Pittsburgh rap superstar Wiz Khalifa is just finding out how his family made their way to western Pennsylvania.
Khalifa sat down with host Henry Louis Gates Jr. for Tuesday’s new episode of Finding Your Roots on PBS. In Billboard‘s exclusive preview clip, Gates reveals that Wiz’s grandfather Willie Wimbush Jr. and his family headed to his hometown of Pittsburgh in 1955 during the Great Migration — roughly between 1910-1970 — when Black people and their families moved from the South to other parts of the country. Once Khalifa’s family reached Pennsylvania, Wimbush decided to settle in Pittsburgh’s Hill district, which has historically been a predominately Black neighborhood.
Hearing this news for the first time, Wiz felt proud. “It’s really good to learn it,” he said. “Just to know… just to feel Papa Bush’s ambition through his story. That’s what I could feel.”
Wiz’s episode, titled “Great Migrations,” will also feature actress Sanaa Lathan and will premiere at 8 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org, the PBS App and the PBS Documentaries Prime Video Channel.
Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr. recently kicked off the show’s 12th season and will feature a range of famous names, including musicians like Lizzo, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea, Darren Criss, Rhiannon Giddens and Kristin Chenoweth. Other celebrity guests: Kate Burton, Lizzy Caplan, Liza Colón-Zayas, Danielle Deadwyler, Barry Diller, America Ferrera, Brittney Griner, Sara Haines, Spike Lee, Tracy Letts, Delroy Lindo, Hasan Minhaj and Chris Paul.
Tune in Tuesday and watch the exclusive clip below.
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