Waka Flocka Flame – Triple F Life: Friends Fans & Family Album Preview

Waka Flocka Flame has been everywhere recently. From covering SPIN and XXL magazines, to hitting MTV’s Hip Hop POV, Flocka is setting the stage for his new album Triple F Life. The dreadlocked-tattooed party starter is out to show he’s more than just a riot-starter when it comes to music, and this album is a pretty big jump from the street-favorite, Flockavelli. Is that a good or a bad thing? Find out as Hip Hop Wired gives you and exclusive preview of Waka’s new album Triple F. Life: Friends Fans & Family, in stores June 12th. Pre-order that right here.  
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“Triple F Life Intro” (Produced by Joshua “Southside” Luellen for Mizay Entertainment)

A far departure from the Flockavelli intro, the opening song from Triple F. Life is celebratory and happy. To be perfectly honest, I completely expected a gang of gun shots, yelling and dread shaking. This song is more, dare I say, melancholy than you’d expect. A kinder, gentler Flocka Flame for you? Maybe.

“Let Dem Guns Blam” ft. Meek Mill (Produced by Joshua “Southside” Luellen for Mizay Entertainment)

I said a kinder gentler Flocka on the previous page right? Yeah, forget I said that. Waka gets back in a familiar lane on the album’s second record but it is still not the adrenaline laced records that we’ve come to expect from Flocka. Still, the same elements are here. Drunk, drugs, and “turnt up on some f**k s**t,” is exactly what he says and what you expect. It’s a light bounce, for now. Meek Mill is a welcome addition on the song, and it’s pace sounds more suited to the Philly rapper.

“Round Of Applause” ft. Drake  (Produced by Lexus “Lex Luger” Lewis and Joshua “Southside” Luellen for Mizay Entertainment, Inc.)

I’ll write this page only for those who are just climbing out of that little rock you’ve been under. This stripclub anthem is a winner for Waka and Drake. This song showed that he doesn’t have to be inciting riots to light up a club. The smooth national anthem for twerking fits just right in the pacing of this album, which is fun party music, but not completely out of control.

“I Don’t Really Care” ft. Trey Songz (Produced by Skyy Stylez & Troy Taylor for Songbook Entertainment)

The energy picks up on the second single from the album. Lots of recklessness and fun times sprinkled in with some rap-singing from Mr. Sawngz. Still not sure if I like Trey’s forgetful harmony bars, but in any case this song is still a party starter.

Rooster In My Rari (Produced by DJ Spinz)

“Pay for what? Girl you better pay for this d**k. She’s the type to f**k for two cents and an outfit.” Yeah, it’s pretty hard to follow up that as an opening line, but that is the kick off bars for Flocka’s “Roasted In My Rari.”

“Get Low” Ft. Nicki Minaj, Tyga & Flo-Rida (Produced by DJ Speedy for Speedy Productions, Inc.; Co-Produced by Breyan Isaac)

This is one of those next level records that can seriously take Waka Flocka to the next level. This is as much of a deliberate pop record that Waka has ever made. It’s an obvious attempt at crossing over by featuring Nicki Minaj, Tyga and Flo-Rida, with a sound that almost sounds like it was left off of Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded. It’s not a bad song, but you can tell that Mr. Flame is going all the way for that mainstream push. A kinder, gentler Flocka like I stated earlier, might be exactly what the doctor ordered.

“Fist Pump” ft. B.o.B. (Produced by Joshua “Southside” Luellen for Mizay Entertainment, Inc., Jamieson Xavier Jones and B.o.B)

The fix is definitely in. Waka’s going for the mainstream with this album and this song definitely solidifies it. This intensely catchy joint is going to own the clubs, I’m calling it right now. As long as people continue to pop molly pills and watch the Jersey Shore this song is as can’t miss single as I’ve heard in a while. Bobby Ray is perfect on his verse as he talks about getting twisted in the club with Waka. This is a fun, fun song.

“Candy Paint & Gold Teeth” Ft. Bun B & Ludacris (Produced by Da Honorable C N.O.T.E. for Honorable Court/POWER Entertainment, LLC; Co-Produced by Redwine) 

This title is exactly what you thing it is. Bun B. is perfect on this down south anthem, as he usually is on guest verses. Ludacris, as it seems like he always is, raps like he has something to prove. This one is a slow rider with a chopped and screwed hook and an infectious guitar riff that loops throughout. Waka embraces his down south residence (although he was born in Queens, New York. Go figure) and gives a song that country bumpkins can scream along to.

“Cash” Ft. Wooh Da Kid (Produced by Joshua “Southside” Luellen for Mizay Entertainment)

Textbook dread shaking-arm bouncing music from Flocka on this one. “All I know is flex and grind, Waka Flocka I got to shine,” he says on this. The best thing about Waka is on records like this, you don’t need lyrics to wow you, you just want his lyrics to scream along to. He’s perfectly in his element on this record. There aren’t many entertainers in Hip-Hop right now that have perfected the “call and response” record like Flocka.

“Lurkin” (Produced by Joshua “Southside” Luellen for Mizay Entertainment) Surprisingly, this is one of the rare “shoot-em-up” records on the entire album. It’s clear that the combination of trying to expand his audience, the loss of his friend Slim Dunkin, and not much Lex Luger production made this album a little less gun-happy. But this record more than makes up for it. “Next rapper disrespect me, i’mma knock him out. Pull up on his concert and ask him “what that mouth about?” I would pause him on that line, but I do not want to disrespect and end up getting knocked out, as promised.

“Clap” (Produced by Joshua “Southside” Luellen for Mizay Entertainment)

This record i’m not so sold on and could have lived without. It’s at the point where the album is running a little long already, but the hook and the easy “call and response” to clap comes off a little cheesy. It’s one thing to go from easy party music to mind-numbing. This is more mind-numbing.

“U Ain’t Bout That Life Ft. Alley Boy ft. Slim Thug”(Produced by Joshua “Southside” Luellen for Mizay Entertainment)

Waka’s talking to somebody on this record. The easy link on this record is that Waka might be talking to another certain-tattooed rapper that he’s been known to have problems with in the possible. “Them tattoos and that jewelry don’t make you hard. And them coupes you rhyme about ain’t in your car garage. You fake as hell, fake as Isht, counterfeit, you a fraud. Under pressure tell quicker than your broad.” Maybe I’m looking too deep into it. Maybe.

“Power Of My Pen” (Produced by Arkatech Beatz)

This record is as introspective as you are going to get from Flocka. He’s obviously grown a lot from his last album and this song is proof of that. He opens up and says that he is afraid to fail. He also talks about how losing two of his friends in the past year messed him up mentally. Coming from a guy who wanted to retire after his first two albums, he does seem like he knows that his career is much more than him and now he wants to succeed by any means.

“Flex” ft. Travis Porter, Slim Dunkin & D-Bo (Produced by Joshua “Southside” Luellen for Mizay Entertainment)

The Travis Porter boys take it easy on this hook and with a feature verse from the late Slim Dunkin, they keep him in memory by making a record that matched his youthful energy. This song isn’t particularly memorable however, and this album could have survived without this song.

“Triple F Outro” (Produced by DJ Speedy for Speedy Productions, Inc.)

Waka Flocka is rapping over an acoustic guitar. I know, I can’t believe I typed that either, but it’s true. This song matches the intro in it’s subdued energy. The spirit of his friends he lost along the way haunt the album, but he makes sure that they aren’t forgotten once and for all. He speaks on how his Mom-ager (Deb Antey) had her credits stolen, and he even admits to shedding tears.

All in all, this album shows some decent growth from Flockavelli. Waka knows he can make the bang-bang shoot em up records, just as easily as he can make the strip club anthems, but Waka shows a side of himself that is rarely seen; a human side. He shows that he isn’t just a wind-em-up doll who you tell to make and perform riot music on call, he’s a guy who wants to talk about his life too. Had he’d been a more prolific lyricist, those songs would’ve come off a lot stronger, although the effort to branch out is appreciated. There are some huge hits and minor misses on this album, but it’s definitely worth the iTunes purchase.