Waffle House cook's rap hit 1 million views; weeks later he says he was fired
Edric Riley, a Waffle House employee who gained viral fame for his rap song 'Waffy Options', was fired for violating company policies regarding filming promotional content on-site. Riley had a 20-year history with the restaurant chain before his termination.
Why it matters
The story highlights the tension between individual social media fame and corporate workplace policies regarding brand representation.
Edric Riley, known to Waffle House customers and co-workers as Rockstar Riley, became an online sensation after a rap song celebrating the restaurant chain went viral. His song 'Waffy Options' crossed more than 1 million views on TikTok and received hundreds of thousands of views and shares on Instagram.But weeks after the song brought him popularity, his long association with Waffle House came to an end. Riley said he was fired from a restaurant in Sandy Springs, Georgia, on Friday after the company found that he had repeatedly broken its rules on filming promotional content on company property, Atlanta News first reported.Riley had worked at Waffle House on and off since he was a teenager. He told CBS News in July that he had been with the company for 20 years and had worked in several roles.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in