Wiz Khalifa has announced the passing of his father, Laurence W. Thomaz, taking to X to write, “Today my father decided not to wake up.” The rapper, whose real name is Cameron Jibril Thomaz, shared that his father was 63 years old, according to TMZ.
In a follow-up post, Khalifa expressed his grief and gratitude, saying, “I will always love him, miss him and be grateful for the things he taught me. He went out like a true yogi, at peace and on his own time. I love you forever, Laurence W. Thomaz.” He added, “My father’s passing was sudden, but seeing how many people love and respected him makes me happy, and I know he’s proud that he left a positive impact on this earth. Literally all he ever wanted.”
The rapper also reflected on his last conversation with his dad, recalling how Thomaz praised his work in a movie. “The last conversation I had with my dad was him telling me how proud of me he was for the movie I was in, and I promised him I would do more. LT Forever,” Khalifa wrote.
Sharing gratitude for the support he has received, Khalifa thanked his followers, noting, “Thank you all for your kind words. It really means a lot in this tough time and is helping me feel better.”
On Instagram, Khalifa posted a series of throwback photos with his father. One photo showed Thomaz helping a young Khalifa onto a swing, captioned simply, “Love you big guy.” Another featured him as a child with his dad and late sibling Dorien “Lala” Thomaz, who passed away in 2017. “You and La La are together again,” Khalifa wrote with a praying emoji, remembering the bond he shared with both his father and brother.
Khalifa has previously spoken about the deep connection he had with his father, who inspired his music career. In a 2016 interview with NME, he said that his father’s decision to start a recording studio in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, gave him the foundation to pursue rap from a young age. “I was in second grade when I first started rapping… I lived in that studio. And that’s what turned me into who I am today,” he explained.
The “See You Again” artist is also a father of two. He shares his 12-year-old son, Sebastian, with ex-wife Amber Rose, to whom he was married from 2013 to 2016.
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