Flockaveli

Flockaveli
Studio album by Waka Flocka Flame
Released October 5, 2010
Recorded Next Level Studios, Houston; Nightbird Studios, Los Angeles; S-Line Ent., Atlanta
Genre Crunk,[1] gangsta rap[2]
Length 72:00
Label 1017 Brick Squad/Brick Squad Monopoly/Asylum/Warner Bros.
Producer Waka Flocka Flame (exec.), Tay Beatz (also exec.), Cedric "Yayo" Herbert, Drumma Boy, Joey French, Lex Luger, Lil Jon, L-Don Beats, NIKO, Prince, Purps, Southside
Waka Flocka Flame chronology
Flockaveli
(2010)		 Ferrari Boyz
(2011)
Singles from Flockaveli
  1. "O Let's Do It"
    Released: December 25, 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. Its title of the album was taken after the Italian political theorist Machiavelli,[3] and inspired by an 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 Studios in Los Angeles, and S-Line Ent. in Atlanta.[5]

Released by Asylum Records on October 5, 2010, 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 285,000 copies in the United States.

Music and lyrics

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]

Promotion

The album's lead single, called "O Let's Do It" was released on December 25, 2009.[7] The song features guest appearances from Cap, who was credited for his verse only on the single, but was credited to be featured on the album.[8] The song peaked at number 62 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[9] The remix to "O Let's Do It" was released, featuring Diddy, Rick Ross and Gucci Mane.[10]

The second single "Hard in da Paint" was released on May 13, 2010. In July, a music video for the song was released.[11] The remix to "Hard in da Paint" featuring American R&B singer Ciara and rapper Gucci Mane was released.[12]

The album's third single "No Hands" featuring Roscoe Dash and Wale, was released on August 17, 2010.[13][14] It has peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it his highest charting single in the United States. The album's fourth and final single "Grove St. Party" featuring Kebo Gotti, was released on February 15, 2011.[15] It has charted at number 74 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.[16]

There are also music videos for the songs, such as "Snake in the Grass" featuring Cartier Kitten,[17] "Bustin' at Em",[18] "For My Dawgs",[19] and "Live By the Gun" featuring RA Diggs and Uncle Murda.[20] On October 18, 2010, Waka Flocka Flame performed "Smoke, Drank" live on high-definition TV at the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood.[21]

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[22]
Cokemachineglow82%[23]
NME9/10[24]
Pitchfork8.0/10[2]
PopMatters6/10[1]
RapReviews7.5/10[25]
Rolling Stone[26]
Spin7/10[27]

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.[28] As of August 15, 2011, the album has sold 285,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[29]

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.[30] Jaimie Hodgson from NME commented that the album's songs "showcase a masterclass in reductionism; juggernauts of hulking, bruising, brick-to-skull intensity".[24] 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".[31] 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".[27] 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".[32] 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".[26] 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".[25] 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.[33] In 2014, Billboard called the single "No Hands" the ninth most successful song in the 25-year history of their Hot Rap Songs chart.[34]

Track listing

No. TitleProducer(s) Length
1. "Bustin' at 'Em"  Lex Luger, Southside (co.) 4:03
2. "Hard in da Paint"  Lex Luger 4:06
3. "TTG (Trained to Go)" (featuring French Montana, YG Hootie, Joe Moses, Suge Gotti & Baby Bomb)Lex Luger 5:05
4. "Bang" (featuring YG Hootie & Slim Dunkin)Lex Luger, Tay Beatz (co.) 4:23
5. "No Hands" (featuring Roscoe Dash & Wale)Drumma Boy 4:22
6. "Bricksquad" (featuring Gudda Gudda)Lex Luger 3:57
7. "Fuck the Club Up" (featuring Pastor Troy & Slim Dunkin)Southside 4:39
8. "Homies" (featuring YG Hootie, Popa Smurf & Ice Burgandy)Prince, Purps 4:54
9. "Grove St. Party" (featuring Kebo Gotti)Lex Luger 4:10
10. "O Let's Do It" (featuring Cap)L-Don Beatz 4:08
11. "Karma" (featuring YG Hootie & Popa Smurf)Lex Luger 3:52
12. "Live by the Gun" (featuring RA Diggs & Uncle Murda)Lex Luger 4:09
13. "For My Dawgs"  Cedric "Yayo" Herbert 3:21
14. "G-Check" (featuring YG Hootie, Bo Deal & Joe Moses)Lex Luger 4:18
15. "Snake in the Grass" (featuring Cartier Kitten)Lex Luger 2:58
16. "Smoke, Drank" (featuring Mouse & Kebo Gotti)Lil Jon, NIKO (co.) 4:32
17. "Fuck This Industry"  Lex Luger 5:09

Personnel

Credits for Flockaveli adapted from Allmusic.[35]

  • 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 – executive producer
  • 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
  • Waka Flocka Flame – A&R
  • Finis "KY" White – engineer, mixing

Charts

Chart (2010)[9] Peak
position
US Billboard 200 6
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums 2
US Top Rap Albums 2

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Amidon, David (November 18, 2010). "Waka Flocka Flame: Flockaveli". PopMatters. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 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. 2010-10-01. Retrieved 2013-10-19.
  9. 1 2 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. 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. 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. ↑ "Urban/UAC Future Releases | R&B, Hip Hop, Release Schedule and Street Dates |". Allaccess.com. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  16. ↑ "Waka Flocka Flame featuring Kebo Gotti". Billboard.com. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Waka Flocka Flame - Snakes In The Grass music video". YouTube. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  18. ↑ "Канал користувача wakaflocka1017". YouTube. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Waka Flocka Flame - "For My Dawgs"". YouTube. September 16, 2010. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  20. ↑ "Waka Flocka Flame - Live By The Gun feat. Ra Diggs & Uncle Murder (link in description". YouTube. July 10, 2010. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  21. ↑ "waka+flocka+drink - Listen and Download Mp3s". Music.bec0de.com. October 18, 2010. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  22. ↑ Jeffries, David. "Flockaveli - Waka Flocka Flame". AllMusic. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  23. ↑ McGowan, Colin (November 29, 2010). "Waka Flocka Flame: Flockaveli (1017 Brick Squad/Warner Bros./Asylum; 2010)". Cokemachineglow. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  24. 1 2 Hodgson, Jaimie (April 27, 2011). "Album Review: Waka Flocka Flame - 'Flockaveli'". NME. London. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  25. 1 2 Taylor, Patrick (January 18, 2011). "Waka Flocka Flame :: Flockaveli :: Bricksquad/Warner Bros. Records". RapReviews. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  26. 1 2 Rosen, Jody (October 26, 2010). "Flockaveli". Rolling Stone. New York. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  27. 1 2 Detrick, Ben (October 4, 2010). "Waka Flocka Flame, 'Flockaveli' (Asylum/Warner Bros.)". Spin. New York. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  28. ↑ Jacobs, Allen (October 13, 2010). "Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 10/10/2010 | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHop DX. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  29. ↑ "Introducing the King of Hip-Hop | Music News". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  30. ↑ Flockaveli Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic. Metacritic. Retrieved on May 2, 2011.
  31. ↑ Pattison, Louis (March 17, 2011). "Review of Waka Flocka Flame - Flockaveli". BBC Music. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  32. ↑ Fennessey, Sean (October 6, 2010). Review: Flockaveli. The Village Voice. Retrieved on October 17, 2010.
  33. ↑ "Waka Flocka Flame, Flockaveli (2010) — 25 Rap Albums From the Past Decade That Deserve Classic Status". Complex. December 6, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  34. ↑ "Hot Rap Songs Chart 25th Anniversary: Top 100 Songs". Billboard. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  35. ↑ Flockaveli - Waka Flocka Flame: Credits. Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved August 1, 2011.

External links

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