Don't pay any attention to all the tattoos, his arrest last year on charges relating to marijuana (they were eventually dropped) or the fact that's he's dating Kanye West's ex-girlfriend.
Once you've had the chance to speak with Cameron Thomas - better known to legions of fans as Wiz Khalifa - it quickly becomes evident that he's an articulate young man with his entire career ahead of him, and he has no plans to slow down or change the way he's living his life.
Hailing from Pittsburgh, Khalifa is a recording artist who realizes that hard work is the only way to make his hip-hop hustle pay off. But unlike others who rose above the gritty reality of drugs and street violence to legitimate success - or worse, pretended to be someone they're not (i.e. a "studio gangsta") - he willingly talks about his military family upbringing and is quick to mention his crew, Taylor Gang, and how he wants to make sure his friends get a taste of the same success he currently enjoys.
Khalifa spoke with the Pulse earlier this month by phone from Los Angeles in advance of his first-ever visit to Hawaii.
QUESTION: Did you smoke before brushing this morning?
ANSWER: Actually, I did. (laughs)
Q: You've spoken a lot in interviews about your use of marijuana. Has that subject gotten old for you yet?
A: It doesn't get old. At the end of the day, I put it out there. It’s a fun fact about me. It's easy to go ahead (and talk about).
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