During a recent conversation on X Spaces, American rapper Waka Flocka Flame said that he had been studying crypto since 2001. The hip-hop artist added that he had been patiently waiting for his turn before jumping into the fray.
.@WakaFlocka just said in a space that he’s “been studying crypto since 2001”
lesson in that
— Skoti (@SkotiVi) June 16, 2024
The ridiculous statement attracted plenty of mockery on social media, with some users jokingly suggesting that he might be Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin’s elusive creator. Some commentators also quipped that he probably meant cryptographic encryption instead of cryptocurrencies. Waka himself was in on the joke.
Waka moto 🤨 https://t.co/z7s8yP2VfR
— Waka Flocka Flame 🔥 (@WakaFlocka) June 17, 2024
The rapper became known with the release of his single “O Let’s Do It” in 2009 which peaked at No. 62 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Satoshi famously published their Bitcoin white paper on Oct. 31, 2008, paving the way for the creation of the cryptocurrency industry.
In 2010, Waka released his signature song “No Hands” that ended up becoming one of the most successful rap hits of all time. In July 2023, it received a rare diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
The rapper went on to release several other moderately successful singles, including collaborations with Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Flo Rida. Waka stopped appearing on Billboard charts in 2012, a year after Bitcoin’s mysterious creator disappeared from the internet.
Waka is not new to crypto. He has been accused of doing undisclosed paid promotions on Ethereum back in 20212.
Now, he has become the latest irrelevant hip-hop artist to jump on the celebrity meme coin craze.
Last month, Australian rapper Iggy Azalea, whose commercial career in the music industry ended years ago, managed to reinvent herself as a meme coiner, pushing the market cap of her Mother Iggy (MOTHER) meme coin to a quarter of a billion dollars.
