Understanding Waka Flocka’s Hidden Genius

Here’s how you know a rapper is despised amongst your inner circle.

Last Tuesday in the middle of waiting for NBA 2K11 to hit my doorstep, I went ahead and did the unthinkable to my eardrums and listened to Waka Flocka Flame’s "Flockaveli" album. Yes, that title is still atrocious and Pac is rolling in his ashes (or shaking his head in Cuba, whichever you prefer). Maybe I’m a sadist and listening to Lex Luger recycle beats like reggaeton recycles gives me joy but whenever I mentioned Mad Man Flocka over on Twitter: I lost followers.

No sweat off my back but I thought it was absolutely hilarious. Between the incessant ranting of people either about religion, who Kat Stacks may attempt to ruin with her vagina, why a certain rapper from Chicago won’t get his album released, why a certain rapper from Chicago will get his album released and gave it the title of a first grade art project and of course whatever trending topic meant to parlay into an old school game of the dozens – there is the laughing and ridiculing of Waka Flocka Flame to get somebody through their week.

Why though? Waka Flocka is national hero.



Yes, more than Columbus who basically slipped into America the same way Homer Simpson slipped into the dictionary and more than your favorite local rapper who makes it big. Waka Flocka is the reason why a place like World Star Hip Hop even exists in the first place. If not for those videos of him shaking his dreads and failing to attempt a stage dive or giving Ludacris free promotion of his liquor (cause Luda damn sure isn’t promoting his raps anymore) – you would have only known Waka for his appearances on the Burrprint mixtapes. Or the fact he has a Fozzie Bear chain.

Waka’s ignorance is his genius. It’s how we all came to laugh at 50 Tyson then admire him for still trying. It’s the reason why folks wanted to take pictures with Eli Porter at A3C in Atlanta (wasn’t there, heard the stories). The man has basically given hope to more and more YouTube rappers who believe that the right viral will get them in the door and for that – you can’t knock his hustle.

Honestly, if “Hard In Da Paint” doesn’t make you want to immediately punch somebody at your job for being incompetent then you obviously haven’t worked before. I mean, so what If the album plays itself like hearing the same song over and over again – it’s a young man imitating 2Pac & DMX on the album cover – meaning must buy to people who are unaware of those two ever existing.

Point blank, Waka Flocka is for the children. As created and choreographed as his persona might be (nobody can really think Terrance J can get one over on you), he knows how to make it work and has leapfrogged his “motherfuckin’ n*gga” Gucci Mane in terms of buzz in Atlanta and elsewhere. Don’t bury a man who knows obviously how to work an audience and public perception into questioning whether or not he’s serious, word to the Based God.

And now that I’ve written my first piece in history ever praising Waka Flocka and sentence praising Lil B, I’ll go listen to some J. Cole or TiRon to wash my sins away.