What’s beef? Not the USDA-graded meat, the other kind—the feuds. According to Biggie, it’s when you need two gats to go to sleep. Mos Def claims it’s when crack babies can’t find their moms. The most recent rapper to weigh in on this conversation is former Brick Squad commander, Waka Flocka Flame, taking some surprising shots at former partner and frequent collaborator, Gucci Mane.
This one hurts. How could someone ever be mad at Gucci AKA Wop AKA Wizop AKA Mr. Woptober? He’s the cuddly, lovable trapstar whose teeth are as fake as his heart is big. From the outside looking in, he seems like a genuinely decent individual championing his city, doing whatever he can to put underground trappers on the map through co-signs and features. One day I’m going to sit down and calculate just how many features he has under his belt, but for now, let’s dissect Waka’s Gucci diss, “Was My Dawg.”
In a BBC interview, Waka claimed that the track isn’t a specific snipe at anyone; rather it is a broad, shotgun fire against the entire industry. However, the silhouette on the song’s cover art bears a striking resemblance to Wop’s new lean form, and the lyrics don’t seem terribly ambiguous—especially on the first verse, “Always yellin' Brick Squad, always talking fam first / When yo' ass got locked up, you turned on the fam first.” How could this not be a direct shot at Gucci? I’m curious what transpired between Wop’s incarceration and now—something had to have happened. During the same interview, Waka offered this additional information:
“I haven’t been cool with Gucci since my best friend got killed,” he said. “That’s 2012. You dig what I’m saying? Gucci know how I feel about him. It was a lot of rappers in the studio when me and Gucci was going at it. And I made that baby sit down…If you wanna play tough and act like you macho and you the big dog and you this, that, and the third, cool. But the streets gonna wipe your nose every time.”
This feud possibly clarifies some of Gucci’s newer lyrics, like on his Drake collaboration, “Back on Road,” off Everybody Looking, “These niggas faking like they happy but they mad I'm home / I’m the 2K16 Al Capone.” Could this be a shot at Flocka? Has that much changed between the two since Wop’s imprisonment?
Since his summer ’16 prison release, Gucci seems like he found Jesus, given his admirable physical transformation, revamped diet, and sobriety. But deep down, he’s still the hardworking trap king who views sleep as weakness—his post-prison releases are inordinate. From his conventional features on lesser known’s work, to teaming up with superstars like Kanye and Drake, Guwop’s prevalence isn’t lacking. It’s plausible that his busy schedule has detracted from his relationship with Waka, and this is Flocka’s cry for a reunion. Or maybe my head’s shoved so far up Gucci’s ass that I can’t see the truth in Waka’s words. Despite personal differences, I'm perplexed by Flocka insulting Gucci, considering the latter's trap community stronghold, and Hip Hop impact. Perhaps the "no hands" rapper's extreme frustration is clouding his rational thinking.
Regardless of the reason, one thing is clear: Wake is angry with Gucci, and he’s publicly airing out his frustrations.