! scope="col" style="width:2.2em;font-size:90%;"	! scope="col" style="width:2.2em;font-size:90%;"	! scope="col" style="width:2.2em;font-size:90%;"
''Ready Set Go!''		* Release date: TBA	* Label: GME, MusicLine, MMI, 2010: ''Demolition 2020 "With DJ Kutthroat" 2011: ''Dash Effect (With DJ Drama & DJ Kutthroat) Singles Year Title Chart positions Album ! style="width:40px;" ! style="width:40px;" ! style="width:40px;" style="text-align:left style="text-align:left;" rowspan="1" Other charted songs Year Title Chart positions Album ! style="width:40px;" ! style="width:40px;" ! style="width:40px;" As featured performer Year Title Chart positions Album ! style="width:40px;" ! style="width:40px;" ! style="width:40px;" style="text-align:left; vertical-align:top;" style="text-align:left; vertical-align:top;" style="text-align:left; vertical-align:top;" style="text-align:left;" References External links [[Category:African American rappers">Zone 4 (record label)	* Format: [[Compact disc	TBR	TBR	TBR

Mixtapes

2010: ''Can't Catch the Lambo "With DJ Kutthroat"

2010: ''Demolition 2020 "With DJ Kutthroat"

2011: ''Dash Effect (With DJ Drama & DJ Kutthroat)

Singles

Year	Title	Chart positions	Album
! style="width:40px;"	! style="width:40px;"	! style="width:40px;"
style="text-align:left
				style="text-align:left;" rowspan="1"

Other charted songs

Year	Title	Chart positions	Album
! style="width:40px;"	! style="width:40px;"	! style="width:40px;"

As featured performer

Year	Title	Chart positions	Album
! style="width:40px;"	! style="width:40px;"	! style="width:40px;"
	style="text-align:left; vertical-align:top;"
style="text-align:left; vertical-align:top;"
	style="text-align:left; vertical-align:top;"
				style="text-align:left;"

References

External links

[[Category:African American rappers Category:Rappers from Atlanta, Georgia Category:Living people Category:1990 births

Coordinates	9°1′48″N38°44′24″N
Name	Soulja Boy
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	DeAndre Cortez Way
Alias	Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
Born	July 28, 1990 Chicago, Illinois
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Occupation	Rapper
Genre	Hip hop
Years active	2007–present
Label	Stacks on Deck/Interscope
Associated acts	Arab, Mr. Collipark
Website	}}

DeAndre Cortez Way (born July 28, 1990), better known by his stage name Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, or simply Soulja Boy, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, entrepreneur, and internet personality.

In September 2007, his single "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was initially self-published on the internet, and it later became a number-one hit in the United States for seven non-consecutive weeks starting in September 2007.On August 17 Way was listed at #18 on the Forbes list of Hip-Hop Cash Kings of 2010 earning $7 million for that year.

Way has currently released three studio albums and one independent album: his debut studio album ''Souljaboytellem.com'' (2007) was certified platinum by the RIAA. However, his next two albums, ''iSouljaBoyTellem'' (2008) and ''The DeAndre Way'' (2010) did not match the commercial success of his debut, the latter only selling 80,000 copies, despite the success of several singles across both albums, such as "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" and "Turn My Swag On" (''iSouljaBoyTellem'') and "Pretty Boy Swag" (''The DeAndre Way''), the latter later being certified gold by the RIAA.

Early life

DeAndre Way was born in Chicago and moved to Atlanta at age six, where he became interested in rap music.

Career beginnings

At age 14, he moved to Batesville, Mississippi, with his father, who provided a recording studio for Way to explore his musical ambitions. Way founded his record label "Stacks on Deck Entertainment" in 2004. While Way was signed under Interscope and Collipark Music, he claimed that his label had distribution deals with Interscope, Universal Records, and Koch. In November 2005, Way posted his songs on the website SoundClick. Following positive reviews on the site, he then established his own web pages on YouTube and MySpace. In March 2007, he recorded "Crank That" and released his first independent album ''Unsigned & Still Major: Da Album Before da Album'', followed by a low-budget video filmed demonstrating the "Crank That" dance. By the end of May 2007, "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" received its first airplay and Way met with Mr. Collipark to sign a deal with Interscope Records.

Music career

2007-08: souljaboytellem.com

On August 12, 2007, the song appeared on the Emmy-award winning HBO series ''Entourage'', and by September 1, it topped the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot RingMasters charts. Way's major label debut album ''Souljaboytellem.com'', which was reportedly recorded using just the demo version of FL Studio, was released in the United States on October 2, peaking at #4 on both the Billboard 200 and Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums charts.

For the 50th Grammy Awards, Way was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song with "Crank That (Soulja Boy)". He lost to Kanye West's and T-Pain's "Good Life".

''Souljaboytellem.com'' received a favorable review from Allmusic, but received mainly negative reviews from other sources such as ''Entertainment Weekly''. Several reviewers credited Soulja Boy with spearheading a new trend in hip-hop, while speculating he will likely be a one-hit wonder.

2008-09: iSouljaBoyTellem

The follow-up to ''souljaboytellem.com'', ''iSouljaBoyTellem'', was released on December 16, 2008, to negative critical reception. The first single from the album, "Bird Walk", peaked at number 40 on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart and the top 20 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart it was performed on the first ''YouTube Live'' on November 22, 2008, with an introduction from MC Hammer. "Kiss Me Thru the Phone", with Sammie, followed, peaking at #3 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the Hot Rap Tracks charts. Chris Brown was originally Way's first choice to sing the hook, but respectfully turned down the offer. Way then tried to do it on his own with Auto-Tune but he found it unacceptable. It sold over 2,000,000 digital copies in the United States, becoming his second song to reach the two million mark in downloads.

On January 26, 2009 Way released his third single "Turn My Swag On". it topped the US Rap Charts and peaked at #19 on the Hot 100. it has so far sold over 1,000,000 digital downloads in the US. It became Soulja Boy's third song to sell 1 million or more downloads.

2009-2010: The DeAndre Way

''The DeAndre Way'' is Way's third studio album, Way has stated that the album is intended to be his most personal and successful album thus far. When speaking on possible collaborations, he stated he wished to work with artists such as Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and Kanye West, Eminem, among others. The lead single from the album, "POW", was released in January 2009 but failed to garner success and was dubbed a promo single. On October 30, 2009 Way released three mixtapes ''Paranormal Activity'', ''Dat Piff'' & ''Cortez''. Then it was announced on February 18, 2010 that the first single from the album was gone be "All Black Everything" but it was cancelled & was just put on his promotional mixtape ''Legendary''. The album was titled "The DeAndre Way" but was changed in early 2010 to ''Dre'' with a commercial video snippet for "Do It Big" as the first single but it was cancelled as well. However it was reverted back to ''The DeAndre Way'' in July 2010.

But on June 8, 2010, the official lead single from the album was "Pretty Boy Swag". The single has reached number thirty-four on the Billboard Hot 100, number six on the Billboard Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number five on the Billboard Rap Songs chart. The album's second single was due to be "Digital" but it was just used on his promotional mixtape ''Best Rapper''. Then it was announced that "Speakers Going Hammer" was gone be the second single, but "Blowing Me Kisses" was released on August 31, 2010 as the second single instead. On October 13 Soulja Boy performed "Pretty Boy Swag" & a snippet of his third single "Speakers Going Hammer". On October 19, 2010 Way finally released "Speakers Going Hammer" on iTunes the single peaked at #48 on the ''Hot R&B; & Hip Hop tracks'' Billboard. ''The DeAndre Way'' was released on November 30, 2010 it has so far has only sold 70,000 copies making this Way's lowest selling album. Soulja Boy was to be part of the Summerbeatz tour held in Australia alongside Flo Rida, Jay Sean and Travie McCoy in November 2010, but in lieu of his current album release date Soulja Boy had declined the offer & just embarked on his Who They Want tour.

2011-present: Mixtapes and Respect My Hustle

On January 22, Way released his first mixtape of 2011 ''Smooky'' which cover featured a cartoon version of Way on a bicycle doing a 360. Then On March 17, 2011 Way released the mixtape ''1up'' which cover was based on the Naruto anime Way stated "If I was in a video game, this mixtape would advance me to the next level with an extra life. Power up with the new offering". On April 20, 2011 Way released his mixtape ''Juice'' which cover was based on the ''Juice'' the movie Way stated he would also released a mini movie of his own to go along with the mixtape Way stated that he was headed to greatness with the mixtape. In September 2011, Way confirmed he is working on a new album, called ''Respect My Hustle'', which will be released in October.

Personal life

Legal issues

On December 9, 2007, Way was sued by William Lyons (a.k.a. Souljah Boy of Mo Thugs Family) who created the stage name "Souljah Boy" in 1996.

On October 7, 2009, Way was arrested on one count of obstruction, a misdemeanor, for running from police when he'd been ordered to stop. The rapper was released on $550 bond.

In May 2011, Way and his labels were sued by a local Pennsylvania promoter for failing to make promised payments in connection with a rescheduled concert.

Victim of robbery and assault

On December 30, 2008, Way was robbed and assaulted in his home. Initial reports indicated that the robbers were six masked men with AK-47s and pistols but on December 31, 2008, video clips surfaced on the Internet of two masked men claiming sole credit for the crime. Soulja Boy described the incident to MTV News a month later: He had come home very late at night after attending an album release party and was recording songs with friends when the robbers came in pointing their guns.

Family tragedies

On March 22, 2011, Way's little brother Deion Jenkins was killed in a car crash on Sunday night. Then on March 24, 2011 Way's older brother threatened to committ suicide.

Controversies

Way's music has been banned from some school dances for sexual and violent content or innuendo. However, he has denied these claims. In the original YouTube video for "Shootout", Soulja Boy demonstrates his dance while holding a handgun in each hand and pretending to shoot into the audience.

Nas

On February 25, 2008, Way said in an interview that "Nas killed hip hop and his own career". Way later apologized for his comments.

Ice-T

In June 2008, on DJ Cisco's ''Urban Legend'' mixtape, Ice-T told Way to "eat a dick" and criticized Way for "killing hip-hop" and his song "Crank That" for being "garbage" compared to the works of other hip-hop artists such as Rakim, Das EFX, Big Daddy Kane and Ice Cube. The two then traded videos back and forth over the Internet. Rapper Kanye West defended Way by arguing that the younger artist created a new, original work for hip-hop, thus keeping the authentic meaning of the music. The feud was parodied in a 2010 episode of The Boondocks.

Charles Hamilton

On December 9, 2008, Charles Hamilton commented in a interview by saying that Way was making it harder for new artists to be signed. Way responded by saying "X out the Sonic and fuck with Mario, you might want to got damn eat a mushroom." Charles Hamilton responded with the diss song "Im You Last Year With Talent". Then the diss song "Word Aight".

Bow Wow

On February 2, 2009, Way challenged Bow Wow to a race in their Lamborghinis and claimed Bow Wow's Lamborghini was a rental. On February 4, 2009 Bow Wow proved that he owned his Lamborghini and said "its halloween in Bankhead for you everyday nigga..you scared..you all nervous and shit". Way responded on twitter by saying "HE FUCKED UP!!!! IM BOUT TO SHITTTT ON THIS NIGGA!! LOL!!!!!". On February 7, 2009 both artist sent diss songs to each other such as Way's "Fuck Bow Wow" & Bow Wow's "What I Think About You". Later that day during a phone conversation both rappers settled their differences.

Fabolous

On December 28, 2010, Fabolous during a radio interview commented on the claim that Way does cocaine, saying "pretty boy swag but never coke my nose though", a reference to Way's song "Pretty Boy Swag. "Soulja Boy went on a tirade on Twitter in response, saying "I ignore dis foo like 5x before this. fuck that. If you send some niggaz to spray me @myfabolouslife at least I die I real nigga fuck you boy." 50 Cent also took to Twitter to say, "leave him the f*** alone before somebody get hurt." Way and Fabolous ended their beef on a radio interview.

"Let's Be Real"

In September 2011, Soulja Boy released the song "Let's Be Real". One of the lines of the song went: ''"Fuck the FBI and the army troops ... fighting for what? Be your own man ... I'll be flying through the clouds with green like I'm Peter Pan."'' After the song was released, Soulja Boy was highly criticized by the military members and their families, especially in regards to the timing relative to the 10th anniversary of the September 11 Attacks. Soulja Boy apologized, "When I expressed my frustration with the US Army, not only did my words come out wrong, I was wrong to even speak them." He adds, "So, I write this to give my sincerest apology to all members of the United States military services, as well as their families that were offended by my most recent lyrics." Representatives for Soulja Boy have indicated that the song has been pulled from his upcoming album, ''Respect My Hustle,'' and will not be available for sale. They are also attempting to remove the video from the internet.

Discography

;Studio albums

''Souljaboytellem.com'' (2007)

''iSouljaBoyTellem'' (2008)

''The DeAndre Way'' (2010)

''Respect My Hustle'' (2011)

Tours

''Americas Most Wanted'' (2009)

''Who They Want'' (2011)

Filmography

Film
! Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
2007	''YouTube Live''	Himself	Small Role
2008	''What's at Stake?'''	Himself	Small Role
2009	''School Gyrls''	Himself	Cameo
2010	''Malice N Wonderland''	Soulja	Small Role
2011	''TBA''	''TBA''
Television
! Year	! Title	! Role	! Notes
	''The Ellen DeGeneres Show''	Himself
''Last Call with Carson Daly''	Himself
	''Live with Regis''	Himself	Minor appearance
''Access Granted''	Himself	For his music video for "Bird Walk"
	''When I Was 17''	Himself
''The Mo'Nique Show''	Himself
''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon''	Himself
''Lopez Tonight''	Himself
''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno''	Himself

Awards and nominations

BET Awards

*2007: Best New Artist (Nominated)

*2008: Viewer's Choice Award: "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" (Nominated)

*2009: Viewer's Choice Award: "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" (Nominated)

BET Hip-Hop Awards

*'2007: Best Hip-Hop Dance (Won)'

Grammy Awards

*2008: Best Rap Song: "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" (Nominated)

Ozone Awards

*'2007: Patiently Waiting: Mississippi (Won)'

*2008: Best Breakthrough Artist (Nominated)

*2008: TJ's DJ's Tastemaker Award (Nominated)

Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards

*2007: Favorite Male Singer (Nominated)

Teen Choice Awards

*2009: Choice Music: Rap Artist (Nominated)

*2009: Choice Music: R&B; Track for "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" (Nominated)

*2009: Choice Music: Hook Up for "Kiss Me Thru the Phone"

*2009: Choice Music: Artist (Nominated)

See also

List of artists who reached number one in the United States

References

External links

Official website

Category:1990 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from Mississippi Category:African American actors Category:African American rappers Category:African-American businesspeople Category:African American film actors Category:American film actors Category:American film producers Category:American hip hop record producers Category:American Internet personalities Category:American music industry executives Category:American music video directors Category:American pop musicians Category:American record producers Category:Businesspeople from Mississippi Category:Hip hop musicians Category:Hip hop singers Category:Interscope Records artists Category:People from Panola County, Mississippi Category:Rappers from Atlanta, Georgia Category:Rappers from Chicago, Illinois Category:Rappers from Mississippi

ar:سولجا بوي تل إم da:Soulja Boy de:Soulja Boy es:Soulja Boy fr:Soulja Boy Tell 'Em ko:솔자 보이 hr:Soulja Boy is:Soulja Boy it:Soulja Boy nl:Soulja Boy ja:ソウルジャ・ボーイ・テレム no:Soulja Boy pl:Soulja Boy Tell 'Em pt:Soulja Boy ro:Soulja Boy Tell 'Em ru:Soulja Boy simple:Soulja Boy Tell 'Em fi:Soulja Boy sv:Soulja Boy Tell 'Em th:โซลจา บอย เทลล์'เอ็ม tr:Soulja Boy

Coordinates	9°1′48″N38°44′24″N
Name	Waka Flocka Flame
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Juaquin Bertholimule Malphurs
Born	May 31, 1986New York City, New York
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Genre	Hip hop, Crunk, Southern hip hop
Years active	2008-present
Label	1017 Brick Squad, Warner Bros., Asylum, Mizay, Brick Squad Monopoly
Associated acts	1017 Brick Squad, Gucci Mane, Roscoe Dash
Url	www.wakaflocka1017.com }}

Juaquin Malphurs (born May 31, 1986), better known by his stage name Waka Flocka Flame, is an American rapper signed to 1017 Brick Squad and Warner Bros. He is a Southern hip hop artist best known for his singles "O Let's Do It", "Hard in da Paint" & "No Hands", along with his debut album, ''Flockaveli''. Waka Flocka Flame has announced that his second album will be released during the summer.

Biography

Early life and career

Juaquin Malphurs was born in South Jamaica, Queens, New York in 1986. His family eventually settled in Riverdale, Georgia. He is the son of Debra Antney, Gucci Mane's former manager and CEO of So Icey/Mizay Entertainment. The name "Waka" was given to him by his cousin, after the Muppets character Fozzie Bear's catch phrase, "Waka Waka". The name "Flocka Flame" was given to him by rapper Gucci Mane. .Waka Flocka Flame's publicist, Kali Bowyer, unleashed a global crossover campaign for Waka Flocka Flame. Waka Flocka posed for a nude but unrevealing picture for the company PETA to boycott killing animals. The picture says "Ink not Mink". The picture design is similar to Waka Flocka Flame's album Flockaveli. Waka Flocka Flame said that he has known Gucci Mane since he was 19

2009-2010: ''Flockaveli''

Waka Flocka Flame came to fame with his breakthrough single "O Let's Do It" in 2009, which peaked at #62 on the Billboard Hot 100. Waka Flocka Flame is a member of the 1017 Brick Squad with Gucci Mane, OJ Da Juiceman, Frenchie, and Wooh Da Kid. On January 19, 2010, Malphurs was shot and robbed at a car wash in Atlanta. The bullet went through his right arm. He is currently preparing multiple mixtapes with Brick Squad. His debut album, ''Flockaveli'' was released on October 5, 2010. He was featured on Lil Jon's album ''Crunk Rock'' on the track "Throw It Up, Pt. 2 (Remix)". The album debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200. He was named the eighth hottest MC of 2010 by MTV.

Gucci Mane fired Debra Antney as his manager. Despite rumors, there is no animosity between the two rappers due to this event. In an MTV interview, both he and Waka Flocka Flame affirmed that their relationship is in good standing even though they no longer speak. In early September, Gucci Mane was seen at Flocka's ''Flockaveli'' listening party supporting the artist.

2011-present: ''Triple F Life and Mixtapes''

Waka Flocka Flame has release previous mixtapes this year including ''Salute Me or Shoot Me 3'', ''Benjamin Flocka'' and his last ''Twin Towers 2'' with Slim Dunkin'. On August 9, 2011 his latest compilation with Gucci Mane, ''Ferrari Boyz'' was released. The first single was "She Be Puttin On".

On August 9, 2011, the first single for his sophomore album, "Round of Applause" was released. It is produced by Lex Lugar. The album is slated to release before the end of the year.

Discography

; Studio albums

''Flockaveli'' (2010)

''Triple F Life: Friends, Fans and Family'' (2011)

References

External links

Waka Flocka Flame Official Website

Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:African American rappers Category:American shooting survivors Category:People from Clayton County, Georgia Category:People from Queens Category:Rappers from Atlanta, Georgia Category:Warner Bros. Records artists

de:Waka Flocka Flame hu:Waka Flocka Flame ja:ワカ・フロッカ・フレイム pl:Waka Flocka Flame ru:Waka Flocka Flame

:''Not to be confused with Drama (rapper).''

Coordinates	9°1′48″N38°44′24″N
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Tyree Cinque Simmons
Alias	Drama Boy
Birth date	April 22, 1978
Origin	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania/
Genre	Hip hop
Occupation	DJ, record producer
Years active	2001–present
Label	E1 Music, Aphilliates Music Group, TM3 Records
Associated acts	Don Cannon, T.I., Lil Wayne, Willie the Kid, Smokey, Roscoe Dash, Wiz Khalifa, Trey Songz, Fabolous
website	GangstaGrillz.com }}

Tyree Cinque Simmons (born April 22, 1978 in, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) better known as DJ Drama is an American hip hop artist and the official DJ for Grand Hustle/Atlantic recording artist T.I... He is best known for producing mixtapes, including the successful "Gangsta Grillz" series and ''Dedication 2'', which the ''New York Times'' called one of the "10 best recordings of 2006".

DJ Drama, Don Cannon, and DJ Sense founded Aphilliates Music Group in 2003. The Aphilliates Music Group inked a label deal with Asylum Records in 2006, signing rapper Willie the Kid. As of January 2011, The Aphilliates now operates as its own entity, due to DJ Drama recently cutting ties with La the Darkman and Embassy Entertainment.

Music career

DJ Drama's debut album, ''Gangsta Grillz: The Album'', was released in December 2007 on the Grand Hustle label. The album's first street single, "Takin Pictures", was released in 2007 and featured Young Jeezy, Willie the Kid, Jim Jones, Rick Ross, Young Buck and T.I., while the first single, "5000 Ones", featuring Nelly, T.I., Yung Joc, Willie the Kid, Young Jeezy and Twista, debuted on BET. The second single, "The Art of Storytellin' Part 4", was released in 2008 and featured OutKast and Marsha Ambrosius. In 2009, DJ Drama released his second album entitled ''Gangsta Grillz: The Album (Vol. 2)'', the first single was "Day Dreaming", which featured Akon, Snoop Dogg and T.I. The second single was "Ridiculous", which featured Gucci Mane, Yo Gotti, Lonnie Mac and OJ da Juiceman. Both singles were released in 2009. DJ Drama will release his third studio album, ''Third Power'', in 2011. The Gangsta Grillz album reunites DJ Drama and Don Cannon who had gone their separate ways for a few years after a lot of fighting and arguing as business partners. He is married to video vixen Summer Walker.

Film career

DJ Drama has appeared in T.I.'s ''ATL'' in 2006, and T-Pain's ''Freaknik: The Musical'' in 2010.

Discography

Albums

{|class="wikitable" !rowspan=2|Year !rowspan=2|Title !colspan=4|Chart positions !rowspan=2|Sales |- !width=40|US !width=40|US R&B; !width=40|US Rap !width=40|US Comp |- |2007 |''Gangsta Grillz: The Album''

Released: December 4, 2007

Label: Grand Hustle/Atlantic

|align=center|26 |align=center|3 |align=center|2 |align=center|29 |

US: 320,000+

|- |2009 |''Gangsta Grillz: The Album (Vol. 2)''

Released: May 19, 2009

Label: Grand Hustle/Atlantic

|align=center|26 |align=center|5 |align=center|4 |align=center|26 |

US: 75,000+

|- |2011 |''Third Power'' Released: October 4, 2011

Label: Aphilliates/E1

|align=center colspan=5|

To be released

|}

Singles

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" !rowspan="2"|Year !rowspan="2"|Song !colspan="3"|Chart positions !rowspan="2"|Album |- !width="40"|US !width="40"|US
R&B; !width="40"|US
Rap |- |2007 |align="left"|"5000 Ones"
(featuring Nelly, T.I., Yung Joc, Willie the Kid, Young Jeezy, Diddy & Twista) |align="center"|— |align="center"|73 |align="center"|— |rowspan="2"|''Gangsta Grillz: The Album'' |- |2008 |align="left"|"The Art of Storytellin' Part 4"
(featuring OutKast & Marsha Ambrosius) |align="center"|— |align="center"|91 |align="center"|— |- |rowspan="2"|2009 |align="left"|"Day Dreaming"
(featuring Akon, Snoop Dogg, & T.I.) |align="center"|— |align="center"|88 |align="center"|— |rowspan="2"|''Gangsta Grillz: The Album (Vol. 2)'' |- |align="left"|"Ridiculous"
(featuring Gucci Mane, Yo Gotti, Lonnie Mac, & OJ da Juiceman) |align="center"|— |align="center"|104 |align="center"|— |- |rowspan="2"|2011 |align="Left"|"Oh My"
(featuring Fabolous, Wiz Khalifa & Roscoe Dash) |align="center"|95 |align="center"|18 |align="center"|12 |rowspan="2"|''Third Power'' |- |align="left"|"Words of Advice"
(featuring Lil Wayne, Mack Maine & Kevin Cossom) |align="center"|— |align="center"|— |align="center"|— |}

Awards

BET Hip Hop Awards

*DJ of the Year (Nominated)

Ozone Awards

*2008, Best Mixtape (''Hood Generals'') with BG (Won)

*''Note: The award was a tie with Chamillionaire's Mixtape Messiah 3''

References

Notes

Interview with DJ Drama's sister after the January 16th raid, Mixtapeshow.net, January 27, 2007

April 2007 Interview, Allhiphop.com, April 2007

Jeff Leeds, "Cracking down on mixtape CDs", New York Times, January 22, 2007

Samantha M. Shapiro, "Hip-hop outlaw (industry version)", New York Times Magazine, February 18, 2007

"Exclusive: DJ Drama Q&A;", Rhapsody.com, January 11, 2008

External links

Gangsta Grillz website

The Aphilliates

DJ Drama at MTV

[

[ [

[[Category:1978 births Category:Living people Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Hip hop DJs Category:Mixtape DJs Category:People from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

de:DJ Drama es:DJ Drama pl:DJ Drama fi:DJ Drama sv:DJ Drama

Coordinates	9°1′48″N38°44′24″N
name	Wiz Khalifa
alt	Wiz Khalifa holding a microphone
background	solo_singer
birth name	Cameron Jibril Thomaz
alias
born	September 08, 1987Minot, North Dakota, United States
origin	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
genre	Hip hop
occupation	Rapper, Singer
years active	2005–present
label	Rostrum, Warner Bros., Atlantic
associated acts	Tinie Tempah, Snoop Dogg,Rick Ross, Curren$y, Big Sean, Fashawn, Mac Miller
website	wizkhalifa.com
notable instruments	}}

Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by the stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper. He released his debut album, ''Show and Prove'', in 2006, and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 2007. His eurodance-influenced single, "Say Yeah", received urban radio airplay, charting on the Rhythmic Top 40 and Hot Rap Tracks charts in 2008. Khalifa parted with Warner Bros. and released his second album, ''Deal or No Deal'', in November 2009. He released the mixtape ''Kush and Orange Juice'' as a free download in April 2010; he then signed with Atlantic Records. He is also well-known for his debut single for Atlantic, "Black and Yellow", which peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. His debut album for the label, ''Rolling Papers'', was released on March 29, 2011.

Early life

Khalifa was born on September 8, 1987 in Minot, North Dakota, to a mother and a father serving in the military. His parents divorced when Khalifa was about three years old. His parents' military service caused him to move on a regular basis. Khalifa lived in Germany, England, and Japan before settling in Pittsburgh where he attended Taylor Allderdice High School.

His stage name is derived from khalifa, an Arabic word meaning "successor", and wisdom, which was shortened to Wiz when Khalifa was fifteen. Khalifa stated to spinner.com that the name also came from being called "young Wiz 'cause I was good at everything I did, and my granddad is Muslim, so he gave me that name; he felt like that's what I was doing with my music." He got his stage name tattooed on his 17th birthday. He includes Camp Lo, The Notorious B.I.G. and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony among his influences.

Career

2005-08: Early mixtapes and ''Show and Prove''

Khalifa released his first mixtape, ''Prince of the City: Welcome to Pistolvania'', in 2005. The mixtape led to his first full length album entitled ''Show and Prove'' in 2006. Khalifa was declared an "artist to watch" that year in ''Rolling Stone'' magazine.

In 2007, Khalifa signed to Warner Bros. Records and released two mixtapes through Rostrum Records: ''Grow Season'', hosted by DJ Green Lantern and released on July 4, 2007, and ''Prince of the City 2'', released on November 20, 2007. His debut Warner Bros. single "Say Yeah" reached number 25 on the ''Billboard'' Rhythmic Top 40 music chart and number 20 on ''Billboard's'' Hot Rap Tracks. The song samples "Better Off Alone" by Alice Deejay. Khalifa's vocals from "Say Yeah" appear near the end of Pittsburgh mash up producer Girl Talk's 2008 album, ''Feed the Animals'', over music from Underworld's "Born Slippy", Usher's "Love in This Club", and the Cure's "In Between Days". Khalifa appeared with The Game, David Banner and Play-n-Skillz at U92's Summer Jam at the USANA Amphitheatre in West Valley City, Utah on August 2, 2008. Khalifa released the mixtapes ''Star Power'' in September 2008, and ''Flight School'' in April 2009 on Rostrum Records.

Khalifa parted ways with Warner Bros. Records 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". Khalifa appeared with Girl Talk, Modey Lemon, Donora, Grand Buffet, and Don Caballero at the Amphitheatre at Station Square in Pittsburgh on July 31, 2009, where he announced that his relationship with Warner Bros. was over.

2009-10: ''Deal or No Deal''

Continuing his association with Rostrum Records, Khalifa released the single "Teach U to Fly", and the mixtape ''How Fly'', a collaboration with New Orleans rapper Curren$y, on August 9, 2009. Khalifa introduced a more melodic style on the mixtape, alternating between singing and rapping. He opened for Wu-Tang Clan member U-God at the 2009 CMJ Music Marathon in New York City. Khalifa released the mixtape ''Burn After Rolling'' on November 2, 2009, where he raps over familiar beats from other artists, including the songs "If I Were A Boy" and "Diva" by Beyoncé, "Walking on a Dream" by Empire of the Sun, "Luchini AKA This Is It" by Camp Lo, and "Best I Ever Had" by Drake. Khalifa released his second album, ''Deal or No Deal'', on November 24, 2009.

Khalifa performed at Emo's in Austin, Texas in March 2010 as part of the 2010 South by Southwest Music Festival. He appeared on the cover of ''XXL'' magazine that same month, for the magazine's annual list of Top 10 Freshman, which included Donnis, J. Cole, Pill, Freddie Gibbs, and Fashawn. Wiz Khalifa was named 2010 "Rookie Of The Year" by "The Source", with alongside Rick Ross, "The Man Of The Year". He toured with rapper Yelawolf on a 20-date tour, the Deal Or No Deal Tour. Khalifa released the free mixtape ''Kush and Orange Juice'' for download on April 14, 2010. Due to Khalifa's devoted grassroots fan base, the mixtape became the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter with the hash tag #kushandorangejuice, and "Kush and Orange Juice download” ranked No. 1 on Google’s hot search trends.

2010: Signing with Atlantic Records

Citing music industry insiders, ''New York'' magazine wrote that Khalifa signed with Atlantic Records in April 2010, although the rapper did not confirm it. He stated to AllHipHop in June 2010 that he was working on a new album, but was weighing his options and had not yet decided on a label to distribute it. Khalifa confirmed to MTV on July 30 that he was signing an Atlantic Records deal.

Khalifa was featured in a remix and video for the 2010 Rick Ross single "Super High", alongside Curren$y. He guested on the mixtape ''Grey Goose, Head Phones, and Thirsty Women '' by St. Louis rapper M.C, and was featured on the track "The Breeze (Cool)" on rapper Wale's August 2010 mixtape ''More About Nothing''. Khalifa was named MTV's Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010, winning with nearly 70,000 votes, and beating out finalists Nicki Minaj, J. Cole, Travis Porter, and Diggy Simmons.

Khalifa appeared at the Soundset 2010 festival in May 2010 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, alongside Method Man & Redman, Del the Funky Homosapien and Hieroglyphics, Atmosphere, Murs, Cage, and others. He also performed at the 2010 Rock the Bells festival, along with hip hop veterans Wu-Tang Clan, Snoop Dogg, Lauryn Hill, A Tribe Called Quest, Rakim, KRS-One, Jedi Mind Tricks and Slick Rick. Khalifa declined an invitation to tour with rapper Drake and launched his own "Waken Baken" tour, a 50-city national tour with rapper Yelawolf. The tour, scheduled to last from September to November 2010, has, as of October, sold out every venue. On November 2010, during his "Waken Baken" tour at East Carolina University, Wiz Khalifa was arrested for possession and trafficking of marijuana. He was then released the next morning after a $300K bail, and resumed his tour. Khalifa performed in a cypher during the 2010 BET Hip-Hop Awards. He recited his verse from the song, "The Check Point", from his mixtape with Curren$y, ''How Fly''.

2010-11: Mainstream success and ''Rolling Papers''

Khalifa released "Black and Yellow", his first single for Rostrum/Atlantic, produced by Stargate, which has received radio airplay. The single was peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100; the title of the song refers to the colours of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Khalifa will release his debut album with Atlantic Records in 2011. He appeared with Curren$y on the track "Scaling the Building" on producer Ski Beatz' 2010 album, ''24 Hour Karate School''. Khalifa's fanbase is known as the Taylor Gang, named after his love of Chuck Taylor All-Stars shoes.

On March 29, 2011, Khalifa released his first studio album, ''Rolling Papers''. The album debuted at number two on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, with first-week sales of 197,000 copies in the United States.

On June 26, 2011, Khalifa was nominated and won Best New Artist at the BET Awards of 2011.

Khalifa collaborated with the prolific British rapper Tinie Tempah whom Tinie announced in an interview with Rolling Stone that his next single is to be called "Till I'm Gone" and would feature Wiz Khalifa and is to be produced by Stargate. The single and the video song were released at the end of June 2011.

Personal life

Thomaz is dating Amber Rose, the former girlfriend of Thomaz's fellow hip-hop star Kanye West. He is also personal friends with rapper Yelawolf, and fellow Pittsburgh rapper, Mac Miller.

Discography

;Studio albums

''Show and Prove'' (2006)

''Deal or No Deal'' (2009)

''Rolling Papers'' (2011)

References

External links

Wiz Khalifa at MTV

Category:1987 births Category:Military brats Category:African American rappers Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Category:People from Minot, North Dakota Category:Rappers from Pennsylvania

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