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Wiz Khalifa Inks With Atlantic via Rostrum Records; MTV's "Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010" to Release Label Debut Early Next Year; The 50-City, "Waken Baken Tour," Kicks Off September 16th in Philadelphia

Atlantic Records has announced the signing of acclaimed rapper Wiz Khalifa, an outcome of a deal with Rostrum Records, the rapper's longtime independent label. The Pittsburgh-based hip-hop sensation is currently at work on his much-anticipated label debut, slated for release in early 2011.

Recently named MTV's "Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010," Wiz is set to embark on a massive North American tour dubbed the "Waken Baken Tour," which kicks off on Thursday, September 16th at Philadelphia's The Trocadero and then continues through late November (see below itinerary).

Having already released a steady stream of popular mixtapes, Wiz blew up big-time earlier this year with the release of his blockbuster, "KUSH & ORANGE JUICE." The mixtape proved to be a genuine online phenomenon, quickly becoming the #1 search topic on both Google and Yahoo!, as well as a #1 trending topic on Twitter, with the hashtag, #kushandorangejuice. "KUSH & ORANGE JUICE" is now ranked as the "Most Popular Mixtape of All Time" at DatPiff.com with nearly a quarter of a million downloads to date.

Since then, Wiz' online presence has been undeniable, with close to 8 million profile views and a total of nearly 30 million plays at his official MySpace page, www.myspace.com/wizkhalifa, as well as over 220,000 fans following him at www.twitter.com/RealWizKhalifa. In addition to this, the rapper's official Facebook page, at www.facebook.com/WizKhalifa, is "liked" by over 400,000 people.

Inspired by hip-hop's greatest artists but determined to pave his own lane, Wiz Khalifa first made waves after an encounter with Rostrum Records' founder Benjy Grinberg. The label head instantly recognized a superstar on the rise and Rostrum soon released Wiz' first mixtape, "PRINCE OF THE CITY," and the subsequent debut album, "SHOW AND PROVE," in 2006. The album quickly earned unprecedented critical praise, with Okayplayer.com declaring it "arguably the best hip-hop release of the year," officially putting Wiz on the radar of artists to look out for.

Riding the momentum of "SHOW AND PROVE," Wiz released a multitude of mixtapes over the next three years, gaining him both the buzz and the loyal fan base needed to catapult him to the next level. Wiz' next album, "DEAL OR NO DEAL," was released in November of 2009 and landed in the #1 spot on iTunes "Top Hip Hop/Rap Albums" chart thanks to the huge buzz generated by his indefatigable grassroots grind. Showing no signs of slowing down, Wiz embarked on a 40-city, sold out "Deal Or No Deal Tour," in support of the highly successful album.

For up-to-the-minute information, please visit www.wizkhalifa.com, www.facebook.com/wizkhalifa, www.twitter.com/realwizkhalifa, or www.myspace.com/wizkhalifa.

(TOUR ITINERARY BELOW)

WIZ KHALIFA

WAKEN BAKEN TOUR 2010

SEPTEMBER
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16          Philadelphia, PA          The Trocadero
19          Charlottesville, VA       Jefferson Theater
21          New Haven, CT             Toad's Place
22          Providence, RI            Lupo's
24          Montreal, QUEB            La Tulipe
25          Kingston, ONT             Stage's Nightclub
26          Toronto, ONT              The Opera House
28          Columbus, OH              Newport Music Hall
29          Chicago, IL               Metro
30          Urbana, IL                Canopy Club


OCTOBER
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1           Madison, WI               The Orpheum Theater
2           Big Rapids, MI            Ferris State University
4           Iowa City, IA             The Union Bar
5           Minneapolis, MN           First Avenue
6           Omaha, NE                 Sokol Auditorium
7           Denver, CO                Ogden Theater
8           Boulder, CO               Fox Theater
9           Colorado Springs, CO      The Black Sheep
10          Salt Lake City, UT        In The Venue
12          Boise, ID                 The Knitting Factory
14          Vancouver, BC             Fortune
15          Seattle, WA               Showbox Sodu
16          Eugene, OR                Wow Hall
26          Tucson, AZ                Rialto Theater
27          Scottsdale, AZ            Venue Of Scottsdale
28          Albuquerque, NM           Sunshine Theater
29          Dallas, TX                House Of Blues
30          Austin, TX                Emo's
31          Houston, TX               House Of Blues

NOVEMBER
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2           New Orleans, LA           House Of Blues
4           Orlando, FL               Club At Firestone
5           Tampa, FL                 The Ritz
6           Atlanta, GA               Masquerade
10          Richmond, VA              The National
11          Norfolk, VA               Norva Theater
14          Albany, NY                Northern Lights
16          Allentown, PA             Crocodile Café

Additional Dates To Be Announced