Waka Flocka Flame

Waka Flocka Flame, the Atlanta rapper, marked one of rap's most notable commercial successes spanning the end of the 2000s into the start of the 2010s. His 2009 single "O Let's Do It," a lively joint effort alongside producer L-Don Beatz, climbed into the Top 20 on Billboard's R&B/hip-hop chart. This achievement paved the way for his album Flockaveli in 2010, which landed in the Top Ten and featured the similarly energetic and catchy tracks "Hard in da Paint" and "No Hands," both earning quick RIAA certifications. Following the release of Ferrari Boyz in 2011, his collaborative project with Gucci Mane, Waka Flocka issued Triple F Life: Friends, Fans, and Family in 2012, another LP that reached the Top Ten. In the years since, he has issued numerous mixtapes in between, among them a stylistic yet still pleasure-seeking foray into EDM, while supporters awaited the long-promised follow-up to Flockaveli.

Born Juaquin James Malphurs in New York City's Queens borough, specifically the South Jamaica area, he relocated with his family to Riverdale, Georgia upon turning nine. His cousin gave him the nickname Waka, inspired by a phrase from Muppets character Fozzie Bear, while early backer Gucci Mane added Flocka Flame to his moniker. Malphurs built his reputation as a rapper in Atlanta, just north of Riverdale. He made his entrance in 2009 as a member of Gucci Mane's Brick Squad collective, putting out multiple mixtapes that year and, after signing with Warner Bros., placing "O Let's Do It" at number 12 on the Billboard R&B/hip-hop chart. Originally from his initial mixtape Salute Me or Shoot Me, the song appeared on Flockaveli, released in October 2010. The album debuted at number six on the Billboard 200, yielding three more singles such as the major successes "Hard in da Paint," which hit number 28 on R&B/hip-hop and received gold certification from the RIAA, along with "No Hands" featuring Roscoe Dash and Wale that reached number two on R&B/hip-hop, number 13 on the pop chart, and triple platinum status. Waka Flocka also appeared that year on Gucci Mane's charting single "Bingo."

Next came the co-headlined Ferrari Boyz with Gucci Mane, which incorporated fellow Brick Squad members including Wooh da Kid, Frenchie, and Slim Dunkin, and peaked at number 21 on the Billboard 200 in August 2011. Shortly after, within two months, Waka Flocka put out the Drake-featured "Round of Applause," landing at number 15 on R&B/hip-hop, as the lead single for his sophomore solo effort. Slim Dunkin was killed that December. Grieving the death, Waka Flocka postponed finishing his second album, yet it came out in June 2012. The project, named Triple F Life: Friends, Fans & Family, debuted at number ten and included further successes like "I Don't Really Care" with Trey Songz and "Get Low" featuring Nicki Minaj, Tyga, and Flo Rida.

Waka Flocka announced in 2013 that his third solo album would serve as the sequel to Flockaveli. Legal disputes with Gucci Mane intensified around then, and further misfortune hit in December when his younger brother KayO Redd took his own life. Over the following years, Waka, having parted ways with Brick Squad, continued releasing a flood of additional mixtapes. Though he proclaimed the upcoming arrival of an EDM-focused album called Turn Up Godz, it failed to materialize, but he did explore electronic dance music in 2015 via the similarly named mixtape The Turn Up Godz Tour and reached the Canadian Top 40 as a featured artist on Mia Martina's "Beast." A series of mixtapes and guest spots, mostly on lesser-known albums and tapes, continued until 2018.