Illustration by Tanya Bearson
Gucci Mane began his studio career in 2005, with the release of Trap House, which launched Gucci Mane into Rap Stardom. Trap House featured hit songs like “Icy” and “Black Tee,” which pulled the album up into the Billboard top twenty. From here, Gucci Mane would build his following and continue to produce album after album.
Gucci Mane has been arrested many times on many different accounts, prosecutions ranging from illegal drug possession to first degree murder. The rapper’s most recent case was a 2013 case where Mane was charged with the possession of a firearm. On May 23, 2014, Mane pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm, and was sentenced to 39 months in prison. He was released on May 26, 2016, and dropped “First Day Out Tha Feds” the day after.
On October 13, 2017, Mr. Davis was released. This was Gucci’s eleventh album, and there was nothing but hype surrounding this release. The album showcases a total of seventeen tracks, which feature well-known and some up-and-coming artists. Artists like Big Sean, Nicki Minaj, A$ap Rocky, and Migos are all given spotlights, and these supporting voices only give Mr. Davis even stronger songs. Tracks like “I Get The Bag” and “Stunting Ain’t Nothing” showcase the classic Gucci Mane, rapping about money and girls, but “Work in Progress” and “Miss My Woe” show a more personal side of our beloved rapper. I enjoyed listening to this side because we are able to get a taste of what he has gone through in his life and how it has affected him. He shows us a side of himself that allows the listeners to understand all of the happiness that he has recently experienced, as well as taking us back to his hard and rather painful beginnings.
“Miss My Woe” is one of my favorite songs on the album so far. It features Rico Love, a fellow rapper, producer, and songwriter. The song has a smooth and gentle melody, while still being very poppy and captivating. The combination of Rico’s soothing tone of voice and Gucci’s more harsh voice balanced each other perfectly. Overall, this was just a very successful collaboration and song.
One of the most hyped pieces of the album was “I Get The Bag,” featuring the popular Migos trio. Although I do like this song, I feel it’s a little overrated. I enjoyed its beat, but it didn’t seem totally new. There’s no doubt that it isn’t a good song, I just felt that there wasn’t anything especially exciting about this song to make it stand out. Whenever Migos and Gucci Mane collaborate, you can always expect great things, their most recent project being “Slippery” off of the Migos’ Culture is still one of my favorite songs right now. Although I had mixed feelings about “I Get the Bag,” I still enjoy these artists working together, and look forward to future collaborations.
The final song of the album, “Made It,” talks a lot about Gucci Mane’s history. The song is purely just him rapping about his life and some events that changed his life. He talks about how he has basically made it to the top, as indicated in the title. I felt that this was a very fitting final track because it provides us with a satisfying personal note as well as a more serious theme.
Keyshia Ka’oir and Gucci Mane got engaged on November 22, 2016, during the Hawks vs Pelicans game, and they have just recently gotten married on October 17. The two were rocking pure white attire with the obligatory diamonds here and there, and they were both a sight to see. The wedding was estimated at a grand total of $1.7 million, making this quite the spectacle. This was a massive wedding, and the two appear to be a perfect and happy couple. Things have really turned around for our beloved rapper. He has gotten back on his feet and is living a happy life with his wife beside him. He is definitely not the same man that we saw in 2005, and you can definitely hear it in his music. His verses no longer come from that dark place of pain and struggle that was prevalent in his old work, and we get to hear an overall more untroubled tone that’s filled with peace in his voice. Gucci Mane has undoubtedly changed, but he has changed for the better, for himself, his wife, and for his fans. He seems like he is enjoying his life, and planning to somewhat restart while still retaining bits and pieces from his old life that make him the Gucci Mane that we all know and love. I look forward to listening to many more Gucci Mane projects, and it’s refreshing to see a rapper reflect on all the great things going on in their life, and seeing his evolution to where he is today can only mean great things for any future musical endeavors.