Waka Flocka Flame respects his elders and he applies that mentality to Hip Hop, making sure to salute those who have paved the way for rappers like himself.
Pandora recently caught up with Waka for a chat about Hip Hop 50, and the Bricksquad rapper explained what the genre meant to him growing up.
“It was like they stole the key to our handcuffs and our voices created a key and unlocked the chains,” he said. “For me, when I see any older rapper I automatically respect them.
“No matter if he disrespected me or anything. If it wasn’t for him or her, I wouldn’t be here… So they guaranteed my respect. Off top, that’s what 50 years of Hip Hop is for me.”
Flocka keeps that same respect while passing the baton to the younger generation of artists as well.
Back in September, a fan suggested he sue Latto for interpolating his famous “It’s a party” lyrics for her latest anthem, “ISSA PARTY.”
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Latto teamed up with Baby Drill for the single, which instantly drew comparisons to Waka Flocka Flame’s 2010 hit, “Grove St. Party,”
However, the Atlanta native didn’t feel slighted. He relayed that he respects his fellow ClayCo resident’s artistry and the way she used his influence to create a banger of her own.
“Flattery at this highest…. never understood why rob these youngsters for showing us respect plus Lotto from Clayton County,” he wrote to Twitter.
Fans agreed with Waka and reaffirmed his message in the comments.
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“Gots to let the yute pay homage. Waka always been a real one,” a fan replied.
Another said, “They forgot Hip-Hop was built on respect. Sampling & borrowing is in the bloodline of hip-hop. ‘No idea’s original. There’s nothing new under the sun. It’s never what you do but how it’s done.’ – Nas.”
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It’s all love between Waka Flocka Flame and Latto as they were spotted in the strip club making it rain together over the weekend.
The clip finds Waka essentially co-signing “ISSA PARTY” and making it clear thatnobody should assume there is any sort of friction between the two.
