Honeysuckle Media caught up with one of Rap's biggest pop stars. Wiz Khalifa - the multi-platinum-selling, GRAMMY and Golden Globe nominated Rap icon, Khalifa Kush Canna-mogul - is the brilliance of our upcoming Honeysuckle February print edition cover shoot. We were there in the room, the first time Wiz laid hands on his first LEGALLY GROWN Khalifa Kush in the state of California. if that isn't history in the making, then we don't know what is.
Wiz's Khalifa Kush will initially be sold exclusively at Cookies locations for its first California launch. We were live at Cookies Maywood on Friday January 28 for the first Cali Khalifa Kush drop!
Check out our state of the art behind-the-scenes video with the pop star here (you will catch glimpses of him putting his hands on the first legal batch of California Khalifa Kush!) here:
For our cover shoot, we took to Voelker Studio in LA, where Wiz put on an amazing show for us in terms of being the perfect person to photograph. He sang, he danced, and our photographer Sam C. Long walked away saying, "I felt like I got a private concert from Wiz!"
Honeysuckle's February Black History Month edition hits shelves mid-February. And we have an exclusive Q&A with the rapper himself. PS. Scan the code, maybe you'll get a free one!
Who Is Wiz Khalifa?
Born Cameron Jibril Thomaz, the multi-award-winning artist best known as Wiz Khalifa grew up in a military family that moved around internationally, living in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan before settling in Pittsburgh by 1996. Wiz, then just 10 years old, had already begun to write the music and lyrics for his own songs. He chose his artistic name from the words "wisdom" (shortened to "Wiz") and "Khalifa," an Arabic word meaning "successor."
In 2004, the 16-year-old Wiz contributed to a mixtape featuring several young Pittsburgh rappers, and came to the attention of Rostrum Records, later signing to Warner Bros. Records. Though he debuted his first full-length album, Show and Prove, in 2006 and was deemed an "Artist to Watch" by Rolling Stone that year, Wiz would achieve worldwide recognition in 2010 with his mixtape Kush and Orange Juice, followed by the release of his single "Black and Yellow" - a tribute to Pittsburgh - reaching Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He was then signed to Atlantic Records and one can only marvel at his explosive progress from there.
Over the intervening years, Wiz has catapulted to superstardom, with five other critically acclaimed albums, multiple Grammy nominations, numerous film and TV projects, and a thriving business empire to his credit, including the outstanding cannabis brand Khalifa Kush (KK).
Wiz Khalifa's Cannabis Brand Khalifa Kush
A passionate cannabis advocate and connoisseur, Wiz worked with expert cultivators to develop a strain exclusively for his private stash, which became the distinctive Khalifa Kush. With his longtime manager Will Dzombak and friend Tim Hunkele, both of whom he had known since high school, Wiz ultimately co-founded KK as a brand to bring the distinctive flower public. KK launched in 2015, first becoming available in Nevada, then Arizona and Utah. Its lines of flower and pre-rolls, as well as virally popular merch and apparel, have made it a hit with the cannabis community and nationally lauded. Team members at Khalifa Kush are dedicated to the brand's motto that "everyone can smoke like Wiz," and their constant innovations ensure that statement comes true.
The Cookies events this January marked KK's much-anticipated entry into California's cannabis market, to be followed in the coming months by Michigan and even more states still to be announced.
Surprise: Wiz Got Wings
Wiz surprised everyone at the end of 2021 when he dropped his latest album, Wiz Got Wings. In many ways, the new work is a return to his roots, as he reunited with Kush and Orange Juice producers Cardo Got Wings and Sledgren for the project. The 14-track album features appearances by artists Curren$y, Larry June, Chevy Woods, Young Deji, and Fedd the God - the latter three under Wiz's Taylor Gang Entertainment label, which he co-founded to operate out of Pittsburgh.
Fans and critics alike have remarked on the album cover's Blaxploitation-themed artwork, which might be a nod to Wiz's upcoming role in the film Spinning Gold, about Casablanca Records chief Neil Bogart. Spinning Gold is currently in production and Wiz has been confirmed to play funk music pioneer and Parliament leader George Clinton.
How Tall is Wiz Khalifa?
The dashing and charming Wiz is 6'4," one whole inch taller than our creative director Sam C. Long, who photographed him for the shoot. Normally the tallest man in the room, Sam was happy to lay down his torch. We shot Wiz outside and inside Voelker Studio in Los Angeles. Voelker is actually a famous studio owned by the late Chris Voelker, notorious for shooting disabled covers for New Mobility and various celebrities. Well-known figures who have graced Voelker Studio with their presence include Beyonce, Ben Affleck, Queen Latifah, Mandy Moore, the cast of The Young and the Restless, and many more.
Though we scouted Voelker's cacti gardens that we shot Wiz in, (according to his height) it was not enough to stop him from getting pricked. "Damn Cactus!" he said. "That hurt!" We love a man who appreciates nature as much as we do.
What is Wiz Khalifa's Net Worth?
A lot more than yours! With all of Wiz's ventures, be they in music, gaming, TV, film and the huge expansion of his amazing cannabis brand Khalifa Kush, his true assets come out in his personality and smile. Though a superstar of the tallest order, Wiz was charming, charismatic, and he honestly has the best smile. It's no wonder that the world is his oyster. He deserves it!
Wiz Khalifa: See You Again
Knowing that we would see Wiz January 28 at the Cookies launch with our February Honeysuckle sample issues featuring gorgeous photography from said shoot made this a true day to remember. As we bid farewell to the icon, we couldn't help saying: "Wiz, we will See You Again!"
Big thanks to @BigBunny and @playboy for providing a portion of the wardrobe.
Black History Month
**If you are in NYC, please come to our Black History Month Burlesque WeedBall issue launch at House of X: tickets here. https://www.ticketfairy.com/event/la-revue-negre/
