Waka Flocka Flame

Waka Flocka in 2010

Waka Flocka came to fame with his breakthrough single "O Let's Do It" in 2009,[6] which peaked at number 62 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[7] Waka Flocka is a member of 1017 Brick Squad with Gucci Mane, OJ Da Juiceman, Frenchie, and Wooh Da Kid.[8] On January 19, 2010, Malphurs was shot and robbed at a car wash in Atlanta. The bullet went through his right arm.[9][10] His debut album, Flockaveli, was released on October 1, 2010.[11] The album debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200.[12] The album was inspired by Tupac Shakur, whose final stage name and pseudonym before his death was Makaveli.[13] He was named the eighth hottest MC of 2010 by MTV.[14]

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.[15] In early September, Gucci Mane was seen at Flocka's Flockaveli listening party supporting the artist.[16]

In 2011, Waka Flocka posed for a nude but not revealing picture for PETA, to boycott killing animals and wearing fur. The picture says "ink not mink".[17] 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) with fellow rapper Slim Dunkin.[18][19][20] On August 9, 2011, his collaborative album with Gucci Mane, titled Ferrari Boyz, was released.[21] 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.[22]

"Round of Applause", featuring Canadian rapper Drake, was released on October 14, 2011[23] 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.[24]

Waka Flocka Flame in 2014

On January 22, 2013, Waka Flocka announced that he had completed his third studio album, titled Flockaveli 2, featuring guest appearances by Timbaland and Wyclef Jean.[25] On May 21, 2013, he gave a release date of October 5, 2013; in June he gave a new date of January 2014.[26] In July 2014 he named producers on the album;[27] in November the front cover art was released.[28][29] In January 2020 he announced that he'd release his last album that year;[30] 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.[31] A sequel followed in May, DuFlocka Rant: Halftime Show, featuring fellow Southern rapper T.I.[32] In October he released a third mixtape, From Roaches to Rollies.[33]

In 2014 he released two mixtaps, Re-Up in March[34][35] and I Can't Rap Vol. 1 in July.[36][37] Also in July he announced a new EDM album, Turn Up God, to be released later in the year; it was not.[27]

In 2014, Waka Flocka appeared in the third season of the VH1 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, Howard Stern, Machine Gun Kelly, Offset, Cash Out, Bobby V, Gucci Mane, Tony Yayo, and Watch The Duck.[38][39] On April 1, 2015, Waka Flocka released the mixtape Salute Me Or Shoot Me 5, with guest appearances from Future, Yo Gotti and Juvenile.[40][41][42] Waka Flock released another mixtape, titled Flockaveli 1.5, on November 25, 2015.[43]

In April 2015 Waka Flocka did a collaboration campaign with Rolling Stone magazine[44] in which he pretended to run for president. Although he was 7 years too young to be considered president,[45] the campaign, directed by Sam Lipman-Stern of Live from the Streets,[46] went viral and was picked up by dozens of media outlets such as CNN, LA Times, and The Washington Post, among others.[47][48]

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. 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.[63][64][65]

Apart from his impractical and semi-nonexistent run for president in 2016, Malphurs has received attention for his views on political and social issues. In addition to his humanitarianism, Malphurs has been awarded with an honorary professor degree from the Bible Institute of America.[76] He expressed affinity for U.S. President Donald Trump in 2020, endorsed Democrat Raphael Warnock for the 2022 Senate elections in Georgia, and officially endorsed Trump for the 2024 United States presidential election.[77]