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Biography
Flocka Flame was born in South Jamaica, Queens, New York, but raised in Atlanta after his family went on to settle there; unlike many of his contemporaries, though, his isn’t quite a rags to riches tale. Indeed, his mother actually managed Gucci Mane for a while, and is the CEO of a management company that has also, at some point, counted the likes of Nicki Minaj and French Montana amongst its clients. That, in itself, leaves Flocka Flame in an unusual position; his comfortable upbringing was likely never going to provide him with much in the way of material with which to base his records around, but then again, he’s never really been one to play the traditional hip hop game; after all, how many rappers, like Flocka Flame did in 2011, would pose nude for PETA to protest the killing of animals for the purpose of wearing fur?
His debut record, “Flockaveli”, involved complex lyrical themes and genuine, unabashed aggression across the course of its hour-plus running time, and tracks like “Hard in da Paint” and “No Hands” made a name for Flocka Flame. Since then, his career has unfolded in soap opera style - he made a record, “Ferrari Boyz”, with Gucci Mane before going on to become embroiled in a very public - and recently-resolved - spat with him, and his live performances have taken him everywhere from supporting Drake on tour to playing at the legendary Reading and Leeds Festivals in the UK. He’s now set to release two new albums - both the much delayed “Flockaveli 2” and a new EDM record, “Turn Up God.”
Live reviews
Waka bounds onstage at the Islington 02, a seething mass of dreadlocks, tattooed arms and fiery delivery. Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Waka came to fame in 2009 with his particular brand of high energy party-rap, which over the last years has ventured closer to rave music and EDM. The crowd at the O2 are a nicely mixed bunch, although it seems that stateside at least, Waka’s audience are mostly white suburban teenagers, brought in to the music by the power of the internet. The rapper goes through some favourites from his ‘Ferrari Boyz’ mixtape, as well as ‘O Let’s Do It’, ‘Get Low’ (featuring booty acrobatics from female audience members invited onstage), and ‘Groove St Party’, among others. Despite some quite violent content in his lyrics (hearing a roomful of teenagers shouting them out can make you feel a bit uneasy) and going over some of rap’s most well-trodden themes (dealers, the hood, drugs, etc), it has to be said that Waka Flocka Flame knows how to rile up a crowd and get the room going. He pulls several fans onto the stage, on more than a few occasions goes into the crowd, rapping inches away from the audience who respectfully stand around him, and, on the whole, succeeds in creating a party atmosphere (part rave, part moshing). On a couple of occasions Waka is so out of breath he lets the songs play out, without rapping, something that apparently has happened at other shows. There’s no denying that he gives it everything.
philsomervell
Waka Flocka Flame - not, you’ll be shocked to learn, his birth name - is actually representative of something that’s pretty rare in hip hop nowadays; an artist who’s captured the attention of the mainstream without either steadfast adherence to current trends, or the backing of a high-profile hip hop label or movement. Instead, he was allied to 1017 Brick Squad with fellow underground stars Gucci Mane and French Montana, and has gone from strength to strength since signing to Warner Bros. in 2009; his debut record, Flockaveli, peaked at six in the U.S., with follow-up Triple F: Friends, Fans and Family also making the top ten. Recently, he and Mane have been locked in a high-profile feud, but that hasn’t stopped Flocka touring prodigiously; his appearances at a slew of European festivals last summer, including Reading and Leeds here in the UK, earned him plenty of plaudits, as he combined the musicianship that his records deserve - a full live band saw to that - with the kind of chaos that any good hip hop show really needs; flanked by an entourage, he ran through his biggest hitters - including tracks from his Mane collaboration Ferrari Boyz - to a feverish reception from the crowd. With Flockaveli 2 set to drop later this year, new UK dates before long look a certainty.
Joeg_67
Juaquin James Malphurs better known by his stage name Waka Flocka Flame has been causing waves since his beginnings in 2008 with both his music and live performance. Hardly a performer you would miss, he appears onstage with dreadlocks flailing as the crowd applaud wildly. The bass of the speakers kicks in and Malphurs unleashes a word perfect rendition of 'Karma'.
Despite his lyrics being often explicit and violent, the audience don't seem to find an issue with proudly shouting them back in force as they are cheered on by the rap artist. He really does not how to drive a crowd to excitement as he hypes them further and further before unleashing fan favourites such as 'Bricksquad' and 'Clap'.
Although his stage set-up is pretty ordinary, Juaquin really knows how to utilise the entire space so it feels as though he is engaging with the crowd in its entirety. He has built such a rapport by the finale of the gig, the last two tracks 'No Hands' and 'I Really Don't Care' receive such huge applause they send the decibel level way into the red.
sean-ward
I'm not the biggest Waka fan, but I knew the show was going to be fun because it was at the Fillmore Silver Spring, arguably the best music venue in the DMV and because of Waka's reputation. It was incredible.
A half hour into the show, I come back to the crowd after getting water and I look at the stage and waka isn't there but the crowd was still going. I look to the right and he was standing not even 5 feet away from me I immediately rush in and mosh with him for a solid five minutes. He was so close that I put my arm around him.
He definitely knows how to put on a show and interact with the crowd.
Lit night, lit Snapchat story, would most def go again
Fl1ghtD3ck
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