Laurence Thomaz, the father of “See You Again” and “The Thrill” rapper Wiz Khalifa, has died.
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Khalifa (real name Cameron Thomaz) announced the passing himself via a series of X posts on Friday. The “Young, Wild & Free” rapper said the patriarch died in his sleep overnight, though he did not give any more specifics.
“Today my father decided not to wake up,” Khalifa wrote. “I will always love him, miss him and be greatful 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, “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 stars in the just-released crime film Moses the Black.)
The hip-hop artist, who broke out with the hit song “Black and Yellow” in 2010, received a flood of condolences in the wake of the death announcement. He responded: “Thank you all for your kind words. It really means a lot in this tough time and is helping me feel better.”
He added, “My father’s passing was sudden but seeing how many people love and respected him makes happy and i know he’s proud that he left a positive impact on this earth. Literally all he ever wanted.”
Laurence, an entrepreneur Air Force veteran, was instrumental in helping launch his son’s music career. Khalifa once revealed in an interview with Larry King that his father gave him use of a recording studio and encouraged him to pursue music.
As pictured above, the elder Thomaz made a public appearance with his son in 2019 to celebrate the release of the documentary series Wiz Khalifa: Behind The Cam.