His name is pronounced "Kha-leed."
Not Khaled. That's the other guy.
He's a military kid, raised by a single mother.
Khalid's mother Linda Wolfe worked in the military as a supply technician, though she also dabbled in music on the side. After getting an opportunity to audition for the military band (the alternative was going to war), she took the opportunity in order to be closer to her children. She managed to land a spot in the choir, but the tumultuous nature of a military lifestyle meant that Khalid was frequently on the move.
He spent several years living in Germany and New York.
Six years in Germany, New York for four. When asked about his frequent moves, Khalid told Sway that they "gave him a sense of maturity. I really had to accept at an early age that friendships don't last forever. Moments don't last forever, and memories are memories.
After a move to Texas, Khalid found a "home" in El Paso.
"I've lived a lot of places," says Khalid, in a documentary he shot with The Fader, "But I would say my home is El Paso. I get so much love, from a city that I'm not even predominantly from, everyone is nice and welcoming and they treat me like their own."
His mom is one of his biggest musical inspirations.
While mothers saying their kids are talented should often be taken with a grain of salt, the opposite is far less common. Khalid proudly states that his mother is one of his favorite singers by far. Collab incoming?
His breakout single "Location" scored him his first platinum plaque.
"Location," arguably Khalid's biggest track, proved quite the commercial juggernaut. Not only did it land Khalid his first platinum plaque, but it also amassed an impressive Youtube view count of 74,716,808 (as of this second). The song was produced by Syk Sense, Tunji Ige and Smash David, and Khalid ended up recording the track a week before the prom of his senior year.
He ultimately finished recording the song with his friends and mom vibing out in the studio. "It was just an expression of everything I was feeling," says Khalid. "I was talkin' to a new girl, I was vibing with her, I wanted to impress her, do all that type of stuff."
The title of his debut album "American Teen" was a representation of his identity.
"I'm an eighteen year old American Teen," Khalid told Pigeons and Planes. "Being military, being black, all of that is what America is all about right now. It should be about diversity...It can hit the masses...At the same time, everybody is going through the same type of stuff. We're all going through heartbreak, we're all going through happiness. It's really just a compilation of all the stories that I have."
He got a valuable piece of advice from Kehlani.
He toured with Travis Scott, opening for the "Bird's Eye View" tour.
Travis ended up following Khalid on Twitter, which ultimately led to La Flame's people reaching out to Khalid's people. After that, the rest was history.
He has been posting up with many big names on Instagram.
Scroll through his feed, and marvel at the connections Khalid has made at such a young age. Bryson Tiller, SZA, Kendrick Lamar, DJ Khaled, French Montana, Post Malone, Swizz Beatz, Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, Ice Cube, and of course, Travis Scott.
