The hip-hop pulse
In a red-walled recording studio in Lawrenceville last weekend, a group of music producers closed their eyes, drummed their fists on their knees and bounced along to a deep beat. It's the practiced head bob of those in the industry and a sign of approval for the mix blasting through the speakers.
Wiz Khalifa, 17, secured headphones over his cock-eyed Yankees hat, ready to put last-minute touches on the vocal track.
"If you ain't from the City of Steel, your city ain't real," rapped the lanky teenager, whose oversized white T-shirt reached down to his thighs and concealed his Snoop Dogg-like build.
"Wiz is going to be the face of Pittsburgh hip-hop," said Benjy Grinberg, president of Rostrum Records, which signed the Taylor Allderdice High School senior to a recording contract in May.
Khalifa's been recording at I.D. Labs for the past year, and now, with Grinberg, he's whittling down 40 samples to a 15-song album. They hope to wrap this week, when Grinberg will take Khalifa's music back to New York and shop it around to bigger labels.
On Saturday, the group crammed in a back studio around a sound board with one mission: To prove Pittsburgh hip-hop has a pulse.
"The trouble with Pittsburgh is there's nobody to get your music out there," said Chad Glick, a producer at I.D. Labs and Khalifa's manager. "I don't think there was anyone in a position like Benjy before."
Grinberg, a Pittsburgh native and Allderdice graduate, founded Rostrum Records after working for a handful of labels. During his a stint as the assistant to the Arista Records president in New York, he built a large network that gave him the confidence to go out on his own and produce handpicked artists with a special edge.
Khalifa is one of his "diamonds in the rough."
"When I started my company, it was kind of a dream of mine to come back to Pittsburgh and mine the city for artists because I feel like it's been overlooked," Grinberg said.
He heard Khalifa's music and came in town to work with the young rapper. When they were introduced, Grinberg said he was blown away and thinks he has all the elements to make a star.
"It doesn't just take good penmanship. It's the experiences you go through, your tone of voice, your delivery," Grinberg said.
Khalifa moved around the world with his parents, both American soldiers, before landing in Pittsburgh in 1996. The vagabond life of a military brat gave him time to reflect and write, he said, and meant his closest relationships are with family members.
"Everything I've done my whole life has been about music," Khalifa said. "My parents made it so I could work on my talent and make it. I was blessed with a good upbringing and good people around me."
It was his uncle that introduced him to hip-hop and nicknamed him "Wisdom." Khalifa, whose real name is Cameron Thomaz, shortened the name to "Wiz" and borrowed an Arabic word, which means "to succeed," for his last name.
He always has a notebook with him -- in his car, in his pocket -- where he scribbles down lyrics and ideas.
"A lot of people don't know how to express themselves. I'm blessed with the talent to do that," he said.
His mom, Katie "Peachie" Wimbush-Page, often sits in on his sessions, too. She said her son always has been lyrical.
"He's got what it takes to be the next big name in hip-hop," she said, like any other proud mom, except everyone in the room believes her, too. "The first time I saw him perform on stage, I couldn't believe how good he was, how natural he was, and how witty he is at his age.
"But he's always been like that," she added. "I'm happy he's doing something positive and not on the streets like a lot of young men in urban cities."
I.D. Labs has been Khalifa's outlet.
"To me, this is the center of hip-hop in Pittsburgh," studio owner Eric Dan said.
Dan sees 20 to 30 artists come through the Butler Street studio each week and said his "ears perked up" when he heard Khalifa's work.
Pittsburgh's hip-hop scene may be gradually gaining momentum, but there's nothing slow and steady about the beats dropped in this Lawrenceville studio. They're complex, even explosive.
And it's the Steel Town's own sound, Grinberg said.
"It's a particular energy, a vibe," he said. "There are certain intonations in Wiz's voice that are very Pittsburgh. It's not like he's saying 'yinz,' but he calls out Pittsburgh and 412."
Besides his area code pride, he also calls out a lot of expletives ("I had to let it go," his mom said), and jokes about how he'll change the words or scratch the record for the radio version. He's not joking about reaching that level of stardom.
"I want to be an icon," Khalifa said. "I want to inspire people the way people have inspired me with their music."
"And my plans are to keep it Pittsburgh," he said. "I'm not just gonna split."
Additional Information:
I.D. Labs
Where 5272 Butler St., Lawrenceville
Details: Open 7 days a week. Call (412) 782-5227 to make an appointment.
Studio Time: Studio Time: $40 per hour; $300 eight-hour block
Mixing: $75 to $150 per song
Mastering: $25 per song; $250 for 15-track album; $300 for 15 or more tracks
