They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery. But according to Waka Flocka Flame, it’s just downright disrespectful. In Waka’s new cover story for Complex, he takes aim at rappers like Jay-Z, Kanye West and Rick Ross, accusing them of stealing his down-bottom, party-boy sound.
“What are y’all gonna say now? Jay-Z stupid as hell? My sound is wack? You gonna say that? They love the sound. They can’t run away from it. … I feel like my sound changed hip-hop. Period,” Waka told the magazine. “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 s— you started. You be like, ‘D—n, how is this n—a a genius for doing something I started?’ ”
Waka’s rise to fame first began in 2009, when he emerged on the scene with raucous hits “O Let’s Do It” and the Lex Luger-produced “Hard In The Paint.” Since then, hip-hop fans around the globe have fallen love with Waka and Luger’s schizophrenic and high-energy sound, rife with dark synth lines and frenzied drum patterns.
But other rap stars took note Waka’s popular sound too and Luger has since become one of the hottest producers around, crafting songs for the likes of Wiz Khalifa, 2 Chainz, Wale, Mac Miller as well as Kanye West, who enlisted Luger for The Throne’s “H.A.M.,” and Ross, who collaborated with Luger on “B.M.F. (Blowin’ Money Fast) and even appeared on Waka’s “O Let’s Do It” remix.
And though Waka doesn’t outright mention Ross’ name, he does hint that Maybach Music’s big bawse has capitalized off his sound.
“This ni—a out here making 30 f—ing songs with your sound,” Flocka charged. “He watering it down, just putting words together that sounded good. S— would be harder if it was the truth.”
Could this be the start of a new rap beef? We’ll just have to wait and see. But this isn’t the first time an artist has been accused of swagger jacking. Check out some other famous copycat scandals below. –nicholas robinson
