Photo Credit: Caitlyn McNair
TCNJ was lucky enough to host Waka Flocka Flame at the annual Welcome Back Concert, and Her Campus TCNJ was given the opportunity to sit down and speak with him before his performance. The Atlanta born rapper is best known for his singles “Hard in da Paint” and “No Hands.”
When asked what inspires him – musically and in his everyday life – the rapper discussed how failure is his biggest motivation. Flocka said that through the journey of his life, he had to overcome failures in “becoming a true man.” He spoke about how those who said he couldn’t pushed him to prove that he could.
He touched on the struggles of women in society multiple times in the interview, “Just like the hardest thing in a females life, to me, is becoming a woman.” The rapper also described the journey to finding what it actually takes for being an adult. How do we decide what it means to be a man or a woman? This is something he has found through failure and through trial and error.
Waka Flocka Flame discussed some hardships he had in his search for success. He explained that he can take constructive criticism, which helped in overcoming failure while on his journey. The successful rapper stressed that “failure is education”
The rapper was then asked what advice he has for college students who are trying to chase their own dreams. His response was: “Don’t base your life off of education – education gets outdated, common sense doesn’t. Common sense created education.”
Waka Flocka also explained that it is important for people following their dreams not to forget how important it is to be social. “Being social is just as important as being educated,” he said. In his hometown of Atlanta, there were people of all different cultures and ethnicities – and the biggest aspect in his life when it came to becoming an adult was learning from the different cultures and values.
“College is scary,” Waka Flocka wrapped up the interview by saying. “Don’t worry about your past, that’s depression…and don’t worry about your future, that’s anxiety. The present is going to create your future.” With these words of wisdom comes great advice for all students at TCNJ.