Popular rapper Wiz Khalifa 28, has roots in Minot, where he was born as Cameron Jibril Thomaz on Sept. 8, 1987, but he calls his hometown Pittsburgh, Pa.

According to his bio at Wikipedia, Khalifa’s parents were in the Air Force and he grew up all over the world.

By the time he was a teenager, he was living in Pennsylvania, where he graduated from high school.

According to his bio at billboard.com, Khalifa started writing songs when he was 9 and started recording records in his father’s studio in Oklahoma by the time he was 12. When he was in high school, he recorded at a studio in Pittsburgh. A mixtape called “Prince of the City: Welcome to Pistolvania” came out in 2006 on Rostrum Records.

Khalifa, his stage name, came from an Arabic name and “Wiz” is short for “wisdom,” according to a published interview at www.brothaashproductions.com/WizKhalifaInterview.htm

The rap artist’s debut album was “Say Yeah,” released in 2006. His second album, “Deal or No Deal,” was released in 2009. He signed with Atlantic Records in 2010. His album “Rolling Papers” was released in 2011, followed by the album “Blacc Hollywood'” in 2014. His most recent hit song is “See You Again,” released in March and on the soundtrack of the movie “Furious 7.”