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Flockaveli

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Flockaveli
Studio album by
Waka Flocka Flame
ReleasedOctober 5, 2010
Recorded2008–2010
StudioNext Level Studios, Houston; NightBird Recording Studios, West Hollywood; S-Line Ent., Atlanta
Genre
Length72:00
Label
Producer
Waka Flocka Flame chronology
Flockaveli
(2010) 		Ferrari Boyz
(2011)
Singles from Flockaveli
  1. "O Let's Do It"
    Released: April 14, 2009
  2. "Hard in da Paint"
    Released: June 15, 2010
  3. "No Hands"
    Released: August 17, 2010
  4. "Grove St. Party"
    Released: February 15, 2011

Flockaveli is the debut studio album by American rapper Waka Flocka Flame. It was released through 1017 Brick Squad, Asylum, and Warner Bros. Records on October 5, 2010. The title of the album is a portmanteau of Waka Flocka Flame's name and that of the Italian political theorist Machiavelli,[3] and was inspired by fellow American rapper Tupac Shakur, whose final stage name and pseudonym before his death was Makaveli.[4] The album was recorded at Next Level Studios in Houston, NightBird Recording Studios in West Hollywood, and S-Line Ent. in Atlanta.[5]

Upon its release, Flockaveli received generally positive reviews from critics, who complimented its musical intensity, brazen lyrics, and gangsta rap ethos. The album debuted at number 6 on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 37,000 copies in the United States. As of August 15, 2011, the album sold 400,000 copies in the United States.

Music and lyrics

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Flockaveli is a crunk album.[1] It was primarily produced by Lex Luger, whose bombastic, grimly-programmed production incorporates drill 'n' bass 808 trills, bass kicks, hand claps,[1] confrontational beats,[2] dense synthesizers, and shifting sub-bass layers.[6] Waka Flocka Flame's unrefined street raps feature constant ad libs.[2] According to Pitchfork Media's David Drake, the songs reduce gangsta rap to its archetypical themes: "hypermasculine children of the drug trade, reckless fatalism, intensity, and physicality ... Waka's aggression is the survivalist reaction of the powerless, directed toward the threats of the immediate environment."[2]

Singles

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The album's lead single, titled "O Let's Do It" was released on April 14, 2009.[7] The song features guest appearances from a fellow American rapper Cap, with production by L-Don Beatz.[8] The song peaked at number 62 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[9] The remix to "O Let's Do It" was released, from which features guest appearances from fellow American rappers Diddy, Rick Ross, and Gucci Mane.[10]

The album's second single, titled "Hard in da Paint" was released on May 13, 2010. The song was produced by Lex Luger. In July 2010, a music video for the song was released.[11] The remix to "Hard in da Paint" was released, from which features guest appearances from American singer Ciara and fellow American rapper Gucci Mane.[12]

The album's third single, titled "No Hands" was released on August 17, 2010. The song features guest appearances from fellow American rappers Roscoe Dash and Wale, with production by Drumma Boy.[13][14] The song peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it his highest charting single in the United States.[15] It is his best-selling single of all time, being a certified diamond by Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[16]

The album's fourth and final single, "Grove St. Party" was released on February 15, 2011. The song features a guest appearance from fellow American rapper Kebo Gotti, with its production by Lex Luger.[17] The song has charted at number 74 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[18]

Other songs

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There are also music videos for the songs such as "Snake in the Grass" (featuring Cartier Kitten),[19] "Bustin' at Em",[20] "For My Dawgs",[21] and "Live By the Gun" (featuring Ra Diggs and Uncle Murda.)[22] On October 18, 2010, Waka Flocka Flame performed "Smoke, Drank" live on high-definition TV at the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood.[23]

Release and reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic75/100[24]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[25]
NME9/10[26]
Pitchfork8.0/10[2]
PopMatters6/10[1]
RapReviews7.5/10[27]
Rolling Stone[28]
Spin7/10[29]

Flockaveli was released by Asylum Records on October 5, 2010. It debuted at number 6 on the US Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 37,000 copies in the United States.[30] As of August 15, 2011, the album has sold 285,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[31]

Flockaveli received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 75, based on 9 reviews.[24] Jaimie Hodgson from NME commented that the album's songs "showcase a masterclass in reductionism; juggernauts of hulking, bruising, brick-to-skull intensity."[26] BBC Music's Louis Pattison praised Waka Flocka Flame's "cold charisma", writing that "it’s channelled successfully here, a presence that permeates Flockaveli utterly."[32] Ben Detrick of Spin complimented its "unforgiving crush of unveiled threats over ricocheting drums and choleric synths", and called Waka "more agitator than rapper—imagine DJ Kool as an unhinged goon with a fetish for brawling and gunfire."[29] Sean Fennessey of The Village Voice called producer Lex Luger "a force whose tinnitus-inducing tracks demand replay."and wrote in conclusion, "Ultimately, the inflammatory Waka is an avatar for a new rap economy: few words delivered with force, with an eye to the stage and the check that arrives with it."[33] Pitchfork critic David Drake described it as "a furious torrent of gangsta rap Id," and praised Waka for giving the album its "frenetic intensity."[2]

Rolling Stone writer Jody Rosen was less impressed and found Waka Flocka Flame's skills "negligible."[28] Patrick Taylor of RapReviews called Waka "a blunt instrument that beats you into submission," and stated, "On an intellectual level, I don't like 'Flockaveli.' The lyrics are simplistic and goonish. The music is effective but all sounds the same. If I was looking for an example of what hip-hop should be, it's not Waka Flocka Flame. On a gut level, though, 'Flockaveli' works. It's morally questionable, but it hits hard".[27] David Amidon from PopMatters described it as "a producer classic littered with verses so whack they become endearing in their special way", adding that Luger "pulls that special kind of synergy unique to hip-hop out of [Waka] again and again."[1] Amidon wrote of its cultural significance, "This is a very specific album intended for a specific audience: downtrodden, powerless, forever seeking payment, pussy and freedom from the powers that be but in the process of accepting they may never find that experience. This is strictly hood music [...] it’s been a very long time since a hip-hop release felt like it truly didn’t give a fuck about anything but its local community while pushing its genre forward as much as possible."[1]

In 2012, Complex named the album one of the classic albums of the last decade.[34] In 2014, Billboard called the single "No Hands," the ninth most successful song in the 25-year history of their Hot Rap Songs chart.[35]

Track listing

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No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Bustin' at 'Em"
4:03
2."Hard in da Paint" Lex Luger4:06
3."TTG (Trained to Go)" (featuring French Montana, YG Hootie, Joe Moses, Suge Gotti, and Baby Bomb) Lex Luger5:05
4."Bang" (featuring YG Hootie and Slim Dunkin) Lex Luger4:23
5."No Hands" (featuring Roscoe Dash and Wale) Drumma Boy4:22
6."Bricksquad" (featuring Gudda Gudda) Lex Luger3:57
7."Fuck the Club Up" (featuring Pastor Troy and Slim Dunkin) Southside4:39
8."Homies" (featuring YG Hootie, Popa Smurf, and Ice Burgandy) 
4:54
9."Grove St. Party" (featuring Kebo Gotti) Lex Luger4:10
10."O Let's Do It" (featuring Cap) L-Don Beatz4:08
11."Karma" (featuring YG Hootie and Popa Smurf) Lex Luger3:52
12."Live by the Gun" (featuring Ra Diggs and Uncle Murda) Lex Luger4:09
13."For My Dawgs" Cedric "Yayo" Herbert3:21
14."G-Check" (featuring YG Hootie, Bo Deal, and Joe Moses) Lex Luger4:18
15."Snake in the Grass" (featuring Cartier Kitten) Lex Luger2:58
16."Smoke, Drank" (featuring Mouse, Kebo Gotti and Bo Deal) 
4:32
17."Fuck This Industry" Lex Luger5:09
18."Rumors" (Bonus track) Joey French3:29
19."Gun Sounds" (Bonus track) Southside3:36

Personnel

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Credits for Flockaveli adapted from AllMusic.[36]

  • Debra Antney – A&R, executive producer
  • Russell Dreyer – inside photo
  • Drumma Boy – producer
  • Cedric "Yayo" Herbert – producer
  • Darryl "Big Dee" Johnson – A&R
  • Liza Joseph – A&R
  • L Don – producer
  • Colin Leonard – mastering
  • Lexus "Lex Luger" Lewis – producer
  • Lil Jon – producer
  • Joshua "Southside" Luellen – producer
  • Juaquin Malphurs AKA Waka Flocka Flame – executive producer, A&R
  • Amir Motamedi AKA Prince – producer
  • Nathaniel Caserta AKA Purps – producer
  • Mike Rev – cover design
  • TaVon Sampson – art direction, design
  • Sharod Simpson – cover photo
  • Nigel Talley – A&R
  • Carolyn Tracey – package production
  • Finis "KY" White – engineer, mixing

Charts

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Amidon, David (November 18, 2010). "Waka Flocka Flame: Flockaveli". PopMatters. Archived from the original on May 27, 2011. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Drake, David (October 28, 2010). "Waka Flocka Flame: Flockaveli". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  3. ^ "Album Preview: Waka Flocka Flame's "Flockaveli" | Complex Blog". Complex.com. September 17, 2010. Retrieved September 27, 2010.
  4. ^ Cyrus Langhorne (September 17, 2010). "WAKA FLOCKA FLAME APOLOGIZES TO 2PAC FANS OVER "FLOCKAVELI" DEBUT TITLE". SOHH.com. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
  5. ^ "Waka Flocka Flame - Flockaveli CD Album". CD Universe. Muze. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  6. ^ "Review: Flockaveli". The Wire. London: 74. April 2011.
  7. ^ "O Let's Do It - Single by Waka Flocka Flame". iTunes. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  8. ^ "iTunes - Music - Flockaveli (Deluxe Version) by Waka Flocka Flame". Itunes.apple.com. October 1, 2010. Retrieved October 19, 2013.
  9. ^ Flockaveli - Waka Flocka Flame. Billboard. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  10. ^ "O Let's Do It (feat. Diddy, Rick Ross & Gucci Mane) - Single by Waka Flocka Flame". iTunes. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  11. ^ "Waka Flocka Flame 'Hard In Da Paint' Video Premieres". MTV. July 19, 2010. Archived from the original on August 13, 2014. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  12. ^ "Hard in da Paint - Single by Waka Flocka Flame". Itunes.apple.com. June 14, 2010. Retrieved September 27, 2010.
  13. ^ "R&R :: Going For Adds :: Urban". Gfa.radioandrecords.com. August 17, 2010. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved September 27, 2010.
  14. ^ "New Music: Waka Flocka Ft. Wale x Roscoe Dash "No Hands"". Rap Radar. August 15, 2010. Retrieved September 27, 2010.
  15. ^ "Waka Flocka Flame Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  16. ^ "American single certifications – Waka – No Hands". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  17. ^ "Urban/UAC Future Releases | R&B, Hip Hop, Release Schedule and Street Dates |". Allaccess.com. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  18. ^ "Waka Flocka Flame featuring Kebo Gotti". Billboard.com. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
  19. ^ "Waka Flocka Flame - Snakes In The Grass music video". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  20. ^ "Канал користувача wakaflocka1017". YouTube. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  21. ^ "Waka Flocka Flame - "For My Dawgs"". YouTube. September 16, 2010. Retrieved May 11, 2011.[dead YouTube link]
  22. ^ "Waka Flocka Flame - Live By The Gun feat. Ra Diggs & Uncle Murder (link in description". YouTube. July 10, 2010. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  23. ^ "waka+flocka+drink - Listen and Download Mp3s". Music.bec0de.com. October 18, 2010. Archived from the original on March 19, 2012. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  24. ^ a b "Reviews for Flockaveli by Waka Flocka Flame". Metacritic. Retrieved May 2, 2011.
  25. ^ Jeffries, David. "Flockaveli – Waka Flocka Flame". AllMusic. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  26. ^ a b Hodgson, Jaimie (April 27, 2011). "Album Review: Waka Flocka Flame – 'Flockaveli'". NME. London. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  27. ^ a b Taylor, Patrick (January 18, 2011). "Waka Flocka Flame :: Flockaveli :: Bricksquad/Warner Bros. Records". RapReviews. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  28. ^ a b Rosen, Jody (October 26, 2010). "Flockaveli". Rolling Stone. New York. Archived from the original on October 30, 2010. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  29. ^ a b Detrick, Ben (October 4, 2010). "Waka Flocka Flame, 'Flockaveli' (Asylum/Warner Bros.)". Spin. New York. Archived from the original on October 23, 2010. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  30. ^ Jacobs, Allen (October 13, 2010). "Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 10/10/2010". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on September 29, 2012. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  31. ^ "Introducing the King of Hip-Hop | Music News". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  32. ^ Pattison, Louis (March 17, 2011). "Review of Waka Flocka Flame – Flockaveli". BBC Music. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  33. ^ Fennessey, Sean (October 6, 2010). "Waka Flocka Flame Is Yelling at You for a Reason". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
  34. ^ "Waka Flocka Flame, Flockaveli (2010) — 25 Rap Albums From the Past Decade That Deserve Classic Status". Complex. December 6, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  35. ^ "Hot Rap Songs Chart 25th Anniversary: Top 100 Songs". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
  36. ^ Flockaveli - Waka Flocka Flame: Credits. Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  37. ^ "Waka Flocka Flame Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  38. ^ "Waka Flocka Flame Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  39. ^ "Waka Flocka Flame Chart History (Top Rap Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  40. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2010". Billboard. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  41. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2011". Billboard. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  42. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2011". Billboard. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
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