hip-hop

Waka Flocka Flame

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Atlanta rapper whose bellowed hooks and blown-out trap production defined a whole era of strip-club rap — 'Hard in da Paint,' 'No Hands,' and a voice built for shouting along.

Waka Flocka Flame, born Juaquin Malphurs, was raised in Riverdale, Georgia, after early years in Queens, New York. He came up through Gucci Mane's Brick Squad camp in Atlanta and released his debut album Flockaveli in 2010.

That record's sound, much of it produced by Lex Luger, was built on distorted 808s, sirens and orchestral stabs, with Waka's chanted, largely ad-lib-driven delivery riding over the top rather than working in dense verses. The approach was widely imitated and helped set the template for trap production through the first half of the 2010s. He has continued to release mixtapes and singles and remains a regular presence as a live performer.

hip-hop