This past weekend in New Orleans, Waka Flocka Flame faced backlash after some of his associates appeared on stage sporting t-shirts with alarming, hate-filled imagery.
The incident occurred at Om Lounge, a cocktail bar and venue near Lafayette Square, during a performance by the Atlanta rapper on Friday night.
Images of a man in a sleeveless shirt featuring a Nazi symbol circulated online, shared by an attendee who described the scene as disturbing. A Reddit user remarked, “My cousin was at Waka Flocka’s show and spotted this behind his friends. It was literally horrifying.”
Witnesses reported that staff at the venue did not intervene when the man was spotted, and instead, someone who booed him was allegedly threatened with removal.
Following the outcry, Om Lounge management acknowledged the incident and stated that they were updating their policies and training to avoid future occurrences.
“We regret that this happened in our space and are taking immediate measures to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” the management shared on Instagram.
However, their statement also included a puzzling note suggesting that the t-shirt might have been satirical in nature. They stated, “The front of the shirt appears to refer to a political conflict and may have been intended as satire. Still, wearing such symbols in any context is deeply offensive and unacceptable.”
Critics have raised doubts about the claim that the venue was unaware of the situation until after the performance. Some allege that the club owner, Billy Bratty, was present and near the individual wearing the offensive garment.
Local supporter Christalock expressed discontent, stating, “Billy was standing next to someone with a huge swastika on their back, not just that night.”
Attempts to reach representatives from Waka Flocka Flame, Om Lounge, and the New Orleans Police Department for comments did not receive immediate responses.
Many attendees reported leaving due to the distressing symbols seen during the concert. One user who shared a video noted, “This was the atmosphere at the Waka Flocka show.” She tagged the rapper and questioned, “Is this one of your friends? You’ve lost me as a listener.”
Another user echoed the sentiments, stating, “Waka Flocka performed with a man wearing a swastika and tried to remove those who objected.”
