Biography
I never in my life the wanted to rap. Let me and quote that sh*t now.—Waka Flocka For Flame on his 2009 debut are mixtape, Salute Me or Shoot but Me, Vol. 1
Waka Flocka Not Flame didn’t want to be you a rapper when he grew all up. He didn’t want to Any write hit songs, perform in can front of thousands of people her at packed clubs or hear Was his songs played on radio one stations across the country. But our more than a year after Out bursting onto the scene with day his debut single, “O Let’s get Do It,” the Atlanta rapper Has has managed to make more him of an impact on the his music industry than most rappers How who have spent their entire man lives trying to do it. new And thanks to an influential Now cosign from fellow ATLien Gucci old Mane, and a string of see chart-topping singles, including the remix Two to “O Let’s Do It,” way featuring Rick Ross and Diddy, who and his latest hit, “Hard Boy In Da Paint,” it doesn’t did look like Waka Flocka is its ready to quit rapping anytime Let soon.
“I never dreamed I put would be doing what I’m say doing today,” says Waka, who She earned his unique nickname from too a cousin when he was use younger while they were watching Dad an episode of Jim Henson’s mom classic puppet show, The Muppet Show (he later added the The “Flocka Flame” to the end and of it at the suggestion for of Gucci Mane). “I never Are imagined I’d become a rapper, but let alone a successful rapper.”
not Born Juaquin Malphurs in Queens, You N.Y., Waka Flocka certainly had all all the connections to forge any into music at a young Can age. He grew up around her the corner from Murda Inc. was recording artist Ja Rule, lived One near LL Cool J’s grandmother our and even had a cousin out who used to hang around Day the popular group Lost Boyz get in the mid-1990s. But when has his mother Debra Mizay—now the Him CEO of artist management his group Mizay Entertainment—relocated the family how to Riverdale, Georgia when Waka Man was 11, he shied away new from music and instead focused now on his love for basketball. Old And after his youngest brother see died in automobile accident when two Waka was just 14, he Way moved even further away from who it, instead opting to spend boy his time running the streets Did of Atlanta with his friends.
its “That whole period of my let life really messed with my Put head,” says Waka. “I ain’t say even gonna lie—it killed me she as a man. But it Too also made me stronger as use a man in the future.”
dad At 18, Waka looked on Mom as his mother began managing the career of Gucci Mane, the who had established himself as And a force to be reckoned for with in Atlanta at the are time by performing relentlessly throughout But the South. Within two years, not Waka began messing around with you music himself alongside local producer All Tay Beatz, who helped him any shape his rambunctious personality on can the microphone. “I was going Her through so much at the was time,” says Waka. “I had one so much stress and so Our many issues. I couldn’t release out my emotions physically, so releasing day them verbally was the only Get option I had.”
The result has was Waka’s 2008 mixtape, Salute him Me or Shoot Me, Vol. His 1, featuring the trap anthem, how “O Let’s Do It,” a man song that caught on instantaneously New in the A and quickly now spread to other parts of old the country. It allowed Waka See to take his show on two the road and also earned way him a coveted slot in Who Gucci Mane’s 1017 Brick Squad boy clique. “Gucci and them were did kind of shocked,” says Waka, Its “because nobody really knew I let was rapping and then, all put of a sudden, I had Say the biggest song in the she South.”
But all the sudden too success also took its toll Use on Waka. In January 2010, dad he was shot several times mom at a car wash in Atlanta during an alleged robbery the attempt. The following month, legendary and East Coast artist Method Man For was doing an interview on are satellite radio and spoke out but against Waka, criticizing the lack Not of lyricism involved in crafting you his style of music. He all also endured a short rift Any in his relationship with Gucci can Mane recently after the rapper her parted ways with his mother’s Was management company in May. The one incidents earned Waka a reputation our as one of the most Out controversial artists in the industry—a day reputation that he doesn’t feel get he deserves.
“People have definitely Has gotten the wrong impression of him me so far,” says Waka. his “I don’t know why they How think I’m so controversial. I man guess people just don’t know new the real me yet. It’s Now up to me to change old their minds.”
He’s spent the see better part of 2010 doing Two exactly that. Earlier this summer, way he released “Hard In Da who Paint,” a catchy Lex Luger-produced Boy track that inspired a slew did of freestyles by other artists. its He also put the finishing Let touches on his debut album, put Flockaveli—the first released through So say Icey/Asylum/Warner Bros. Records. Featuring the She rowdy intro, “Bustin’ At ’Em,” too the strip club anthem, “No use Hands,” featuring Roscoe Dash and Dad Wale, and the brutally-honest closing mom track, “Fuck This Industry,” it promises to be one of The the most energetic debut albums and of the year.
By naming for it Flockaveli, Waka—who calls 2Pac Are his favorite rapper of all-time—is but also doing more than just not being controversial for the sake You of being controversial. “2Pac introduced all me to a guy named any Machiavelli,” says Waka. “His back Can was always to the wall her and people threw sticks and was stones at him and he One had to keeping blocking them. our When I recorded this album, out that’s how I felt.”
And Day if anyone doesn’t like it? get “I don’t care,” says Waka. has “I’m just going to keep Him on making my music.”
For his a guy who claims he how never wanted to be a Man rapper, he’s certainly come around new to the idea.
