S. Samuel
Atlanta rapper Waka Flocka Flame is looking for respect these days, claiming he should get credited for sparking the term "HAM" and influencing artists' music.
Waka pointed out rap star Kanye West‘s recruiting of close friend/producer Lex Luger for Watch the Throne smash anthem, “H.A.M.,” as an example of his sound’s popularity.
Waka–who claims to have came up with the word “HAM”–says he felt relieved by the similarities. “What are y’all gonna say now?” he says when asked about these songs. “Jay-Z stupid as hell? My sound is wack? You gonna say that? They love the sound. They can’t run away from it. That shit re-sparked n*ggas’ careers. My sound put life into a lot of people’s careers. I feel like my sound changed hip-hop. Period. It’s crazy when I came out with it everybody laughed at it, but the next year everybody’s doing it. They getting credit for the sh*t you started. You be like, ‘D*mn, how is this n*gga a genius for doing something I started?'” (Complex)
Outside of Jay-Z and Mr. West, Flocka also reflected on Rick Ross‘ usage of his sound.
“That’s crazy,” says Waka. “But what you gonna say? This n*gga [Rick Ross] out here making 30 f*cking sounds with your sound. He watering it down, just putting words together that sounded good. Shit would be harder if it was the truth.” If you think Waka might be supremely pissed about the imitators, you’re right. He is. “That sh*t made me tight,” he says. “N*ggas built labels off our sound–like, literally. You know how many n*ggas sound like Lex Luger and Southside? I go in n*ggas’ studios, all their beats sound like my producers. I be like, ‘What the f*ck?’ But above all he tries to maintain perspective: “You can’t be mad at something you can’t control.” (Complex)
Back in 2010, Flocka talked to SOHH about his bond alongside Luger.
“Lex Luger did about 12 to 13 of the beats so you already know that the whole album is jumping,” Flocka told SOHH referring to Flockaveli. “From front to the back. “Turned Up” is on the album, “Southside” is on it too. The production is there. Lex is my Dr. Dre, literally. Like, that’s why we’re the new Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. Real talk. He knows everything about me, that’s my boy. That’s like my little brother and my business partner. That’s my dawg. If I need something or he needs something, he’s gonna ask me. We party together, we laugh together, we do everything. He can come to my house and spend a whole month just hanging out.” (SOHH)
Waka also previousy called the producer one of hip-hop’s newest hitmakers.
“Flockaveli is the name of my album,” Waka revealed in an interview. “I was definitely inspired by Pac a while lot growing up, so people are definitely going to get to know me on a personal level…Out of the 15 or 16 songs that are going to make the album, Lex Luger probably did 12 of them. That’s my Dr. Dre… and I’m his Snoop [Dogg] [Laughs]. He’s the new sound of Hip-Hop. You ask anyone who needs a hit and Lex will come up in their conversation, guaranteed…” (VIBE)
Check out some recent Waka Flocka Flame footage below:
