Waka Flocka Flame Performs Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” and Performs Drake’s “Nokia”
Throughout a latest efficiency, Waka Flocka Flame stunned followers by performing Kendrick Lamar’s explosive diss monitor “Not Like Us”. A video clip shared on X (previously often called Twitter) went viral, exhibiting Flocka rapping Kendrick’s lyrics and inspiring the gang to hitch in.
Instantly following, Flocka pivoted to a Drake monitor—“Nokia”—and declared: “I’m nonetheless a Drake fan.” This surprising style leap fueled widespread dialog throughout social media. Moreover it highlights the result of public feuds. Particularly inside movie star friendship circles.
Waka Flocka Flame: A Profession Fueled by Power and Affect
Waka Flocka Flame, born Juaquin James Malphurs on Could 31, 1986, carved out a lane in hip-hop that was unapologetically loud, unfiltered, and undeniably efficient. His rise started in 2009 with the breakout single “O Let’s Do It,” which caught fireplace on mixtapes and radio alike. That momentum led him to signal with Gucci Mane’s 1017 Information, an imprint of Warner Information, later that yr.
In 2010, Waka unleashed “No Arms” that includes Roscoe Sprint and Wale—a track that not solely peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Sizzling 100 however ultimately earned diamond certification from the RIAA, an achievement few rappers attain. Alongside that smash got here different avenue anthems like “Arduous in da Paint” and “Grove St. Occasion,” all featured on his debut album Flockaveli, which debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and helped outline the entice sound of the early 2010s.
His sophomore effort, Triple F Life: Pals, Followers & Household (2012), prolonged his mainstream attain, that includes collaborations with artists like Drake, Trey Songz, Tyga, Nicki Minaj, and Flo Rida. The album debuted at No. 10 and proved Waka wasn’t only a mixtape rapper—he was a hitmaker with endurance.
Waka the Household Man
Past music, Waka embraced public life together with his now ex-wife Tammy Rivera, starring on actuality TV and rising his fanbase by way of emotional transparency and entrepreneurial ventures. Whereas they divorced in 2022, Waka usually cited his function as a stepfather as one in every of his best joys, revealing a extra grounded and reflective facet of himself.
From rowdy membership anthems to viral moments on stage, Waka Flocka stays a singular voice in hip-hop—one who can shout “Bow! Bow! Bow!” in a mosh pit and nonetheless converse on psychological well being, household, and private progress in the identical breath.
Drake: A Hitmaker Who Rewrote the Blueprint
Drake, born Aubrey Drake Graham on October 24, 1986, has redefined trendy hip-hop and R&B since his explosive rise within the late 2000s. From his debut mixtape So Far Gone (2009) to chart-topping albums like Take Care (2011), Nothing Was the Identical (2013), Views (2016), and Licensed Lover Boy (2021), Drake has blended rap, melody, and emotional transparency right into a signature sound.
Identified for his capacity to form developments and dominate airwaves, Drake holds quite a few Billboard information, together with essentially the most charted songs within the historical past of the Billboard Sizzling 100 and essentially the most high 10 singles amongst male artists. His hits like “Hotline Bling,” “In My Emotions,” “God’s Plan,” and “One Dance” not solely topped charts however helped usher within the streaming period of worldwide superstardom.
Drake’s cultural affect is tough to overstate. From coining viral phrases to pioneering the “rapper-singer hybrid” lane, he’s change into each a creative drive and a savvy enterprise mogul by way of ventures like OVO Sound. Regardless of trade criticism and rivalries—together with the present lyrical battle with Kendrick Lamar—Drake’s business dominance and constant fan base stay unshaken.
Kendrick Lamar: The Poet Laureate of Hip-Hop
Kendrick Lamar, born Kendrick Lamar Duckworth on June 17, 1987, stands as one of the vital critically acclaimed rappers of his technology. Bursting onto the scene with Part.80 (2011) and good child, m.A.A.d metropolis (2012), Kendrick shortly distinguished himself as a storyteller rooted within the realities of Black America, social justice, and private trauma.
His 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly grew to become a cultural lightning rod—fusing jazz, funk, and spoken phrase to look at race, id, and resilience. It earned him a Grammy for Greatest Rap Album and widespread reward for its depth and artistry. In 2017, DAMN. additional solidified his legacy, changing into the primary non-jazz, non-classical album to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. Songs like “HUMBLE.,” “DNA.,” and “LOYALTY.” not solely charted excessive however reshaped the sound and messaging of contemporary rap.
In 2022, Kendrick launched Mr. Morale & the Huge Steppers, a double album that leaned into introspection and remedy, additional proving that his music is as a lot about therapeutic as it’s about protest.
Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us”: A Cultural Flashpoint
Launched on Could 4, 2024, “Not Like Us” was Kendrick Lamar’s direct escalation in his feud with Drake. Produced by Mustard, the monitor featured weighty allegations focusing on Drake, his crew, and the music trade.
It grew to become one of the vital awarded songs in Grammy historical past and dominated streaming platforms, whereas additionally stirring authorized rigidity—Drake later sued Common Music Group over alleged defamation tied to the track.
By masking the track stay, Waka inserted himself into one in every of hip-hop’s largest narratives, amplifying each admiration and scrutiny.
Why Protecting “Not Like Us” Was Daring—and Dangerous
Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” exploded onto the scene in 2024 amid his high-profile beef with Drake. Produced by Mustard, the monitor featured confrontational lyrics alleging misconduct and calling out Drake’s cultural affect. It went on to interrupt streaming information and dominate the charts, sweeping all 5 of its Grammy nominations.
By performing “Not Like Us”, Waka tapped into one in every of trendy rap’s most charged moments—whereas standing aside by switching to Drake’s personal “Nokia” instantly after. The emotional rollercoaster of allegiances added to the spectacle—and skepticism.
Web Reacts to Waka’s Kendrick Tribute and Drake Loyalty
As quickly as clips circulated on-line, netizens took to X and Instagram with combined reactions. Some accused Flocka of a clout seize, remarking, “Bro simply wanna be within the dialogue,” whereas others questioned why he wasn’t performing his personal catalogue.
Regardless of criticism, many got here to his protection: “It’s okay to love each artists,” one fan wrote, whereas one other added, “They’re simply songs.” The divide underscored the complexities of fandom within the age of hip-hop beef.
What This Second Exhibits About Hip-Hop Tradition Now
Waka Flocka’s tribute reminded followers that hip-hop fandom is not monolithic. Loving each Kendrick Lamar and Drake—or honoring one whereas respecting the opposite—means that followers and artists can resist compelled alignment in rap conflicts.
Furthermore, this incident highlighted the performative nature of stay reveals in 2025: creating viral moments by way of context, shock, and genre-spanning gestures. Some followers slammed the efficiency as opportunistic; others hailed it as ingenious.
No matter interpretation, moments like these underline the evolving function of stay efficiency as each spectacle and assertion.
What Lies Forward for Waka, Kendrick, and Drake
Following the viral second, hypothesis grew: Will Waka face criticism from Drake’s fan base? How will Kendrick Lamar react? Will Waka double down or make clear?
As of now, Waka hasn’t responded publicly after the set—however with each Kendrick and Drake touring internationally, and their feud nonetheless unresolved in public notion, any commentary from both camp might reignite headlines.
A Divide in Music
Waka’s efficiency could have been transient, however it despatched shockwaves by way of fan communities, hip-hop circles, and live performance tradition at massive. Many interpreted the second as a daring commentary on creative allegiance within the age of public beefs. It underscored how stay efficiency can nonetheless be an area for political and emotional expression, not simply leisure.
Waka’s option to carry out “Not Like Us” whereas concurrently expressing admiration for Drake illustrated the form of generational cross-talk that defines trendy hip-hop—the place traces between loyalty, homage, and controversy usually blur. In a tradition that often calls for followers and artists alike to choose a facet, Waka’s set provided one thing rarer: the facility of contradiction.
