April Fools’: Wiz Khalifa becomes anti-drug activist
March 31, 2011
Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa announced Thursday that he will donate his $10,000-a-month… Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa announced Thursday that he will donate his $10,000-a-month marijuana budget to the Ray Y. Bees Foundation for a Less-Drug-Driven America.
The artist — famous for tracks like the Pittsburgh-inspired anthem “Black and Yellow” and his new album Rolling Papers — has been reaching out to support several diverse organizations promoting public welfare, including the aforementioned Bees foundation, and Tall Trees Unlimited in promotion of nature conservation.
Khalifa’s support has taken the form of more than just monetary donations, however. He has recently been featured in public service announcements for the organizations.
“Black stripe, yellow paint,” Khalifa raps in one of the announcements, “without grass, burgers taste the same.”
But what could have made the Woodie Award-winning rapper switch his career track from mixtapes and popular singles to feature gigs for government-funded initiatives?
“You know how you can license a dead celebrity’s image? It’s kind of like that,” he said while wearing a T-shirt of Pat Boone, a singer who reinterpreted blues songs to remove explicit content. “And anyway, it’s not like [those organizations] don’t know what’s fly … have you ever seen how many hipsters wear D.A.R.E. shirts?”
Longtime fan and half-credit Pitt student Fratzen C. Brohemian had a few concerns when he heard about the change in direction.
“I’m not sure if nature conservation and anti-drug campaigning is the kind of thing I want my record-buying dollars going to,” he said.
“As my fans know,” Khalifa responded via his Xanga, “I’ve always loved trees.”
Editor’s Note: Our lawyers made us point out that this is an April Fools’ Day parody.