Rapper Wiz Khalifa, the Pittsburgh-born artist known for hits like Black and Yellow and See You Again, shared a unique family tradition on social media this past Saturday. In a clip posted to his Instagram Stories, the 38-year-old musician performed 13 ceremonial punches on his son Sebastian, nicknamed Bash, to honor his 13th birthday.
A Longstanding Family Ritual
Khalifa, whose full name is Cameron Jibril Thomaz, donned a pair of boxing gloves for the annual event, which he described in an adjacent caption with the words: 'We still doin' birthday licks in this house. Took it like a g tho.' Before delivering the punches, he instructed his son to 'tense up and breathe out' when taking the hits, adding, 'Ready - thirteen - here we go ... take it like a G, you're 13 years old.' The tradition concluded with Khalifa saying, 'Here we go, one for good luck,' as he administered a final punch.
Emotional Celebrations at the Birthday Party
Later that evening, Khalifa delivered a heartfelt speech at a birthday party for Sebastian, expressing gratitude to attendees and pride in his son. In text displayed on a clip from the gathering, he stated: 'Bash’s party turned out amazing thank you everyone who came out and I hope you all guys all made it home safe.' He continued, 'Thank everybody for coming out. We’re just gonna keep it short man we all love Bash – make some noise real quick - anyway, we love you.'
Addressing Sebastian directly, Khalifa added: 'We appreciate you - you’re so cool, you’re so kind, you treat everybody nice and we’re proud of you. And we’re just happy that you’re a teen - and some of y’all might be teens already, but he’s officially a teen today.' He rallied partygoers to applaud his son, saying, 'One more time for the legend Bash,' and noted, 'So we’re proud of you and we love you; you got all your family all your friends here.'
Co-Parenting and Family Dynamics
Sebastian is the son of Khalifa and his ex-wife, model and television personality Amber Rose, 42. The couple was married from 2013 to 2016 and have spoken publicly about their amicable co-parenting relationship. Rose shared her own social media clips from the party, captioning them 'Happy birthday to my babyyyy,' which showed Sebastian posing with friends and partygoers, including singer Ray J.
In a 2020 interview with People magazine, Rose remarked on their post-divorce friendship, saying: 'Wiz will always be my best friend, forever – we’re best friends. It’s kind of weird, because it’s like we’re almost better divorced, you know?' Khalifa, who is also father to daughter Kaydence with his girlfriend of seven years, Aimee Aguilar, reflected on the end of his marriage in a 2020 Playboy interview.
He admitted to feeling sad during the divorce, particularly due to the impact on his son, stating: 'I was sad because we were going through a lot and my son was involved, and that hurt me because my main goal is to raise my son how I want. I’m a control freak, and not being able to control that was weird.' However, he emphasized that he was never depressed, adding, 'I’ve never really been depressed in my life,' and noted that over time, he became 'better equipped to deal with it.'
Representatives for Khalifa have been contacted by media outlets for further comment on the story, though no additional statements have been released at this time. The ceremonial punches and emotional party highlights showcase a family tradition that blends playful ritual with heartfelt celebration, underscoring the strong bonds within Khalifa's blended family.
