For 22-year-old Pittsburgh, Pa., rapper Wiz Khalifa, the sold-out crowd that turned up for his Friday night (Mar. 26) show at the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza symbolized one thing: vindication. “I’m just proud that a n—a from Pittsburgh could do it,” he told the throng of sweaty teens in mid-set.

 Last July, Khalifa parted ways with Warner Bros. Records after being signed to the label for two years, during which time he notched a memorable single in 2008′s “Say Yeah,” a rap redux of the 1999 trance hit “Better Off Alone” by Alice Dejay. No full-length album ever materialized, though. Instead, he built and maintained his buzz through mixtapes, releasing the acclaimed “How Fly,” a stoner-rap collaboration with New Orleans rapper Curren$y, in August. The multiple genre-spanning “Burn After Rolling” followed in November, leading up to the release of Khalifa’s second official album, “Deal Or No Deal,” on indie label Rostrum Records just weeks later. The album reached the top of iTunes’ hip-hop albums chart and proved that Khalifa’s freebie releases had paid off — just as they continued to on this night, the latest stop of Khalifa’s 20-date tour. Read More

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