Bailey Zimmerman et Waka Flocka Flame

Flocka Flame was born in South Jamaica, Queens, New York, but raised in Atlanta after his family went on to settle there; unlike many of his contemporaries, though, his isn’t quite a rags to riches tale. Indeed, his mother actually managed Gucci Mane for a while, and is the CEO of a management company that has also, at some point, counted the likes of Nicki Minaj and French Montana amongst its clients. That, in itself, leaves Flocka Flame in an unusual position; his comfortable upbringing was likely never going to provide him with much in the way of material with which to base his records around, but then again, he’s never really been one to play the traditional hip hop game; after all, how many rappers, like Flocka Flame did in 2011, would pose nude for PETA to protest the killing of animals for the purpose of wearing fur?

His debut record, “Flockaveli”, involved complex lyrical themes and genuine, unabashed aggression across the course of its hour-plus running time, and tracks like “Hard in da Paint” and “No Hands” made a name for Flocka Flame. Since then, his career has unfolded in soap opera style - he made a record, “Ferrari Boyz”, with Gucci Mane before going on to become embroiled in a very public - and recently-resolved - spat with him, and his live performances have taken him everywhere from supporting Drake on tour to playing at the legendary Reading and Leeds Festivals in the UK. He’s now set to release two new albums - both the much delayed “Flockaveli 2” and a new EDM record, “Turn Up God.”