Waka Flocka Flame helped build the Atlanta trap sound that defined the early 2010s — Flockaveli, “Hard in da Paint,” “No Hands” — and his spring 2026 Northeast tour is rolling through Albany on Friday, May 22. Concert Crave is presenting at Empire Live, and it is exactly the right room for it.
The rapper — born Juaquin James Malphurs in Queens, raised in Atlanta — broke through in 2009 with “O Let’s Do It” and followed it with Flockaveli in 2010, a debut album that landed at #6 on the Billboard 200 and gave the world “Hard in da Paint” and “Grove St. Party.” “No Hands,” his collaboration with Roscoe Dash and Wale, hit #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is now RIAA Diamond certified. As a founding member of the Brick Squad Monopoly collective, he was one of the architects of the era’s signature sound.
Empire Live gives you a 1,000-person general admission floor with mezzanine-level seating and VIP boxes — the layout works for hip-hop, with enough space to spread out or get close depending on your mood. Opened in 2021, it is one of the newer venues in the downtown Albany lineup and has settled nicely into the mid-size headliner slot.
This Albany date is part of a compact Northeast run — he plays Westcott Theater in Syracuse the night before (May 21) and heads to Harrisburg, PA the night after. Doors at Empire Live typically open about an hour before showtime, so plan accordingly.
Show is Friday, May 22 at 8:00 PM at 93 N. Pearl Street in downtown Albany. Tickets are on sale now.