I don’t want to objectify rapper Waka Flocka Flame. Really, I don’t. But something in the energy this 23-year-old exudes has me thinking he could talk the pants off me and any female he meets. This kid is smooth, with his refinement purely based in contradictions. He’s half Atlanta, half New York, half street, half southern gentleman. I expect brashness and bravado; what I receive is sensitivity and thoughtfulness. He’s tall, dark and handsome and carries himself with the confidence of a man who’s just beginning to understands the power of being, well, him.

The brilliant confluence of opposites gives Waka a presence as intense as his lyrics. And as Mr. 6’6″ stands on the precipice of his latest album release—Flockavelli, on October 5—Waka (née Juaquin Malphurs) shows he’s man enough to answer questions that have absolutely nothing to do with his music.

Watch as Waka openly discusses the pain of getting shot, the first girl he kissed, the last time he cried and why he isn’t keeping his money under the mattress.

Bookmark to: