Waka Flocka Flame Upstages AMAs With Smoky Throat Lozenge Ad
Waka Flocka Flame stole the first part of the AMAs – and he wasn’t even part of the show: The rapper appeared in a quirky, Adult Swim–style ad for Pine Bros. throat lozenges. The clip begins by showing Waka, on his couch, surrounded by (ahem) smoke. “What does a Waka Flocka Flame do for minor sore throat relief? This here,” he says awkwardly, as gentle piano music plays in the background and he holds up a package of the throat drops. He praises the product’s ingredients. But in the end, he pulled off a clincher far more entertaining than much of the show so far, by looking at the source of his cloud of smoke and grimacing in a way that suggests, “You know what this is,” before giving the lozenges a final plug.
It was a surprising appearance from a rapper who has kept uncharacteristically quiet for most of the year on the recording front. Other than touring, teasing his as-yet-unreleased Flockaveli 2 album with a couple of singles and releasing a collaboration with Flosstradamus, “TTU (Too Turnt Up),” for the soundtrack for 22 Jump Street – which Floss just built around an a cappella rap that he sent them – Waka Flocka Flame has been working on various projects. In July, the rapper told XXL he had also been working on an EDM-hip-hop crossover album, titled Turn Up God.
Earlier this month, Waka continued his comedic work by appearing in a Funny or Die video, in which he reviewed resumes for a blunt roller. Although he finds a number of prospective new hires, none came equipped with throat lozenges.