Wiz Khalifa‘s Pittsburgh anthem “Black and Yellow” has reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 after an 18-week climb, and the 23-year-old rapper tells Billboard.com that no one is more surprised at the success of the debut single than he is.
“It feels amazing. Everybody that makes music wants to be in this position,” says Khalifa (real name: Cameron Thomaz), who found out about the song reaching the chart’s pole position yesterday morning (Feb. 10). “I’m pretty level-headed about everything but… I did a little dance.”
Wiz Khalifa’s ‘Black and Yellow’ Tops Hot 100
As a catchy tribute to Khalifa’s hometown football team the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Stargate-produced “Black and Yellow” was supposed to be a set-up single before the rapper’s debut album, “Rolling Papers,” is released Mar. 29 on Rostrum/Atlantic. Although the Steelers lost to the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl last Sunday (Feb. 6) — “You win some, you lose some,” Khalifa laments about the game — the single powered from 4-1 on the chart to become the 999th No. 1 on the Hot 100.
“It was a complete surprise,” says Khalifa. “It being a song about Pittsburgh, I thought it would just be a great introduction. I never imagined this.”
Khalifa will continue prepping for the release of “Rolling Papers,” as the Jake Davis-directed music video for second single “Roll Up” is set to premiere soon. Last month the rapper told Billboard.com, “Everything that we drop after ‘Black and Yellow’ is going to do as well or better.”
Wiz Khalifa Drops ‘Roll Up’ Single
What about the highly likely possibility that Lady Gaga‘s new single, “Born This Way,” will head straight to No. 1 on next week’s chart and knock “Black and Yellow” out of the Hot 100 penthouse?
“[I’m] totally cool with that,” Khalifa says. “I got the new single ‘Roll Up,’ and I’m just happy to be where I’m at and just keep going.”
Wiz Khalifa: ‘Black and Yellow’ is ‘Just a Set-Up’ for Bigger Singles