Waka Flocka Flame, born Juaquin James Malphurs on May 31, 1986, in Queens, New York, emerged as one of the defining voices of late-2000s Southern hip-hop. Raised primarily in Atlanta, he was surrounded by the music industry from an early age through his mother, Debra Antney, a prominent manager who worked with artists such as Gucci Mane and Nicki Minaj. Initially uninterested in rapping, Waka was pushed toward music after being shot in 2003, an event that redirected his focus and gave his aggres