Known by his stage name Gucci Mane, Radric Davis was born in Birmingham, Alabama on February 12, 1980. He is an American rapper and the CEO of 1017 Brick Squad Records. His self-titled debut album, Trap House, was released in 2005. It included the hit song “Icy,” which he co-wrote with Young Jeezy. Since then, he has put out three more albums: Hard To Kill in 2006, Trap-A-Thon in 2007, and Back To The Trap House in 2007.
Known by his stage name Gucci Mane, Radric Davis was born in Birmingham, Alabama on February 12, 1980. He is an American rapper and the CEO of 1017 Brick Squad Records. His self-titled debut album, Trap House, was released in 2005. It included the hit song “Icy,” which he co-wrote with Young Jeezy. Since then, he has put out three more albums: Hard To Kill in 2006, Trap-A-Thon in 2007, and Back To The Trap House in 2007. The State vs. Radric Davis, his sixth studio album, was released in December 2009, a few weeks after he was returned to prison for a year and a half for breaking his probation. After being freed in May of 2010, he is set to release The Appeal: Georgia’s Most Wanted, his seventh studio album, around the end of 2010.
Art is considered to reflect life. In the case of hip-hop, perception and reality have always been purposefully entwined. Fans expect their MCs to be genuine, but never overly so. Hip-hop that succeeds focuses on the mystique, the tease, and the hint of danger. Balance is key to hip-hop.
Gucci Mane is a performer who aims to strike a balance between musicality and turbulence. The news has been dominated by controversy, including a dispute with his former partner Young Jeezy, with little attention given to his exceptional vocal abilities, undeveloped talent, or business sense. Gucci wants to take his identity out of the public eye and speak for himself using his own words.
The rapper, who was reared in Atlanta, brushes off the criticism that has dogged him in the past, saying, “I wish everybody who’s making money in this rap game.” “I have so much going on at my label and my own rap career is going so well that I don’t have time for other people’s problems.” Gucci does in fact have a busy schedule and no time to reflect on the past thanks to his contract with Asylum Records and his role as the head of his own label, So Icey Entertainment.
“I don’t have any regrets in life. Gucci says, “I just wish a lot of things never happened, but anybody can wish.” Sounds like a man who has his sights set on the goal. And nothing less is to be expected from a performer who worked his way up through the indie record industry. After releasing his local song “Black Tee,” he signed with Big Cat Records and released his debut album, Trap House, in May of 2005. A big part of the indie album’s outstanding 140,000 unit sales came from the Jeezy-featured hit “Icy.” Disagreement was triggered by a clamor about music rights, and it developed from there.
Mane’s independence was solidified despite the controversy: “I was on the independent scene for about two years,” he remembers. It’s absurd! To sustain your craft, you have to pay for it yourself. You require additional revenue streams to sustain your belongings. It’s a gamble out there with the independent circuit; you may win or lose. You should definitely have strong music because in an autonomous game, you quickly lose ground without it.
With a solid grasp of good music, Gucci was quickly rising to fame until further misfortune struck him. Let’s go back a bit, though. How did Radric Davis, who was born in Bessemer, Alabama, become Gucci Mane, the spokesperson for Atlanta stunting? Mane’s memories of his childhood in Alabama are limited to its rural nature and the significant changes that have occurred since his departure at the age of nine. He says, “But I gotta give Alabama a shout out because they’re holding it down.” “Every time I perform there, I’m amazed at how ingrained hip-hop culture has become.”
Mane’s persona came together once he and his mother relocated to Atlanta. He says, “I spent my entire adolescence and adult life in Atlanta.” “I’m from Zone Six in East Atlanta; man, that was tough. I grew up in the Starter jacket era, when everything was taken, including your shoes, hat, and 8Ball jacket. It was basically dog eat dog, no holds allowed on the streets. You had to be crewed up or you would be jumped if you missed the bus. When I walked up, it was crazy.
It is a depressing picture. Mane shares a glimpse of his reflective side, which he developed as a schoolyard poet, when requested to give a more detailed account of his home life. For the most part of my life, I was just a young guy living with a single parent. I can’t really be that critical. It must be similar to any other Black youngster growing up in a home with a single parent. Many individuals are aware of how that works. Though I didn’t have much coming up, I was grateful for what I did have. I was fortunate to have a loving mother who supported me during the whole fight and raised me appropriately. That has a lot of implications; it shaped who I am now.
During Mane’s teens, a stepfather would enter the scene, providing inspiration for Mane’s peculiar moniker in addition to introducing a male presence. “I got my name from my father, the original Gucci Mane, as the community dubbed him when he first moved in. I was raised as the son of a hustler and a teacher, so I had the best of both worlds—double education. Mane released Trap House, a deadly mashup of his signature sound, drawing influence from the legendary rappers who came before him, including Big Daddy Kane, LL Cool J, Ice Cube, the Beastie Boys, and N.W.A. “I call my music straight Gucci: going hard and whatever beats you make me for me, if I’m feeling it, if I’m rocking with it, I’m gonna crush it,” Mane said of his music. You hear a lot of ghetto, a lot of misery, and what’s going on in Atlanta’s inner city when you listen to me.
Regretfully, Trap House came out at the wrong time; in the month it was published, Gucci was charged with murder and spent two days in jail. Mane was eventually cleared since it was determined that he was acting in self-defense and there wasn’t enough evidence to convict him. However, the experience made a lasting impression on the individual. He says, “I learned to watch where I go, keep better company, and be aware of my surroundings at all times.” “Watch what I say, what I do, and how I do it; just don’t associate with the wrong people.”
“Man, I always get up,” he says. “I’m among the hardest guys I’ve ever met. To break me down, much more will be required. Mane was back in the studio, getting ready for the oddly appropriate Hard To Kill (2006), unfazed. Gucci Mane’s rise from local commodity to national treasure was fueled by the buzz around Hard To Kill, and big labels reacted suitably, saying, “There was a bidding war going on, and I liked Atlantic’s approach.” They expressed their desire for me, their sense of where I was headed, and their belief that I could develop alongside them.
Early in 2007, Gucci Mane was signed to Asylum/Atlantic Records and given his own imprint, So Icey Entertainment. It brings with it a whole stable of musicians known as the So Icey Boyz. Gucci is concentrating on his masterpiece, Back to the Trap House, while the Boyz get ready for their own spotlight. “I got them in training; they be in the weight room, pumping iron, doing pushups, shopping at the mall, buying ice,” he says. “After beginning production on the album, I decided to return to the Trap House after listening to the third song. I began to have the same emotions as when I recorded my debut album. It was fresh and had the same feel to it. And my hunger and drive were exactly the same as they were when I first started rapping.
Gucci says, “I want everyone to know that even after I went major, I’m still keeping it street, keeping it hood.” “I want to give something back to all of the fans I had in the beginning of my career. I’m also attempting to reach out to a wider audience with my new record. It’s a combination for everyone to enjoy together, much like my debut album.” Gucci has always taken great satisfaction in his natural talent and his refusal to allow cameos to control the vibe of his albums. He says, “I just want people to know that I’m a great songwriter, man.” “I have a strong sense of passion for what I do, and I strategically choreograph it.” I bring a wacky flair, a ton of expertise, and clever wordplay. The majority of the songs on my albums are recordings that I make without writing down; it’s a gift from God that I just get compensated for. It originates with God; it’s similar to asking why a bird can fly. Like the great poets of the past, he transformed me into a poet.
However, Gucci’s confidence shouldn’t be taken as self-importance. His career’s ups and downs have forced him to adopt a longer perspective. Putting lyrics aside, his main concern is serving as an emissary from his marginalized block rather than using overt tactics. He maintains, “I’m not the one to glorify what goes on in the hood.” Everything is there, from acts of violence to individuals boarding buses to go to work. The hood is much more than just drugs. There’s a larger picture, a larger story. That neighborhood was where I worked, where I went to school, where I hustled and trapped, and where I made my name. I claim East Atlanta Zone Six, and I’m proud to be from there. To be the first person from there to truly rock, I carry it on my back.
Gucci’s career objectives have also evolved. While other rappers place a premium on platinum records, Gucci is cognizant of the path that brought him to prominence. “I produced numerous CDs by myself. People helped and encouraged me, shaping me into the guy I am now. it right there is my blueprint, and I never forget it. I do this for others to feel it, that’s my main concern now that they’re listening to my music. I consider my work to be finished if two individuals experience the same thing that one person feels.
Luckily for Gucci, Back to the Trap House should prepare him to greet a horde of new admirers. Longtime fans, however, need not worry—they will be able to recognize “Freaky Gurl,” which is a reprise from Hard To Kill. After hearing the song, Luda requested a guest appearance on the remix. In keeping with Gucci’s idea of mingling the new and the old, said remix is now the lead track on Back to the Trap House. Amidst a lively, wandering beat provided by Cyber Sapp, the two prepare the necessary mixture of whips, chips, and chicks. Additionally, keep an ear out for “Bird Flu,” the second song off the album featuring New York-based Supa Sonics. In other places, strong cameos from UGK’s Rich Boy and Pimp C complete Gucci’s local flavor, while the Bay Area producer Zaytoven—known for his hit song “Icy”—seals Gucci’s West Coast appeal.
Gucci Mane is ready for his ascent to the top, having put his past hardships behind him and having something to offer everyone. “Although controversy is what makes me most famous, I’m working to earn respect as a performer and songwriter. Who knows what the future holds, but I want to hit them very hard with this album. I will continue to beat them until I am unable to do so.
