At Just 63, the Father of Wiz Khalifa Passed Away Unexpectedly, Leaving a Quiet Wave of Grief That No Amount of Fame Could Soften

PITTSBURGH – December 1, 2025 – “I wasn’t ready to say goodbye…” Those words, shared quietly by Wiz Khalifa in a rare and deeply personal Instagram post, have captured the raw pain behind the loss of his father, who passed away unexpectedly at the age of 63. For the rapper — known to the world for his laid-back hits, rolling papers empire, and larger-than-life persona — this was not a headline moment. It was a son grieving a man he simply called Dad. Those closest to the family describe a heavy silence settling over the household, the kind of grief that arrives before words can catch up, leaving even the brightest stars facing one of life’s darkest truths.

Wiz Khalifa, born Cameron Jibril Thomaz, has always kept his family life relatively private. He rarely spoke publicly about his parents, preferring to let his music and social media reflect joy, fatherhood, and the high-life he built from Pittsburgh streets to global stages. But the sudden death of his father — whose name has been withheld at the family’s request — has shifted that silence into something more visible. In his post, Wiz shared a single photo: an old picture of himself as a child sitting on his father’s shoulders, both smiling under a Pittsburgh summer sky. The caption was brief but piercing: “I wasn’t ready to say goodbye. Rest easy, Dad. Love you forever.”

Friends and insiders say the loss came without warning. Wiz’s father had been in good health, still living in the Pittsburgh area where he raised his son after his parents separated. “He was proud of Cameron,” one longtime family friend told The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “He never missed a show when Wiz came home. He’d stand in the back, arms folded, just beaming.” The family has asked for privacy during this time, but Wiz’s decision to share the news publicly — and to speak about the pain — has resonated deeply with fans who have watched him grow from a teenage rapper to a father himself.

Wiz has two children: son Sebastian Taylor Thomaz (born 2013 with ex-partner Niki Zefanya) and daughter True Khalifa Thomaz (born 2024 with wife Aimee Aguilar). In recent years, he has spoken openly about wanting to be a present father, a direct contrast to parts of his own childhood. “I didn’t have my dad around as much as I wanted,” he said in a 2023 interview. “I promised myself my kids would never feel that.” Now, facing the sudden absence of his own father, that promise takes on new weight.

The hip-hop community has rallied. Snoop Dogg, a longtime mentor, posted: “Sending love to the whole Thomaz family. Pops was proud of you, nephew. Rest in power.” Wiz’s Pittsburgh roots run deep — he has frequently shouted out the city and his family in tracks like “See You Again” and “Black and Yellow.” Fans have flooded his comments with memories: “Your dad raised a king,” “He’s watching every show from above,” “Your pain is ours — we love you Wiz.”

For Wiz, the loss is personal, but it echoes a larger truth many artists face: fame can amplify joy, but it cannot shield from grief. The man who once rapped about rolling through life with ease now faces a silence that no amount of music can fill. Yet in his grief, he has reminded millions of something simple and profound: even the biggest stars are sons, and every son eventually has to say goodbye.

Rest in peace to Wiz Khalifa’s father. And to Wiz — take all the time you need. The world will wait.