Born Juaquin James Malphurs, the 28-year-old rapper rose to prominence as Gucci Mane's protégé and his flagship artist of 1017 Brick Squad. In 2009, Waka put trap back on the map, dropping the first volume of his street classic "Salute Me or Shoot Me" that caught fire with songs, "We On The Way, "Dreads N Gold" and his breakout single "O Let's Do it." The mixtape's buzz allowed Waka to release his proper debut "Flockaveli" in October, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 100. Here, Waka's authenticity was a major selling point. None of Waka's stories about his struggle were fabricated. "When I was making 'Flockaveli,' I just didn't give a fuck," he says. "I didn't give a fuck about the awards. I didn't give a fuck about how people felt. I just didn't give a fuck 'cause I didn't know. I never knew the outcome of these words."

The Queens-bred, Atlanta-based MC cotinues to find his own space and is always thinking outside of the box on wax. When you hear Waka's scratchy voice over electro beats by Neon Dreams or Steve Aoki, it's his way of showing that trap music isn't his only trick. "I'm trying to open people's brains up," Waka says. "You don't have to be stuck in a fucking bubble. You don't have to do this kind of music because people say you are this kind of artist. I do electronic music just to get out the bubble." Read more...