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Juaquin James Malphurs (born May 31, 1986), known professionally as Waka Flocka Flame, is an American rapper. Signing to 1017 Brick Squad and Warner Bros. Records in 2009, he became a mainstream artist with the release of his singles " O Let's Do It", " Hard in da Paint", and " No Hands" (featuring Roscoe Dash and
Wale Wale or WALE may refer to: Places *Wale, Devon, a hamlet in England *Wale, Tomaszów Mazowiecki County, a village in Poland People *Wale (surname) *Wale (rapper), stage name of American rapper Olubowale Victor Akintimehin Radio and television ...
), with the latter peaking at number 13 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. His debut studio album ''
Flockaveli ''Flockaveli'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Waka Flocka Flame. The title of the album is a portmanteau of Waka Flocka Flame's name and that of the Italian political theorist Machiavelli, and was inspired by fellow American rappe ...
'' was released in 2010. His second studio album '' Triple F Life: Friends, Fans & Family'' was released in 2012 and was preceded by the lead single " Round of Applause" (featuring Drake).


Early life

Malphurs was born in South Jamaica, Queens, New York City. His family eventually settled in
Riverdale, Georgia Riverdale is a city in Clayton County, Georgia, United States. The population was 15,134 at the 2010 census, up from 12,478 in 2000. Riverdale is a suburb just south of Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport and is part of the Atlan ...
. His mother, Debra Antney, is rapper
Gucci Mane Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper and record executive. He helped pioneer the hip hop subgenre of trap music alongside fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Young Jeezy, ...
's former manager and the CEO of So Icey/Mizay Entertainment. The name "Waka" was given to him by his cousin, after the Muppets character Fozzie Bear's catchphrase, "Wocka Wocka". The name "Flocka Flame" was given to him by Gucci Mane, whom he has known since he was 19.


Career


2009–2010: ''Flockaveli''

Waka Flocka came to fame with his breakthrough single " O Let's Do It" in 2009, which peaked at number 62 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Waka Flocka is a member of 1017 Brick Squad with Gucci Mane, OJ Da Juiceman, Frenchie, and Wooh Da Kid. On January 19, 2010, Malphurs was shot and robbed at a car wash in Atlanta. The bullet went through his right arm. His debut album, ''
Flockaveli ''Flockaveli'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Waka Flocka Flame. The title of the album is a portmanteau of Waka Flocka Flame's name and that of the Italian political theorist Machiavelli, and was inspired by fellow American rappe ...
'', was released on October 1, 2010. The album debuted at number six on the US ''Billboard'' 200. The album was inspired by
Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...
, whose final stage name and pseudonym before his death was Makaveli. He was named the eighth hottest MC of 2010 by MTV. Gucci Mane fired Waka Flocka's mother as his manager. There was initially no animosity between the two rappers due to this event. In an MTV interview, both he and Waka Flocka affirmed that their relationship was, at the time, in good standing even though they no longer spoke to one another. In early September, Gucci Mane was seen at Flocka's ''Flockaveli'' listening party supporting the artist.


2011–2012: ''Ferrari Boyz'' and ''Triple F Life: Friends, Fans & Family''

In 2011, Waka Flocka posed for a nude but not revealing picture for
PETA Peta or PETA may refer to: Acronym * Pembela Tanah Air, a militia established by the occupying Japanese in Indonesia in 1943 * People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an American animal rights organization * People Eating Tasty Animals, ...
, to boycott killing animals and wearing fur. The picture says "ink not mink". Waka Flocka released several mixtapes in 2011, including ''Salute Me or Shoot Me 3'', ''Benjamin Flocka'' and his last ''
Twin Towers 2 (No Fly Zone) ''Twin Towers 2 (No Fly Zone)'' is a collaborative mixtape by American rappers Waka Flocka Flame and Slim Dunkin. It was released on October 21, 2011, by 1017 Brick Squad Records, Brick Squad Monopoly and Warner Bros. Records. The album features ...
'' with fellow rapper Slim Dunkin. On August 9, 2011, his collaborative album with Gucci Mane, titled ''
Ferrari Boyz ''Ferrari Boyz'' is a collaborative studio album by American rappers Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka Flame. Originally scheduled for a June 21, 2011, release, it was delayed and later released on August 9. It features Rocko, 2 Chainz, 1017 Brick S ...
'', was released. The first single was "She Be Puttin On", featuring the now deceased Slim Dunkin, who was shot at an Atlanta recording studio while shooting a music video. " Round of Applause", featuring Canadian rapper Drake, was released on October 14, 2011 as the first single from his second studio album, '' Triple F Life: Friends, Fans & Family''. It was produced by frequent collaborator, Lex Luger. The album itself was released on June 8, 2012.


2013–present: ''Flockaveli 2''

On January 22, 2013, Waka Flocka announced that he had completed his third studio album, titled ''Flockaveli 2'', featuring guest appearances by
Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
and Wyclef Jean. On May 21, 2013, he gave a release date of October 5, 2013; in June he gave a new date of January 2014. In July 2014 he named producers on the album; in November the front cover art was released. In January 2020 he announced that he'd release his last album that year; ''Flockaveli 2'' was not released in 2020. In February 2013 he released ''DuFlocka Rant 2'', a mixtape with guest appearances by Gucci Mane, Lil Wayne, French Montana, Ace Hood and
Young Scooter Kenneth Edward Bailey (born March 28, 1986), better known by his stage name Young Scooter, is an American rapper who is affiliated with Freebandz and 1017 Brick Squad Records and CEO of his own label Black Migo Gang. Scooter grew to prominence ...
. A sequel followed in May, ''DuFlocka Rant: Halftime Show'', featuring fellow Southern rapper T.I. In October he released a third mixtape, ''From Roaches to Rollies''. In 2014 he released two mixtaps, ''Re-Up'' in March and ''I Can't Rap Vol. 1'' in July. Also in July he announced a new EDM album, ''Turn Up God'', to be released later in the year; it wasn't. In 2014, Waka Flocka appeared in the third season of the
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...
show '' Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta''. The show loosely follows events in the life of Waka Flocka and his wife, Tammy Rivera. On March 2, 2015, Waka Flocka released a collaboration mixtape with DJ Whoo Kid entitled ''The Turn Up Godz Tour'', with guest appearances from
Future The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currentl ...
, Howard Stern,
Machine Gun Kelly George Kelly Barnes (July 18, 1895 – July 18, 1954), better known by his pseudonym "Machine Gun Kelly", was an American gangster from Memphis, Tennessee, active during the Prohibition era. His nickname came from his favorite weapon, a Thomp ...
, Offset, Cash Out, Bobby V,
Gucci Mane Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper and record executive. He helped pioneer the hip hop subgenre of trap music alongside fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Young Jeezy, ...
, Tony Yayo, and Watch The Duck. On April 1, 2015, Waka Flocka released the mixtape ''Salute Me Or Shoot Me 5'', with guest appearances from Future,
Yo Gotti Mario Sentell Giden Mims (born May 19, 1981), known professionally as Yo Gotti, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record executive. In 1996, Gotti released his debut album ''Youngsta's On a Come Up'' under the alias Lil Yo. He went on to re ...
and
Juvenile Juvenile may refer to: *Juvenile status, or minor (law), prior to adulthood *Juvenile (organism) *Juvenile (rapper) (born 1975), American rapper * ''Juvenile'' (2000 film), Japanese film * ''Juvenile'' (2017 film) *Juvenile (greyhounds), a greyho ...
. Waka Flock released another mixtape, titled ''Flockaveli 1.5'', on November 25, 2015. In April 2015 Waka Flocka did a collaboration campaign with Rolling Stone magazine in which he pretended to run for president. Although he was 7 years too young to be considered president, the campaign, directed by Sam Lipman Stern of Live from the Streets, went viral and was picked up by dozens of media outlets such as CNN, La Times, Washington Post and many more.


Legal issues

On January 3, 2011, Waka Flocka turned himself in to authorities in Atlanta following a previous raid on his home. He was booked on possession of marijuana,
hydrocodone Hydrocodone, also known as dihydrocodeinone, is an opioid used to treat pain and as a cough suppressant. It is taken by mouth. Typically it is dispensed as the combination acetaminophen/hydrocodone or ibuprofen/hydrocodone for pain severe en ...
, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and violation of probation for driving on a suspended license. On January 5, 2011, he was released after posting bail. On October 10, 2014, Waka Flocka was arrested at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport when a security scan turned up a loaded handgun in his luggage. He was released two hours later.


Controversy

On March 15, 2013, Gucci Mane announced that frequent collaborator and close friend Waka Flocka Flame was "dropped" from
1017 Brick Squad Records The New 1017 Records, also known as 1017 Global Music, LLC and formerly 1017 Brick Squad, So Icey Entertainment, & 1017 Eskimo, is an American record label founded by Gucci Mane after his departure from Mizay Entertainment and the closing of So ...
. The two rappers proceeded to throw insults back and forth on
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
. Though it was reported that Gucci's Twitter account was hacked, Waka stated, "Dont let da media fool u. This shit real Shawty." On March 27, 2013, during an MTV Jams interview with Sway Calloway, Waka explained that he would never do music nor business with Gucci ever again. Neither of the rappers have explained where the controversy originated from. Waka has stated, "I guess we both be at the finish line we just going our own routes. That's all I can say. What's the reason? Sometimes it's none of your fuckin' business what's the reason. Just understand two men went they own ways but it's no problem." In October 2013, Waka Flocka released a diss track towards Gucci Mane titled "Ice Cream". On November 19, 2013, it was revealed Gucci Mane had filed a lawsuit against Waka Flocka Flame, Waka's mother Debra Antney, OJ Da Juiceman, rapper Khia Stone and producer Zaytoven. The lawsuit accuses the parties of fraud, racketeering, and breach of contract. According to Gucci Mane, Waka's mother Antney took control of his 1017 Brick Squad Records, LLC., without permission, and used it to create three separate offshoot labels. Gucci also accused the parties in the lawsuit of withholding royalties and inflating the cost of label expenditures. In his lawsuit, Gucci Mane also says that Antney took more than the typical 20 percent management fee. Gucci Mane also alleges that Antney's actions led to his having money and tax problems. Waka Flocka Flame would post a tweet on September 20, 2014, to his verified Twitter account that included an old picture of himself and Gucci Mane with the caption "… #NoBeef ", confirming that the two had buried the hatchet. In a February 2017
BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering ...
interview, Waka Flocka addressed his relationship with
Gucci Mane Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper and record executive. He helped pioneer the hip hop subgenre of trap music alongside fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Young Jeezy, ...
, questioning his former mentor's street credibility and nixing the possibility of a Brick Squad reunion. Several days later, Waka released "Was My Dawg", a
diss track A diss track, diss record or diss song (diss – abbr. from ''disrespect'') is a song whose primary purpose is to verbally attack someone else, usually another artist. Diss tracks are often the result of an existing, escalating feud between the t ...
aimed at Gucci Mane, with cover art featuring the other rapper's silhouette.


Other ventures


Presidential campaign

In April 2015, Malphurs announced that he was running for president, despite the fact he was below the constitutionally required age of 35, as he was only 30 by the time of the
2016 United States presidential election The 2016 United States presidential election was the 58th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. The Republican ticket of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana governor Mike Pence defeated the Democratic ticket ...
. His platform included legalizing marijuana, raising the minimum hourly wage to $15, and creating better trade opportunities for school students. His other proposals included banning dogs from restaurants and making it illegal for people with shoe sizes above 13 to walk on the street. He also seemed to be dismissive of Congress, and had an anti-war stance. Former professional wrestler Ric Flair was his running mate.


Personal life

Waka Flocka is of
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
, Native American, European (including Italian) and Dominican descent. In December 2013, Waka Flocka's younger brother and fellow rapper KayO Redd committed suicide at his home in Henry County, Georgia. On January 24, 2014, during an interview, Waka Flocka spoke on his brother's passing: On May 25, 2014, Waka Flocka married Tammy Rivera. Waka Flocka is a passionate supporter of Atlanta United FC, regularly attending games in Atlanta, traveling to away games, and serving as a team ambassador. On October 3, 2020, Waka Flocka received an honorary doctorate in philanthropy and humanitarianism from the Bible Institute of America Theological Seminary, credited to his charity and mental health advocacy.


Discography

*''
Flockaveli ''Flockaveli'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Waka Flocka Flame. The title of the album is a portmanteau of Waka Flocka Flame's name and that of the Italian political theorist Machiavelli, and was inspired by fellow American rappe ...
'' (2010) *''
Ferrari Boyz ''Ferrari Boyz'' is a collaborative studio album by American rappers Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka Flame. Originally scheduled for a June 21, 2011, release, it was delayed and later released on August 9. It features Rocko, 2 Chainz, 1017 Brick S ...
'' (with
Gucci Mane Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper and record executive. He helped pioneer the hip hop subgenre of trap music alongside fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Young Jeezy, ...
)
(2011) *'' Triple F Life: Friends, Fans & Family'' (2012)


Filmography


Awards and nominations


See also

* List of animal rights advocates


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Flame, Waka Flocka 1986 births Living people 1017 Brick Squad artists African-American male rappers American rappers of Dominican Republic descent American people of Italian descent American people who self-identify as being of Native American descent American shooting survivors Atlantic Records artists Gangsta rappers People from Queens, New York People from Riverdale, Georgia Rappers from Atlanta Rappers from Georgia (U.S. state) Rappers from New York City Southern hip hop musicians Warner Records artists Participants in American reality television series 21st-century American rappers 21st-century American male musicians Candidates in the 2016 United States presidential election 21st-century African-American politicians 21st-century American politicians 20th-century African-American people