Waka Flocka Talks About His New EDM Album, Touring With Steve Aoki, and the Energy of Dance Music

The once seemingly disparate worlds of rave and rap are no doubt colliding in 2013. Trap music is a world-wide phenomenon. 2 Chainz played HARD Summer

waka flocka interview

Image via Waka Flocka on Facebook

waka flocka interview

The once seemingly disparate worlds of rave and rap are no doubt colliding in 2013. Trap music is a world-wide phenomenon. 2 Chainz played HARD Summer and Danny Brown played Electric Forest. UZ did a mixtape featuring names like Trindiad Jame$ and Problem while Dirty South Joe smashed Shade45 delivering a fire mix for Sway In The Morning. Perhaps the craziest of it all, earlier this March AJR captured hip-hop superstar Waka Flocka, also affectionately known as Big Homie Flock, Flocka, Waka, and to his mother Juaquin Malphurs, partying with Dutch producer Chuckie in Miami during Winter Music Conference and although the pairing seemed a bit out of place at the time, it was ultimately a prelude to Waka's April announcement of an "EDM-album" featuring production from Skrillex, Diplo, and Flosstradamus. Although we definitely took a stab at what we thought the album might sound like, the details have been scarce. Last week, we caught up with Waka Flocka for a quick phone call and update on what's going on.

What's good Flocka?

Oh you know, sitting at Complex right now, eatin' some turkey with #BeenTrill, going through Gucci and Chanel boxes right now…cool cool cool… Complex is doing good right now.

Haha yeah, I think so. You were in Canada recently, right?

Yeah, I was in Montreal and Toronto - it was amazing. Canada always shows love! I loved it man, it was amazing. The crowd was wonderful.

I bet man, I know you always put on a show. So right now you're on tour with Steve Aoki, Borgore, Pharell, what's that been like?

It's the best tour of my life. The best thing like that gon' happen to me in life. It has opened me up as a musician, as a person. I love the energy - it's a different life. But it's my life.

Yeah, I can imagine it's a lot of fun, it's obviously different from your previous tours...

Yeah extremely, and totally different! But this is my niche, it's the same energy and I love it.

What's been the most fun part of it?

Man, just different colors, the rave life. The energy, the wildin' out, - just all of it man! It's the best.

What about Aoki's cake? Have you tasted it? Have you been caked?

Yeah, yes, I have. But yo, just hear what I did: I finally caked a person for the first time in my life! Fuckin' hitting a girl with piece of cake - it was amazing. Shit was like an orgasm! Slapping a girl in the face with a piece of cake was amazing and I got away with it - no charges! Best, best event of my life.

So that's probably the craziest thing for you eh?

Most definitely!

That is crazy. The tour is actually part of larger career movement for you. You're doing EDM stuff, moving into the rave world. What was the lightbulb moment for you?

Well, I've really, always been on it. I've always been in that lifestyle, I just never had that direction or how to get there. It's just now, I have that and it's the world I want to be in.

Who've been some of your favorite DJs then?

Right now, I know a handful, but Skrillex, Diplo, Steve, Chuckie, Borgore, you know, Flosstradamus. All these people I know, you know a couple folks, mainly the people I deal with. I'm just now a rookie into it, and I'm learning and loving a lot.

You mentioned a few people, Skrillex, Flosstradamus, Diplo, and you've also said that you're working on an album with them - when is that supposed to come out?

It'll be an EDM version of my third album Flockavelli 2, and it'll be called Psychotics.

Is that dropping at the same time as Flockaveli 2?

A little bit after actually.

Awesome, why is it called Psychotics?

Oh you know, c'mon man, psychotic people, psychotic drugs... i'm bout that life.

Any special guests on the album? Who else is producing?

Special guests on that album? I don't want to give out the secrets. It'll be amazing, though.

Yeah I'm looking forward to it. I mean you did just drop bars on Borgore's new single-

Yeah that's "Wild Out" - that record is going crazy on tour right now. Yeah I've also got a new track with Steve coming out called "Rage."

Yeah?

Yeah, they love it! They love the combination and say it's the most perfect combination ever!

Glad to hear people are loving it. What about the hip-hop community, how have they reacted?

Honestly, it's not about what they're receptive to. It's about what I want to do and who's going to respect it.

What do you make of the people who are calling EDM-ified trap music cultural appropriation?

I really don't give a damn. I'm a just a man in the middle looking at the conflicts, you feel me? I'm just makin' music, enjoying time, loving the party.

How long do you have left on the tour?

About half way. We got another 36 shows left.

Are you all touring together on a bus?

We have separate tour buses, but we'll always be talking, cracking jokes, planning videos, and it's been amazing.

What's been the most eye-opening experience on the tour?

I don't know man, the whole scene. I've been in some clubs where I'm doing straight hip-hop, and it wasn't the same energy as this, this energy is amazing but it's something you have to experience. It's amazing. Amazing.

I know you were talking to The Breakfast Club about touring in Europe and the DJs over there.

Yeah, honestly it did. I learned about EDM in Europe, I was just learning so much, I was around it 24/7. All they play is EDM, house music, rave music. When I came back to America, I saw we were doing the same thing, and I never knew that and I was like WOW! So I just picked up where I left off.

You said they were playing a lot of house music there, but you've mentioned names that make dubstep and drum & bass; do you have a particular favorite genre?

I have no favorites, I am a fan of it all, I'm a fan of the culture.

When Psychotics drops, is that going to be the full direction? Or are you still going to be doing what you've called "punk hip-hop" or -

I'm just doin' me, I don't have a specific style man, I'm just doin' me.

WHAT WAKA FLOCKA'S "EDM-BASED" ALBUM COULD SOUND LIKE

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