You’re in good company if you’ve ever been watching Love and Hip Hop Atlanta and found yourself distracted by the following thought: What does Waka Flocka Flame mean? As it turns out, the origins of one of the more colorful and curious stage names in hip hop are pretty playful–in fact, you might have even guessed where Waka got his alias from just the first word!
That’s right: the “Waka” part of “Waka Flocka Flame” comes from noted Muppet Fozzie’s famous post-joke expression “Waka waka waka!” Rapper Waka–whose given name is Juaquin James Malphurs–explained that a childhood love for The Muppet Babies was a big influence on him.
” I’ve got a Fozzie chain,” said Juaquin, “’cause when I was younger, me and my cousin used to watch it and he started calling me “Waka.”
And the second half of the name? Gucci Mane, who was Waka Flocka’s mentor until their high-profile falling out in 2013, added the “Flocka Flame” part of the nickname–apparently “for a little edge.” Apparently the “flame” part had something to do with how Waka was spitting fire after getting his start in the business. “I just did [one] song,” he said, “and it worked. So I thought I could do ten more.”
Fozzie Bear has yet to offer a comment on the compliment.
(Photo credits: What does Waka Flocka Flame mean via Facebook)
