Three-time Super Bowl champion Shannon Sharpe invited Hip Hop artist Waka Flocka Flame to sit down with him for the Club Shay Shay podcast. At one point, Waka reflected on a traumatic moment from his past.
In January 2010, news broke that a gunman shot Waka Flocka Flame (born Juaquin Malphurs) in the arm. The shooting/robbery took place while the then-23-year-old rapper cleaned his vehicle at a car wash in his hometown.
Shannon Sharpe asked Waka Flocka Flame about that alarming incident from twelve years ago. The “Hard in da Paint” rhymer’s answer focused on how getting injured that day in 2010 changed the direction of his life.
“I still go to the car wash. Yeah, I know what happened, definitely, 100 percent,” said Waka Flocka Flame. “I thank God for that, too. That was a blessing, because that weekend, I was making like a quarter million [dollars].”
The now-36-year-old businessman also stated, “I was going to buy some bricks and some pounds. And that’s God that stopped me. I thank God because I was arrogant as f###. It turned me dark all the way… That Waka died that day, too.”
Waka Flocka Flame went on to release the Flockaveli album in October 2010. Two years later, the BET Hip Hop Awards Rookie Of The Year nominee dropped Triple F Life: Fans, Friends & Family. Both of those albums peaked in the Billboard 200’s Top 10.
Waka Flocka Flame also partnered with his 1017 Brick Squad brethren Gucci Mane for 2011’s Ferrari Boyz collaborative project. As a soloist, Waka scored Billboard Hot 100 hits with songs like “O Let’s Do It” and “No Hands” featuring Roscoe Dash and Wale.
In addition, Waka appeared on the VH1 network’s Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta reality show. His television résumé also features starring roles on Marriage Boot Camp: Hip Hop Edition as well as Waka & Tammy with his longtime partner Tammy Rivera.