Looks like it’s Monday again. As you may be aware, on Saturday, Secretary of State John Kerry hosted several of his European counterparts at Tufts for a discussion only open to delegations and the press. Only slightly less exclusive, Waka Flocka Flame will also deliver a speech of sorts to the Tufts community this coming Saturday. On the agenda are topics such as “throwin’ cash,” “sippin’ moscato” and “los[in’] them pants.”
Being the wise and experienced upperclassman that I am, I may not have realized that tickets had gone on sale until after they were sold out, so alas, watching people's Snap stories will have to do. For those attending, are you actually ready to throw down post-hoco? Name one song that isn’t“No Hands” (2012). Yeah, that’s what I thought. But, since no one escaped 2010 without paying $0.99 for this song, let’s discuss.
Another relic from the age of iPod nanos, Waka’s “No Hands” features Roscoe Dash and Wale. If you take a look at the verse composition, you may notice that the track is largely dominated by Roscoe, with only one verse by the title artist. But soft, what doth I heareth in the background? It’s Waka laying a sick beat for Roscoe, and it goes something like this: “Bow bow bow bow bow bow bow bow” (repeat x16). You get the picture. Listen to it in the first verse — you won’t be able to un-hear it. I would highly recommend watching a behind-the-scenes look of this classic Waka technique: check Waka Flocka Goes in the Booth.
Yes, “No Hands” has all the makings of a hip-hop chart topper: a sexy hook with singable lyrics and a bass-heavy beat peppered with tongue-in-cheek lines like “Look ma, no hands!” It’s like Waka and Roscoe sat down to write this and said, “How are we going to create something teenage girls will scream with their friends?” And thus, we have lines like, “Rain, rain, go away, that’s what all my haters say” and “I be goin' ham, shawty upgrade from bologna.” Roscoe even tells us, “Your booty got me lost like Nemo.” Love those Pixar references! Lastly, I want to applaud them for painting the picture of Roscoe sipping a fruity wine instead of typical rap-song shot-ripping. It’s almost classy!
All right, I’ve been listening to “No Hands” on repeat enough times that my housemates are about to put me on the curb next to the trash. Now that you’ve had a musical warm-up, it’s time to get ready for the big night. Here are a few tips to ensure that you don’t embarrass yourself should you engage in a conversation about and/or with Waka.
Do: Try to impress your friends by singing a song or two. If you don’t know the words, you can support the background vocals, which will likely be a mix of “bows,” “woos” and shouts of “FLOCKA.” Just be sure to get the timing right.
Don’t: Ask Waka about Gucci Mane.
