This article is about the unit of mass. For the unit of force, see Pound-force. For the unit of volume, see Fluid ounce. For all other uses, see Ounce (disambiguation).

The ounce (abbreviated: oz, the old Italian word onza, now spelled oncia; apothecary symbol: ℥) is a unit of mass with several definitions, the most commonly used of which are equal to approximately 28 grams. The ounce is used in a number of different systems, including various systems of mass that form part of the imperial and United States customary systems. Its size can vary from system to system. The most commonly used ounces today are the international avoirdupois ounce and the international troy ounce.

Etymology[link]

Ounce derives from Latin uncia, a unit that was one twelfth (1/12)^[1] of the Roman pound (libra). Ounce was borrowed twice: first into Old English as ynsan or yndsan from an unattested Vulgar Latin form with ts for c before i (palatalization) and second into Middle English through Anglo-Norman and Middle French (unce, once, ounce).^[2]

Inch comes from the same Latin word, but is different because it was borrowed into Old English and underwent i-mutation or umlaut (u → y) and palatalization (k → ch).

Definitions[link]

Historically, in different parts of the world, at different points in time, and for different applications, the ounce (or its translation) has referred to broadly similar but different standards of mass.

International avoirdupois ounce[link]

The avoirdupois ounce is the most commonly used ounce today. It is defined to be one sixteenth of an avoirdupois pound. The avoirdupois pound is defined as 7000 grains; one ounce is therefore equal to 437.5 grains.

In 1958 the United States and countries of the Commonwealth of Nations agreed to define the international avoirdupois ounce to be exactly ^0.45359237⁄₁₆ kg (28.349523125 g) by definition.

The ounce is commonly used as a unit of mass in the United States.

On January 1, 2000, it ceased to be a legal unit of measure within the United Kingdom for economic, health, safety or administrative purposes^[3] but remains a familiar unit, especially amongst older people.

International troy ounce[link]

A troy ounce (abbreviated as t oz) is equal to 480 grains. Consequently, the international troy ounce is equal to exactly 31.1034768 grams. There are 12 troy ounces in the now obsolete troy pound.

Today, the troy ounce is used only to express the mass of precious metals such as gold, platinum, palladium or silver. Bullion coins are the most common products produced and marketed in troy ounces, but precious metal bars also exist in gram and kilogram (kg) sizes. (A kilogram bullion bar contains 32.15074657 troy ounces.)

For historical measurement of gold,

• a fine ounce is a troy ounce of pure gold content in a gold bar, computed as fineness multiplied by gross weight^[4]
• a standard ounce is a troy ounce of 22 carat gold, 91.66% pure (an 11 to 1 proportion of gold to alloy material)
• in modern day, an ounce of gold (1 troy ounce) is referred as a 99.99% pure gold piece or gold grains (gold shot)

Apothecaries' ounce[link]

The obsolete apothecaries' ounce (abbreviated ℥) equivalent to the troy ounce, was formerly used by apothecaries (now called pharmacists or chemists).^{[citation needed]}

Maria Theresa ounce[link]

"Maria Theresa ounce" was once introduced in Ethiopia and some European countries, which was equal to the weight of one Maria Theresa thaler, or 28.0668 g.^[5][6] Both the weight and the value are the definition of one birr, still in use in present-day Ethiopia and formerly in Eritrea.^{[citation needed]}

Spanish ounce[link]

The Spanish pound (Spanish libra) was 460 g.^[7] The Spanish ounce (Spanish onza) was ¹⁄₁₆ of a pound, i.e. 28.75 g.^[8]

Metric ounces[link]

The unit metric ounce is 25 grams ^[9] and 20 make the metric pound of 500 grams.

Some countries have redefined their ounces in the metric system.^[10] For example, the German apothecaries ounce of 30 grams, is very close to the previously widespread Nuremberg ounce, but the divisions and multiples come out in metric.

In 1820, the Dutch redefined their ounce (in Dutch, ons) as 100 grams.^[11][12] Dutch amendments to the metric system, such as an ons or 100 grams, has been inherited, adopted, and taught in Indonesia beginning in elementary school. It is also listed as standard usage in Indonesia's national dictionary, the Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, and the government's official elementary‐school curriculum.^{[citation needed]}

East Asia has a traditional ounce, known as a tael, of varying value. The katti of 16 tael, originally ⁴⁄₃ lb avoirdupois, is now 600 grams. The corresponding tael or tail is then 37.5 grams.^[9] In China, it has been given a metric value of 50 grams.^{[citation needed]}

Ounce-force[link]

An ounce force is 1/16 of a pound-force, or 0.2780139 newton. It is not necessary to identify it as an avoirdupois ounce; there is no troy ounce-force.^{[clarification needed]}

Fluid ounce[link]

A fluid ounce (abbreviated fl oz, fl. oz. or oz. fl.) is a unit of volume equal to about 28 ml in the imperial system or about 30 ml in the US system. The fluid ounce is sometimes referred to simply as an "ounce" in applications where its use is implicit. The imperial fluid ounce is also equivalent to the volume occupied by 1 imperial ounce of water weighed in air at 62 °F.

Other uses[link]

Fabric weight[link]

Ounces are also used to express the "weight", or more accurately density, of a textile fabric in North America, Asia or the UK, as in "16 oz denim". The number refers to the weight in ounces of a given amount of fabric, either a yard of a given width, or a square yard.^[13][14]

Notes and references[link]

External links[link]

• Dictionary of Units: Ounce

Ali G
F2F
Portrayed by	Sacha Baron Cohen
Duration	1996–1997 (F2F) 1998–2000 (The Eleven O'Clock Show) 2000, 2003–04 (Da Ali G Show) 2002 (Ali G Indahouse)
First appearance	F2F
Created by	Sacha Baron Cohen
Profile
Occupation	Interviewer, Singer, Rapper, Junglist
Residence	Staines
Relationships Parents Tina (mother) Sibling(s) Rory Romances Julie (fiancee) Grandparents Nana Aunts and uncles Jamal Derrick

Ali G (born Alistair Leslie Graham) is a satirical fictional character created and performed by English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. Originally appearing on Channel 4's Eleven O'Clock show, as the title character of Channel 4's Da Ali G Show in 2000 and on HBO in 2003–2004, he is also the title character of the film Ali G Indahouse. Cohen's character Ali G, along with Borat and Brüno, has been retired.^[1]

Development of the character[link]

The character of Ali G is a stereotype of a white suburban male from Staines (now Staines-upon-Thames) who imitates rap culture as well as urban British and Jamaican culture, particularly through hip hop, reggae, drum and bass and jungle music. Ali G was part of a group called Berkshire Massif, and he ran and grew up in an area of Slough called Langley (both actual locations in the UK). He also lived part of his life in Staines. Baron Cohen has stated that BBC Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood was an influence on the development of the Ali G character – Westwood hosts Radio 1's Rap Show and speaks in a faux Multicultural London English and Hip-Hop dialect. Ali G's middle class credentials mirror Westwood's: the latter was brought up in Lowestoft, Suffolk as a bishop's son.^[2]

Prior to Ali G's appearance on The Eleven O'Clock Show, Baron Cohen had portrayed a similar character named MC Jocelyn Cheadle-Hume on a show he presented called F2F, which ran on a satellite channel called Talk TV (owned by Granada Television). While chatting to a group of skateboarders, in character, Baron Cohen realised that people could be led to believe the character was real, and filmed a number of segments which were ordered off air by London Weekend Television.^[2]

History and appearances[link]

Ali G, a boorish, uneducated, faux-streetwise poseur with a deeply stereotypical view of the world, first came to prominence on Channel 4's The Eleven O'Clock Show as the "voice of da yoof" in 1998.^[3] He interviewed various public figures in the United Kingdom, always either embarrassing his interviewee by displaying a mixture of uninformed political incorrectness, or getting the interview 'victim' to agree to some breathtaking inaccuracy or insult. His key saying is "booyakasha".

Other examples of his bold interviewing style include getting Lindsay Urwin, the Bishop of Horsham, to admit that God created the Universe, and then asked him, "And since then, [God]'s just chilled?" Ali G asked the Bishop about God's appearance, to which the Bishop replied, "Well, he's sort of Jesus-shaped." During an interview with James Ferman (former director of the British Board of Film Classification), Ali G asks whether his made-up vulgarities would restrict a film to an over-18 audience, and suggests that film censorship be performed by younger persons who understand contemporary slang. In a interview with the Chairman of the Arts Council of England Gerry Robinson Ali G first question was: "Why is it that everything you fund is so crap?"

Ali G was in a series of ads for the 2005–06 NBA season, in which he used his brand of off-kilter journalism to interview various NBA stars. The spots were directed by Spike Lee.

Ali G was also featured in the music video "Music" by Madonna as her limo driver.

Background[link]

Ali G is a fictional gang member of the "West Staines Massif", who currently lives with his grandmother in a semi-detached house at 36 Cherry Blossom Close, in the heart of the "Staines Ghetto". He was educated at what he calls "da Matthew Arnold Skool"; the Matthew Arnold School is a real secondary school. He also has a short stint at Vanguard College Preparatory School.

Staines, a working-class commuter town to the west of London, is far different from the inner city ghetto that Ali G claims. In the same comic vein, he also makes reference to other similar working-class towns in the area, such as Egham, Langley and Englefield Green. Despite the incongruous nature of his home town, he purports to exemplify inner city culture. Ali's "real" name is later revealed to be Alistair Leslie Graham (revealed in the eponymous film).

Ali G speaks a comical patois in keeping with his delusions of being black of Jamaican ancestry and peppered with such catchphrases as "Aight" (alright), "Booyakasha", "Big up Yaself", "Wagwaan", "West Side", "Batty Boy" "Respek" (respect), "For Real", "Poonani", "Check It" and "Keep It Real". His trademark hand gesture closely resembles the "dip snap".

Family[link]

Ali was born on a Council Estate to mother Tina. He has an older sister and an older brother. He has a younger sister and other younger siblings. When Ali was fifteen he went to live with his grandmother when his mother had another baby and there was no room for him and his older brother and sister, who went to live with their father. Ali's baby brothers are called Rory, Jamie and Guy.

Criticisms of the character[link]

Although Baron Cohen has repeatedly stated that the Ali G character is a parody of suburban, privileged youth 'acting black', numerous commentators have opined that the force of the humour is derived from stereotypes of blacks, not poser whites. According to this view of the character, the suburban background written into Ali G's character serves as a false alibi.^[4][5][6]

The comedian Felix Dexter has said that he appreciated the humour of an innocent confronting an expert with neither understanding the other, but that 'I feel that a lot of the humour is laughing at black street culture and it is being celebrated because it allows the liberal middle classes to laugh at that culture in a safe context where they can retain their sense of political correctness.^[7]

Notable people interviewed by Ali G[link]

• Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, former astronaut, and the second man to walk on the moon. (Ali G also called him "Buzz Lightyear").
• Alex Alonso, author, professor and founder of Streetgangs.com
• David Beckham, football player and his wife Victoria Beckham, a member of the Spice Girls.
• Tony Benn, former British Labour MP, chairman and cabinet minister
• Boutros Boutros-Ghali,^[8] former Secretary General of the United Nations, mistakenly called 'Boutros Boutros Boutros Ghali by Ali-G. Boutros-Ghali clearly went so far as to participate in some of Ali G's notorious word games and providing the epilogue to the episode where, at Ali G's bidding, he tells youth viewers to 'enjoy the music of Bob Marley'. In response to Ali G's perceived ignorance, Boutros-Ghali provides a detailed explanation about why Disneyland is not represented in the United Nations, and reveals which foreign languages sound comical to his ear. The interview appeared on the War episode of the Da Ali G Show.^[9]
• Rhodes Boyson, former British Conservative education minister, who agreed with Ali G that metric system should not be taught in school because 'one deals in quarters and eighths of ounces'
• Pat Buchanan, American political commentator and former presidential candidate who began laughing uncontrollably when he realized he was being fooled
• Noam Chomsky, MIT professor and linguist
• Jarvis Cocker, Pulp singer
• Linda Cohn, ESPN anchor
• Gaz Coombes, Supergrass singer
• Paul Daniels, magician
• James X. Dempsey, privacy guru and Vice President for Public Policy at the Center for Democracy and Technology
• Sam Donaldson, veteran journalist
• Mohamed Al-Fayed, former owner of Harrods and current owner of Fulham FC
• Marlin Fitzwater, former White House Press Secretary, who ended the interview after calling Ali G an idiot.
• Jerome Friedman, MIT Professor of physics and 1990 Nobel Prize winner
• John Kenneth Galbraith, economist and public intellectual
• Daryl Gates, former Los Angeles Police Chief (He was referred to as "Bill Gates" by Ali G).
• Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
• John Gray, author of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus
• Leanna Heart, adult film star
• Neil Hamilton, former Conservative politician
• Kent Hovind, evangelist and Young Earth creationist
• Glenn Hubbard, former professional baseball player
• Reed Irvine, founder of Accuracy in Media
• Jenna Jameson, adult film star
• Ernie Johnson, Jr., sports broadcaster
• Steve Kerr, former American professional basketball player who, according to Ali G, works on "TMT"; Kerr is a basketball analyst with U.S. cable network TNT.
• C. Everett Koop, former US Surgeon General
• James Lipton, host of Bravo's Inside the Actors Studio
• John McCain, United States Senator from Arizona and 2000/2008 Presidential Candidate
• Ralph Nader, consumer activist and former US presidential candidate for the Green Party
• Thomas J. Pickard, former FBI Director
• Gail Porter, television presenter
• Sue Ramsey, Irish politician, Sinn Féin
• Sally Jessy Raphaël, former talk show host, (who congratulated him for 'being himself')
• Andy Rooney, of the CBS programme 60 Minutes, who furiously ended his interview abruptly
• Charles Schultze, former Chief Economic Advisor to President Jimmy Carter^[10]
• Brent Scowcroft, former National Security Advisor and Air Force General
• Tomasz Starzewski, fashion designer
• Dick Thornburgh, former U.S. Attorney General
• Donald Trump, real estate developer, who walks off dismissively around one minute into the interview
• Stansfield Turner, former Director Central Intelligence Agency
• Lindsay Urwin, the Bishop of Horsham
• Gore Vidal, author and essayist, (whom Ali G mistook for Vidal Sassoon)
• Christine Todd Whitman, former New Jersey governor and United States Environmental Protection Agency‎ administrator
• Kobe Bryant, NBA basketball player (whom he asks about the number of springs in a basketball)
• Sammy Wilson, Northern Irish politician, Democratic Unionist Party
• Naomi Wolf, author and feminist
• Professional basketball players Steve Nash (who was an award winning player "MP3" according to Ali G and unable to speak proper English being Canadian), Ben Wallace (who he accuses of "playa-hating"), Shaquille O'Neal (who he argued with about the meaning of the NBA, Ali thinking it stood for Nationwide Basketball Society), Tim Duncan (who he tried to get a pair of free sneakers from), Robert Horry, Dwyane Wade (who he didn't realise was an NBA player, claiming he had snuck in to "hang with mah man Shaquille O'Neal"), Richard Jefferson (whom he called Thomas Jefferson his son), Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Reggie Miller

References[link]

External links[link]

Listen to this article (info/dl)

This audio file was created from a revision of the "Ali G" article dated 2006-04-28, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. (Audio help)

More spoken articles

• Channel 4 Ali G website
• Sacha Baron Cohen interview with NPR's Robert Siegel
• An article in the Guardian
• Tricked into Silly interview with Ali G, Alex Alonso, Streetgangs.com, March 12, 2002

Mark Dice

Mark Dice is an author, media analyst, and political activist based in San Diego, California, who professes conspiratorial beliefs about the New World Order and secret societies stemming from the Illuminati, Bilderberg Group, Skull and Bones, and Bohemian Grove.

Dice and his supporters have been reported to "flood the airwaves of call-in radio and television shows,"^[1] a practice called phone mobbing, to promote these ideas.^[2] His first book, a 450-page manifesto titled, The Resistance Manifesto (2005) details these beliefs.

The Illuminati and the New World Order[link]

Mark Dice purports that a global criminal mafia called the Illuminati operates under the cover of various organizations and manipulate political and financial arenas, slowly eroding the Constitution and America’s sovereignty, pushing towards a New World Order global socialized government. This "Illuminati" that he talks about is an alleged corrupt extension of the historical (and real) Illuminati secret society founded in Germany in 1776, but was said to have been stamped out by authorities after their plans to infiltrate and overthrow all state and local governments were discovered. Dice also believes that the New World Order promotes immorality, selfishness, materialism, and purposefully aims to keep the population entertained with television and issues of little significance in order to separate them from the political process, thus allowing the Illuminati to operate without much opposition.

In May 2009 Dice released a The Illuminati: Facts & Fiction, which analyzes the possibility of the existence of the Illuminati secret society and the many allegations and conspiracy theories surrounding the group.^[3] While Dice's writings detail his belief that the Illuminati are still functioning today as a mafia and insists it is not a "conspiracy theory", some of his research is dedicated to debunking various conspiracy theories and separating the facts from the fiction; hence the "Facts & Fiction" subtitle for several of his books.

Media attention[link]

Dice's activities are sometimes covered by national media outlets. His focus is primarily on political activism, culture jamming, boycotts, and pop culture criticism.

For example, Dice boycotted the 2010 Super Bowl, urging people to read a book about American history or politics instead of watching the game because he believed Americans were becoming dumb.^[4][5]

Believing that Facebook has become an obsession for most people and leads to self-absorption and narcissism, he announced "Facebook-Free Week" urging people not to log on for one week, and instead connect with family and friends face to face over dinner or drinks.^[6]

Dice called for a boycott of the VeriChip implantable identification device in 2005.^[7][8]

He has called for the Georgia Guidestones to be removed from public property.^[1][9]

He labeled Jessica Simpson a "singing stripper" for dropping her good girl image in her Boots Are Made for Walking Video,"^[10] called out rapper 50 Cent saying he was a bad role model and said he should retire^[11] and has publicly given Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan unsolicited personal advice. One Christmas he started what he called the Paris Hilton Holiday Food Drive, purposefully hijacking the celebrity's name, hoping it would encourage people to donate nonperishable food to the needy, believing she was involved.^[12]

In 2009, Dice urged his supporters to disrupt the premier of the film Angels & Demons because "Dan Brown spins it to make everybody think [the Illuminati] is a conspiracy theory, the figment of the imaginations of conspiracy theorists" when he believes the Illuminati exist and were responsible for the 9/11 attacks and the banking collapse.^[13][14]

Dice is a regular guest on various AM talk radio shows such as The Alex Jones Show,^[15][15] and has appeared on Coast to Coast AM,^[16] KFI 640AM Los Angeles,^[17] Mancow's Morning Madhouse,^[18] and others. He also habitually calls into several top-rated talk shows, including the Sean Hannity Show,^[19] Glenn Beck,^[20] and Michael Savage,^[21] and verbally battles with the hosts on various issues since he has never been asked to be a guest on them as of yet. Audio of some of these calls are then posted online.^[22][23]

Films and videos[link]

Dice is featured in documentary films and has appeared in several television shows. In Alex Jones' film The 9/11 Chronicles, which documents the activities of the 9/11 truth movement, one scene shows a heated confrontation between Dice and actor Danny Bonaduce surrounding their disagreement on the 9/11 attacks and the War in Iraq.^[24] He is also featured in Invisible Empire (2010) which is directed by Jason Bermas, who produced Loose Change (film).

Dice has produced various YouTube videos that have gone viral and received hundreds of thousands of views ^[25] and have earned him a mention on ABC's The View,^[26] The Fox News Channel,^[27] Conan O'Brien,^[28] and other shows. In other events, he had people sign a petition to repeal the first amendment (the freedom of speech) to show how ignorant people were; offered a one ounce gold coin for sale which cost US$1100 per ounce at the time, but only asked a few dollars for from random people on the street to see if they knew anything about gold and would buy it (nobody wanted it); he shipped a box of garbage to Glenn Beck at the Fox News Channel because he didn't like something he said about him,^[29] and his early videos showed him interrupting college classes at UCLA, San Diego State, UCSD, and other SoCal schools, and then giving away DVDs of documentary films, including Loose Change, supporting the 9/11 truth movement.

The History Channel series Decoded featured Dice, who met with the show's investigators to discuss the Illuminati secret society.^[30] The Sundance Channel's show Love/Lust Secret Societies (2011) also features Dice,^[31] and he was in the pilot episode of Culture Shock with Motley Crue's Tommy Lee,^[32] an investigative travel show, but the series was not picked up.^[33]

Michael Reagan controversy[link]

In June 2008, Dice launched a campaign urging people to send letters and DVDs to troops stationed in Iraq which support the theory that the 9/11 attacks were an "inside job".^[34] “People want the facts. The Marines are hungry for the truth — what got them there [in Iraq], why are they risking their lives — and we’re going to help them understand that,” he told Fox News. His aims were to inform troops about the alleged lies that lead to war and create an environment where they could safely discuss these sensitive issues amongst each other.

"Operation Inform the Soldiers," as Dice has called it, prompted syndicated talk show host Michael Reagan (son of President Ronald Reagan) to comment that Dice should be found and killed for treason. Reagan said on June 10, 2008: "How about you take Mark Dice out and put him in the middle of a firing range. Tie him to a post, don't blindfold him, let it rip and have some fun with Mark Dice." Reagan added that he would pay for the bullets.^[35] Dice reported Reagan to the FBI, but no charges were filed.^[36] Reagan was not punished by his sydicator or the FCC despite a campaign by Dice to have him fired. Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting has asked Radio America to explain whether it permits "its hosts to call for murder on the air."^[37]

Books[link]

• The Resistance Manifesto (2005, 2008) 466 pages ISBN 0-9673466-4-9
• The Illuminati: Facts & Fiction (2009) 426 pages ISBN 0-9673466-5-7
• The New World Order: Facts & Fiction (2010) 332 pages ISBN 0-9673466-7-3
• Big Brother: The Orwellian Nightmare Come True (2011) 326 pages ISBN 0-9673466-1-4

References[link]

External links[link]

• Mark Dice's official website
• Mark Dice's Facebook

Wiz Khalifa
Wiz Khalifa in Brooklyn, New York in August 2009.
Background information
Birth name	Cameron Jibril Thomaz
Born	(1987-09-08) September 8, 1987 (age 24) Minot, North Dakota, United States
Genres	Hip hop
Occupations	Rapper, singer, songwriter, actor
Years active	2005–present
Labels	Rostrum, Taylor Gang, Warner Bros., Atlantic
Associated acts	Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross, Curren$y, Big Sean, Chevy Woods, Mac Miller, Juicy J, Tinie Tempah, Yelawolf, Maroon 5, Big K.R.I.T.
Website	wizkhalifa.com

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.^[1] 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.^[2] 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.^[3]

Early life[link]

Khalifa was born on September 8, 1987 to a mother and a father serving in the military.^[1][4] His parents divorced when Khalifa was about three years old. His parents' military service caused him to move regularly: Khalifa lived in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan before settling in Pittsburgh where he attended Taylor Allderdice High School.^[1][4]

His stage name is derived from khalifa, an Arabic word meaning "successor", and wisdom, which was shortened to Wiz when Khalifa was a young boy .^[5] 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.^[6][7] He includes Jimi Hendrix, Camp Lo, The Notorious B.I.G. and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony among his influences.^[8]

Career[link]

[edit] 2005–08: Early mixtapes and Show and Prove

Rostrum Records president Benjy Grinberg first heard about Wiz Khalifa in 2004 when the rapper's contribution to a mixtape of various new Pittsburgh artists attracted his interest.^[9] When Grinberg finally met the 16-year-old artist, he immediately decided he wanted to work with him, later telling HitQuarters: "Even though he wasn’t all the way developed you could just tell that he was a diamond in the rough, and that with some polishing, guidance and backing he could become something special."^[9] Khalifa signed to the label shortly after and began a seven year period of artist development.^[9]

Khalifa released his first mixtape, Prince of the City: Welcome to Pistolvania, in 2005. The mixtape paved the way for his first full length album entitled Show and Prove in 2006. Khalifa was declared an "artist to watch" that year in Rolling Stone magazine.^[10][11]

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".^[12] 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.^[13] 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".^[14] 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.^[15]

Wiz Khalifa performing at Columbia University in New York City in April 2010.

[edit] 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.^[14] 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.^[16] 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.^[17] Khalifa released his second album, Deal or No Deal, on November 24, 2009.^[18]

Khalifa performed at Emo's in Austin, Texas in March 2010 as part of the 2010 South by Southwest Music Festival.^[19] 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".^[20] He toured with rapper Yelawolf on a 20-date tour, the Deal Or No Deal Tour.^[21] 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.^[22]

2010: Signing with Atlantic Records[link]

Citing music industry insiders, New York magazine wrote that Khalifa signed with Atlantic Records in April 2010, although the rapper did not confirm it.^[23] 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.^[24] Khalifa confirmed to MTV on July 30 that he was signing an Atlantic Records deal.^[25]

Wiz Khalifa on stage in Boston in August 2010.

Khalifa was featured in a remix and video for the 2010 Rick Ross single "Super High", alongside Curren$y.^[26] He guested on the mixtape Grey Goose, Head Phones, and Thirsty Women by St. Louis rapper M.C,^[27] and was featured on the track "The Breeze (Cool)" on rapper Wale's August 2010 mixtape More About Nothing.^[28] 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.^[29]

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.^[30] 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.^[31] 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.^[8] 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.^[32]

[edit] 2010–11: Mainstream success and Rolling Papers

Wiz Khalifa at SXSW in 2010

Khalifa released "Black and Yellow", his first single for Rostrum/Atlantic, produced by Stargate, which has received radio airplay.^[8][33] The single was peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100; the title of the song refers to the colours of the City of Pittsburgh.^[34] Khalifa released his debut album with Atlantic Records in 2011.^[35] He appeared with Curren$y on the track "Scaling the Building" on producer Ski Beatz' 2010 album, 24 Hour Karate School.^[36] Khalifa's record label is Taylor Gang Records, named after his love of Chuck Taylor All-Stars^[8], and Taylor Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh, PA, where he graduated from.

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.^[37] Shortly afterward on March 31, 2011 Wiz Khalifa performed at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia as part of the school's annual Dooley's Weekend.^[38] On June 26, 2011, Khalifa was nominated and won Best New Artist at the BET Awards of 2011.^[39] Khalifa collaborated with 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.^[40][41] The single and the video song were released at the end of June 2011.^[42]

Personal life[link]

Thomaz proposed to model Amber Rose on March 1, 2012 showing off the ring on Twitter.^[43] He is personal friends with Snoop Dogg, Juicy J, Yelawolf, and fellow Pittsburgh rapper Mac Miller.^[44]

In March 2012, Thomaz purchased a 2.8 private wooded acres with a 3,891-square-foot residence in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, a small community southwest of Pittsburgh. The residence includes 5-bedroom, 4-bath eco-friendly, Brazilian Koa floors, stainless steel appliances, a separate guest house, and a lavish master suite with high ceilings.^[45] He currently resides there with his fiancée Amber Rose.

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• 2006: Show and Prove
• 2009: Deal or No Deal
• 2011: Rolling Papers
• 2012: O.N.I.F.C. ^[11][46][47]

Collaborative albums

• 2011: Mac & Devin Go to High School (with Snoop Dogg)
• 2012: TBA (with Taylor Gang)

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Wiz Khalifa

• Official website
• Wiz Khalifa on Facebook
• Wiz Khalifa on Myspace
• Wiz Khalifa on Twitter
• Wiz Khalifa at MTV
• Non-commercial Wiz Khalifa mixtapes