The evolution of Wiz Khalifa

Marijuana’s reputation has been evolving rapidly in recent years, as it becomes more widely accepted and less taboo. Things are happening even faster for 28-year-old weed lover Cameron Thomaz, aka Wiz Khalifa, as he breaks into new realms of fame and fashion.

It’s no secret that getting lifted is a favorite recreational activity for Khalifa. Few national recording artists and celebrities wave the green-leaf flag more proudly. But lately he’s been moving into other areas, making a mark on pop culture by making really good music to go along with his hip-hop-meets-punk-rock image.

On Tuesday, Khalifa will rock out at the state’s second-largest concert venue, the Blaisdell Arena, returning for a second time to play to a near-sellout audience, bringing with him a larger catalog and persona to match.

For Khalifa, side hustle has been slang for smart business ventures (with Converse, WWE, Fan Duel and Universal Pictures). Instead of singing about slanging dope, he has succeeded by slanging his lifestyle and cool, down-to-earth swagger.

Since his last visit four years ago, the Pittsburgh reppin’ artist has become a father, and gotten married to, then divorced from social media vixen Amber Rose. At the last solid Honolulu concert, he led a "Happy Birthday" serenade of his then-girlfriend Rose onstage. This visit will mark close to a year since the power couple split.

On the musical front, Khalifa (he told Interview magazine the name means "spread the word") has earned a streak of Grammy nominations for his music between 2012 and 2015, including a nom for Best Rap Album this year for "Blacc Hollywood." It’s a feat only Kanye West, another music and fashion trendsetter, has achieved over the same time.

AFTER BEING in the rap game for a decade, he’s evolved somewhat from his original image as a pothead rapper with a baby afro to a more polished and astute performer with blond-tinted braids and designer sunglasses, all the while exuding a Snoop Dogg-esque confidence and the edgy magnetism of a Jimi Hendrix.

There is no bigger example of the Taylor Gang label boss’s evolution from stoner boy to noteworthy artist than the success of "See You Again" from the "Furious 7" soundtrack. "See You Again," featuring Charlie Puth, was an undisputed song of the summer, topping the Billboard singles charts for an unprecedented 12 (nonconsecutive) weeks and surpassing the previous record of 10 weeks held by the Black Eyed Peas (2009’s "Boom, Boom, Pow") and Eminem (2002’s "Lose Yourself").

The song, a tribute to Paul Walker, spent 19 weeks in the Top 10, and charted in at No. 1 in eight countries. Last week the piano-laced ballad still held a position in the top 20.

Khalifa’s single with Snoop Dogg, called "No Social Media," also just came out last week. It’s a playful ode about escaping the superficial world of likes, retweets and shares.

Meanwhile, his performance of "See You Again" with Taylor Swift on her ridiculously successful "1989" tour created quite the social-media and regular-media buzz. That was a lead-in to Khalifa’s 28th-birthday celebration as a requested presenter last week at the Fashion Media Awards during New York’s Fashion Week.

Instead of wanting to party with him, it seems more and more people want to be like the budding fashion icon or, at least, follow his lead by emulating his look.

While beanies and hats will always be some of his go-to headgear, everything else he wears reveals a daring and boldly funky style, whether he’s sporting a shirt by one of his favorite designers, Brian Lichtenburg, or a custom-fit pair of Nudie denim jeans.

Khalifa’s hard-hitting verse about family and his recent success at the Teen Choice Awards show that his music and appeal have expanded. But he maintains the urban street cred he came into the music game with, remaining unfazed by controversy (and reportedly stopped at airports around the world more than 20 times over marijuana suspicions). He would still rather go hard than go home.

He’s matured in grand fashion as well as brand fashion.