Wiz Khalifa

Hailed as the natural successor to regular wingman Snoop Dogg's stoner-rap throne, Pittsburgh MC Wiz Khalifa built himself a sticky green empire with a potent blend of slick rhymes, pop hooks and weed advocacy. Emerging from his hometown's hip-hop scene at the age of 16, Khalifa spent several years in artist development before he was finally unleashed on the public with a series of mix-tapes and an independent debut album, Show and Prove, which had the likes of Rolling Stone and Vibe proclaiming him the next big thing. 2009's Deal or No Deal enhanced his reputation further, but it was his 2010 tribute to the Pittsburgh Steelers, "Black and Yellow," and parent album, Rolling Papers, that propelled Khalifa into the stratosphere. Guest appearances on Top 10 hits by T-Pain and Maroon 5, 2014's chart-topping Blacc Hollywood and a brief foray into acting cemented his appeal, while the launch of his own line of rolling papers and strain of marijuana proved he had a business brain every bit as sharp as his lyrics.