
For "Flockaveli II," he's approaching his third studio album the same way as his previous projects: trap banger after trap banger. On June 1, Waka Flocka is ready to express a new musical direction in his Atlantic Records debut "Flockaveli II." Set to feature production from Southside, Rico Love, Jim Jonsin, and more, Waka wants this album to return to the basics that made him a rap star. "Music is like anger management," he says. On Waka and Gucci's 2011 collaborative effort "Ferrari Boyz" and 2012's "Triple F Life: Fans, Friends & Family," Waka's high energy is the sole reason why he's earned the nickname "Turn Up God." That style translates into the EDM world Waka calls home now, where he fell in the love with the genre during a tour in Europe two years ago. Following his sudden popularity, hip-hop's mainstream elite like T.I., Drake and B.o.B wanted to collaborate with him while he spread his influence to a host of new rappers like Wooh Da Kid and Frenchie. Together with Southside and Lex Luger's thunderous production, Waka helped revive street raps and his sound began to blow up.

I never knew the outcome of these words." I just didn't give a fuck 'cause I didn't know. I didn't give a fuck about how people felt. "When I was making 'Flockaveli,' I just didn't give a fuck," he says. None of Waka's stories about his struggle were fabricated. Here, Waka's authenticity was a major selling point. In 2009, Waka put trap back on the map, dropping the first volume of his street classic "Salute Me or Shoot Me" that caught fire with songs, "We On The Way, "Dreads N Gold" and his breakout single "O Let's Do it." The mixtape's buzz allowed Waka to release his proper debut "Flockaveli" in October, which peaked at No. I do electronic music just to get out the bubble."īorn Juaquin James Malphurs, the 28-year-old rapper rose to prominence as Gucci Mane's protégé and his flagship artist of 1017 Brick Squad. You don't have to do this kind of music because people say you are this kind of artist. "You don't have to be stuck in a fucking bubble. "I'm trying to open people's brains up," Waka says. When you hear Waka's scratchy voice over electro beats by Neon Dreams or Steve Aoki, it's his way of showing that trap music isn't his only trick. The Queens-bred, Atlanta-based MC is always thinking outside of the box on wax.

The riotous rapper, who penned hits like "O Let's Do It" and "No Hands," has undergone an artistic transformation since his 2010 bombastic debut "Flockaveli." He's experimented with his sound but always with the focus on growing as a rapper. Waka Flocka Flame doesn't give a fuck about what you think.
