All About Waka Flocka Flame's Mom Deb Antney (Who Helped Launch the Careers of Some of the Biggest Names in Rap!)

Waka Flocka Flame’s mom, Debra Antney, raised him in the world of hip-hop.

She is a renowned manager, once representing Gucci Mane and Nicki Minaj, so the rapper spent his childhood surrounded by music legends.

“I grew up around Run-DMC and LL Cool J and all those people," he told Vibe in 2010. “Murder Inc., Ja-Rule, even Biz Markie were always around the way when I was a kid. The Lost Boyz, all of them knew my family. So I been around hip-hop since a young’n. No one can say I ain’t hip-hop.”

Despite his upbringing, Waka said it wasn’t a given that his mom would help him with his music. “You can’t get no tighter than family. But when it’s business, I’m not her son. I had to put in work to get her attention,” he told Vibe.

Waka expressed his gratitude for Antney on Instagram in February 2024. “My role model, my omega, and the main reason i wake up wanna go get it mama.. YOU THE REASON,” he wrote.

From her parenting style to her career, here’s everything to know about Waka Flocka Flame’s mom, Debra Antney.

She’s from Queens

Antney was born and raised in Jamaica, Queens in New York City.

She told This is 50 about her upbringing, saying, "Your friends aren’t your friends, they’re family."

Antney also spoke about what she remembered about Queens, and the things she did growing up that built her business sense. “In Queens, I remember sitting down selling lemonade,” she said. “I remember having my own little cleaning business as a kid, babysitting.”

The businesswoman eventually made the move with her family to Georgia, encouraging Waka to find memories of home in both places.

“Well, I consider Riverdale, Georgia my home, but there ain’t no taking away from New York. S---, I still remember taking the Q3 and the Q4 bus as a kid,” he told Vibe.

She launched her entertainment company in 2007

According to her bio on FX, Antney raised Waka and his four siblings as a single mother.

She worked multiple jobs before moving to Georgia, where she started a job in community work with the Georgia Department of Family and Children’s Services. Through this position, she met Ludacris and discovered Gucci Mane, leading her to leave her job in 2007 and launch Mizay Entertainment.

In addition to Gucci Mane, Antney has played a part in the careers of some of the top names in rap, including former clients Nicki Minaj, OJ Da Juiceman, French Montana, and her son, Waka, according to her website.

Antney even got a shout-out from Minaj in 2011 when the musician won favorite rap/hip-hop artist at the American Music Awards. From the stage, the rapper said, “Thank you, Deb, I see you baby!”

She raised five sons

Waka is one of five children. He has two older brothers, Tyquam Alexander and rapper Wooh da Kid, who he shared love for on Instagram in March 2024.

“Both my big brothers played important roles in my life: @quamgoingbrazy The protector and father i was missing… @woohda808 the protector and best friend i always needed,” he wrote.

Waka is the middle child — his two younger brothers both died at young ages, influencing his life and music career.

They navigated grief together after the death of her two sons

Waka’s second-to-youngest brother, Rahleek, died in a car accident when the future rapper was entering eighth grade. In 2019, Waka spoke to Dr. Siri Sat Nam Singh for Vice’s series The Therapist, about the loss. “It created a monster, I don’t know who I was from ... 14-26 [years old], I was on a rollercoaster,” he said.

Antney lost a second son, KayO, to suicide in 2013. Since his death, the businesswoman has discussed the difficulty of losing a child and confronting the stigma against suicide in the Black community on her show Deb’s House.

“It was hard for me to talk about my son committing suicide. That was the hardest thing for a Black person to get up there to say ... because, as you know, we don’t commit suicide,” she said in 2024.

Antney opened up about why she felt it was necessary to discuss her son’s death. “I’m not ashamed. There’s a whole lot of other things I’m going through, but shame, I’m not,” she told Bossip in 2014. “It wasn’t just about me. Someone else needed to hear that.”

After KayO’s death, the businesswoman started the initiative Pledge No R.I.P, short for “No Reckless Intentions, Period,” dedicated to suicide prevention and cyberbullying awareness.

They starred together on Waka and Tammy: What the Flocka

Waka and Tammy: What the Flocka, which debuted in 2020 on WE tv and ran for 3 seasons, centered on Waka and Tammy Rivera’s relationship. The two were married in 2014 and had an official ceremony in 2019 to renew their vows.

Waka and Rivera split in 2022 during the final season of their show, during which Antney explained that she felt out of the loop, and wanted to feel more included in her son’s life.

“This situation, honestly, makes me feel the same way as when y’all got married, because I had to hear about it in the streets, and that’s the stuff I hate,” she told Waka on the show.

He gave her a gift in honor of her late son

During season 1 of Waka and Tammy: What the Flocka, the rapper gifted Antney a Macaw parrot. The gesture was especially meaningful to Antney, who found a connection to her late son through the pet.

“I know that KayO is okay in my heart of hearts,” she said. “It’s even bigger, for my sons to think of what I was going through and try to fill that void.”

Waka explained his decision to give the bird to his mom, saying, “My mama, my wife, my daughter, that’s what I'm living for, to make the women in my life happy.”

She’s searching for the next female rap star

Over the years, Antney has played a role in several popular TV series, including Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta, Growing Up Hip Hop and Waka & Tammy: What the Waka, executive producing the latter two.

She was in the producer’s seat once again for her 2024 show Deb’s House, where up-and-coming female rappers competed for Antney’s assistance in the hopes of advancing their careers.

The artist manager spoke with Forbes about the new show, saying, "The competition is really against themselves. It's not against each other. Anybody that knows me knows I’m never going to put two women up against each other. I don’t do that. You’re not the same person. You’re not who the next person is. You’re your own individual.”

Philadelphia rapper Rocky won season 1 of the show, which wrapped in July 2024, according to the Philly Voice. Rocky expressed her gratitude for Antney after being crowned the winner, saying, “This journey has been an incredible experience and I’m so grateful Ms. Deb believed in me.”

He admires her career

Waka has no shortage of respect for Antney and her career.

“Women like my mother kicked the f------ door down, completely,” he said on the Ray Daniel Presents podcast in 2024. He also spoke about his mother’s decision to represent Minaj early in her career, saying, “When she seen a woman like Nicki getting beat and bruised, she took to her like a daughter.”

Waka opened up about his unconditional devotion to Antney. “That’s my mother, she could steal a million dollars, and I’m still going to sit at her house on Sunday and eat that food because I don’t know what it took for her to get us here,” he said. “She’s a woman that’s relentless.”

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

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