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First I want to talk about your reputation as “the friendliest rapper.” What do you think about that?
I ain’t trying to have that, I guess it just happened. I didn’t ask for the title, they put it on me. I guess that’s who I am, the perception they had of me, the person that they see. I love life. How it smells, how it looks, everything, I’m in love with it. I’m a big energy-vibe guy so I don’t like negative energy. If I walk into somewhere and it doesn’t feel right, I won’t do it. Period. I just won’t do it.
A lot of rappers try to be hard or street, are you worried that being known as friendly will take that away?
I can’t say because that’s who I am. A lot of people want to be that, I was born that way. I can’t try to be something I was born. That’s like being born rich hoping you’ll be wealthy one day, you’re rich already why the fuck are you worrying?
Let’s talk about the new mixtape a little bit. What were your goals for it?
DuFlocka Rant 2? My goal for DuFlocka Rant was to show people about Flockavelli and Waka Flocka. I ventured off and tried to grab other styles and other venues, other markets, and I succeeded. I conquered them. Plus, I feel like my aura is my clear. My music is way clearer than it was when I first came out because the vocabulary wasn’t there, all I knew was the hood. Rapping showed me how to walk in certain lights, communicate with certain people. Things I didn’t know, I shut up, paid attention, grabbed the information, and acted like I knew it all my life.
You have two more mixtapes before summer?
Yes, I have two more mixtapes. Might drop one on the 30th, it's a strong possibility. It's called DuFlocka Rant Halftime Show. It’s like a halftime show at a game, it’s just modest, eating light songs. Fans will love it, I feel like they deserve it. I bullshitted all last year so now I came out to play this year. The next one is Y'all Can’t Flock With Me, it’s hard as hell. No schedule in mind, it’s hard as fuck though.
Have you been in the studio with anyone new or different recently?
Recently I’ve been in studio with Wyclef, Raekwon. Did a record with T.I. for the first time. It was crazy, great record, 50K.
Oh I was going to ask you about the video for the remix of “Scream & Shout” on the video, were you filming with everyone else?
Yeah and that was my first time meeting them, we had a great time. Britney had to leave she was going on tour, I came a day late. I didn’t get to see Wayne, he came a day after because he was on tour. So me, will.i.am and Diddy were in there and that shit, that shit was crazy. I knew Diddy and I knew Wayne, I’d never met anybody else. Hit-Boy cool as hell—young, great producer. Will.i.am is super fucking cool! He’s futuristic, he’s 3D. Like, he’s what you’re going to look like in 3D. The coolest shit: Diddy fucking jumped on my back! Like that shit was crazy, we’re busting each other, that shit was fun. Like when I first walked in there everybody was like 'Okay… the “rapper” Waka Flocka' and after I started doing my set, everybody started opening up. I guess they saw the calm or whatever I have.
I tell people constantly, I can’t help where I come from. I’m not going to shadow it, I’m not going to deny it—I’m going to applaud it. But it’s not how I start it’s how I finish. Like, if I was born in it, it was right to me. It wasn’t wrong, it was wrong to y'all because y'all not in this life.
So people are always saying, “Waka Flocka is loud.” Do you….
I feel like that’s an excuse! I honestly feel like people just paid. I feel like people just put bullshit on the internet to make it seem like that’s how I am. Like somebody’s paying somebody to do it. That shit’s crazy. People used to put up rumors like, "Waka Flocka shows are gang-banging, people are dying!" Like no one has ever died at my show! EVER. But I know at other rappers' concerts they did
I tell people constantly, I can’t help where I come from. I’m not going to shadow it, I’m not going to deny it—I’m going to applaud it. But it’s not how I start it’s how I finish. Like, if I was born in it, it was right to me. It wasn’t wrong, it was wrong to y'all because y'all not in this life. I was dealt with the hand, with the cards that I had. Now, if I see different, and I learn right from wrong and I choose to keep doing it, then I’m an asshole and I’m all of the above. But you gotta respect me for me. Fuck 'em though, honestly.
I don’t want to rebrand, I feel like everything happens for a reason. By people denying me, it’s part of why I last longer. Because now people see me and think, “Oh this guy is totally different.” It’s like what’s new, know what I’m saying? It keeps you going. I guess I got to be more into TV interviews. I don’t do a lot of interviews like TV commercials. I’m so fan-oriented, if it don’t got fans, I don’t want to fuck with it. They ask for interviews but there’s no fans, no meet and greet? Then I’m like nah, fuck it, I’ll do it over the phone. That’s just how I’ll be. But now, I feel like I have to be in everybody’s outlets. These are the outlets you have to be in. Because your fans, that’s what they listen to.
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I wanted to talk to you about the concert that you did for Hurricane Sandy Relief, what inspired you to get involved with that?
Honestly, I did it just for the good cause. Just to make me feel good as a person. I truly felt like that should just make me feel better. I moved back to New York and it just made me feel like "Damn I need to get back part of the culture." So anything I can do I’m going to do it. I felt like that was my start for me, for no one else. For me. I’d performed at B.B. Kings one time before that. Super crazy, every time I go there it’s super crazy. That shit was live. Performing there, it’s like an emotional stage. I never know what I’m going to say. I always have to watch the videos and shit, because I never practice. I never do soundcheck, if I do we’re just playing and goofing and shit. It feels like freedom man, it feels like walking in heaven, peeking into heaven. Like you got the cheat code and shit.
Your campaign for PETA, you want to talk about that a little bit?
Yeah I campaigned for PETA. Posed nude, ‘Ink over Mink.’ I felt like it was powerful. Once again, that was something for me. Just let a person know how strong the words coming out of my mouth are. I stand on them. I don’t say them just to impress or raise an eyebrow. I really do that because I want to do that. Nobody forced me or told me that’s a good look for your career. I wanted to do that.
What’s your favorite animal?
[Pauses, thinking] My most favorite is a dog, I can’t lie. Because one thing about a dog, it’s like a baby. It’s never going to be mad at you, it knows your feelings. It knows you, it knows your voice. When you talk it’ll be like [looks over]. When you’re yelling they put their head down. They’re there 24/7 all fucking life, that’s my baby! They’re just nice. I love dogs. Love them, I fucking love them.
I have dogs right now, two pitbulls, two girls. Molly and Sarah. I think my brother named his dog Sarah. Molly dog! I had dogs growing up too, my mom and my brother—a year older than me—I think we had like 14 or 15 dogs. Yeah, my mother’s house back home is filled with dogs, like filled. Like a dog in the corner, dog in the corner, dog in the corner.
I feel like I’m at the stage in my life where I control everything. I control my fate. I know who I am, I finally figured out who I am. That shit just feels good. I feel like I conquered it.
I saw the other day you tweeted just “enjoying life.” What do you enjoy the most about life?
See when I tweeted that, I was looking out the window just like ahh man. I was in Georgia, it was hot as fuck. Damn it felt good. I was just smoking and just having a regular ass day. I was just enjoying that shit!
Because when I was a kid I had to look over my shoulder. When the police came up I’d be like, "Damn they’re gonna lock me up." But I feel like today when the police come I’m like, “Okay cool, who are you helping?” Like there’s no feeling that I did something wrong. I feel like I’m at the stage in my life where I control everything. I control my fate. I know who I am, I finally figured out who I am. That shit just feels good. I feel like I conquered it.
Okay, now I want to ask you about Miley Cyrus.
Yeah, she’s fucking sexy.
Yeah she is. You like her new haircut? I love her haircut.
I like her haircut.
Okay so have you guys met? What’s going on? Are you on her album?
I’m not going to lie, I bummed a guest seat from Russell Simmons to go to her party. I got like a real slick crush on her. I went to the party, she didn’t even know it. I walked right by here, she didn’t even know it. As soon as she walked in the door I walked right fucking by her, she didn’t even know. I didn’t say shit. I haven’t met her in real life. I will introduce myself. I want to get a record with her. I got a sick, sick, sick record. Let me see if I got it. I got something I’d like to write for her, give her a feel for it just to write. [Plays song] I already got my verse for it, I created the song, it’s called “Shots.” I got to pitch it, damn she might want to do it for her album! That’d be awesome. I’m going to do a record with her guaranteed. We’re gonna take steps.
What about that video of her twerking? It was like all over the internet…
Man, that shit is so sexy. It’s like, it’s not slutty, it’s not raunchy. Her body is fully covered, that’s what made it so sexy. Like what the fuck is behind the bunny suit? [Interviewer clarifies that Miley said it’s a unicorn suit] Unicorn suit! What the fuck is behind the unicorn suit? You know what I’m saying? It’s just cute.
She’s engaged though you know.
Word? To who?
Liam Hemsworth, he’s an Australian actor. I don’t know. Rumors are saying they’re breaking up, but they’ve been together for a long time.
Oh. Man. I didn’t even know that.
I know you’re probably getting sick of being asked this, but I wanted to ask you about Gucci. You've been in fights before right?
Me and Gucci… nah we’ve never had altercations, like public shit like this. I feel like maybe he know something I don’t know? Maybe it’s jealousy. I don’t fucking know, I never had a conversation with him. I really don’t care to have a conversation with him. The space I’m in in life right now, I try to get negative energy away from me. I don’t know man, that’s not the person for me.
I don’t need a guy with negative energy. Fuck the music, I don’t care how good your music is, if you’re not a good person, you’re music is going to fall with you. You can’t help somebody that doesn’t want to be helped, it’s impossible. I’m done trying to help. I just heard today that he got arrested. That’s sad.
Did you watch the movie? Spring Breakers? I think you’d like it, it’s really good.
I haven’t seen it yet. Oh I gotta see it.
Have you heard about all the rumors with Gucci and Selena Gomez? One of the girls said in an interview that Selena loves Gucci’s music… so if she likes his music…
Ain’t nothing impossible. It’s certainly a possibility.
A lot of rappers talk about music as their fate. Do you think music was your destiny?
Nah, it was a happy good accident. I just woke up, and I was a fucking rapper. That shit is just crazy. I just want to know what’s the cause? If you got fate for something, why? If you want to be a basketball player, why? Because you want to be famous? Everybody got their own thing. If I had a fate to be a rapper I’d have to have a message in it. I grew up on Tupac, so everything to me just feels inspirational. It feels deep, philosophical and powerful.
Do you have anything else you want to talk about?
Flockavelli 2 comes out on October 5. Make sure they copy that I just signed to William Morris. That talent route, going hard, I’m loving it. Just got my first movie role. A gangsta movie, I gotta do what I know for now. The name of the movie is a question mark, but my name in it is Lil Boogie. I’m gonna be Lil Boogie. I’m not gonna lie, this movie got names. I know for a fact that the other rapper they got in it is DMX. And I think they said Steven Seagal? I’m not sure though.
Okay so you’re 26 right now, what do you want to accomplish in the next 26 years?
In 26 years I’ll be officially… 52. Grandkids running around, telling me how much stuff they’re going to do better than me. That they’ll be more famous than me and bigger than me. Music wise? I’ll retire, but go to the award shows, catching the antique awards. Wherever I’m at, I just hope it’s a perfect place. I hope it’s somewhere I’m happy.
