Itβs said that art mirrors life. In hip-hopβs case, thereβs always been a deliberate entanglement of perception and reality. Fans demand their MCs be realβ¦but never too real. Successful hip-hop is about the hint of the danger, the tease of it, the mystique. Hip-hop is about balance.
Gucci Mane is an artist striving for that balance, volatility versus musicality. Controversy, including a feud with former collaborator Young Jeezy, has grabbed the headlines, with insufficient regard paid to his considerable mic skills, raw talent, and business acumen. Gucci is looking to wrest his name from public speculation and let his own words do the talking.
βI wish everybody well whoβs making money in this rap game,β the Atlanta-raised rapper says, dismissing the controversy that followed him in the past. βMy own rap game is going so good, Iβve got so many things on my plate at my label, that I donβt got time for other peopleβs business.β With a deal with Asylum Records as the boss of his own label, So Icey Entertainment, Gucci does indeed have a full schedule with no time to dwell on the past.
βI live my life with no regrets. I just wish that a lot of things never happened, but anybody can wish,β says Gucci. Sounds like a man with his eyes on the prize. And youβd expect nothing less from an artist who ground his way to the top via the hustle of independent records. Signing to Big Cat Records in the wake of his local single βBlack Tee,β he dropped his debut record, Trap House, in May 2005. The independent album moved an impressive 140,000 units, largely on the strength of the βIcyβ single, featuring Jeezy. Clamor over song rights sparked dispute, and the resulting rift grew.
Controversy notwithstanding, Maneβs independence was cemented: βI was on the independent scene for about two years,β he recalls. βItβs crazy! You gotta go into your own pocket to support your craft. You need other avenues to have money coming in, to support your stuff. You might win, you might lose, and itβs a gamble out there with the independent circuit. One thing youβd better have is good music because without that, you go downhill fast in the independent game.β
Good music firmly in hand, Gucci was fast approaching stardom when more tragedy befell him. But letβs backtrack; how did the man born Radric Davis in Bessemer, Alabama, become Gucci Mane, mouthpiece for Atlanta stuntinβ? Mane remembers little from his time in Alabama, just that it was rural, and that itβs changed dramatically since he left at the age of nine. βI gotta shout out Alabama though, because they holdinβ it down,β he affirms. βEvery time I go there to do a show, Iβm impressed with how hip-hop culture has taken root.β
Maneβs identity coalesced when he moved with his mother to Atlanta. βI lived all of my adolescent and adult life in Atlanta,β he explains. βIβm from East Atlanta Zone Six; it was hard, man, it was real rough. I grew up in the Starter jacket era: theyβd take your Starter jacket, your 8Ball jacket, theyβd take your hat, your shoes. It was just no holds barred on the streets, dog eat dog. If you missed the bus, you had to be crewed up or youβd get jumped. It was wild when I came up.β
Itβs a bleak portrait. When asked to describe his home life more vividly, Mane offers a look into his contemplative side, a side honed as a schoolyard poet. βI was just a young dude in a single parent house most of my life. I canβt complain that much. I would guess itβs like any black child growing up in a single parent household. There are a lot of people who know how that is. I didnβt have a lot coming up; but what I did have, I appreciated. I was blessed to have a caring mother to raise me right and to help me with my business ventures; sheβs been there through the whole struggle. Thereβs a lot that goes along with that; it made me who I am today.β
A stepfather would enter the picture during Maneβs adolescence, introducing not only a male figure, but also inspiration for Maneβs unusual moniker. βMy father came in, the original Gucci Mane; thatβs what people in the neighborhood called him, and thatβs where I get my name from. From then on, I grew up the son of a hustler and a schoolteacher; it was the best of both worlds because I was educated twice.β Drawing inspiration from a pantheon of rappers before him βBig Daddy Kane, LL Cool J, Ice Cube, the Beastie Boys, N.W.AβMane went on to release Trap House, a lethal brew of his signature sound: βI call my music straight Gucci: going hard and whatever beats you make you for me, if Iβm feeling it, if Iβm rocking with it, Iβm gonna crush it. When you hear me, you hear a lot of pain, a lot of hood; you hear whatβs going on in the inner city in Atlanta.β
Unfortunately, Trap House was ill timed; the month of its release, Gucci was accused of murder and jailed for two days. Eventually deemed to be acting in self-defense, and without sufficient evidence to hold him, Mane was exonerated. But the ordeal left an indelible imprint on the man. βI learned to keep better company, watch where I go, and be mindful of my surroundings at all times,β he reveals. βWatch what I say, watch what I do and how I do it, just keep myself out of the wrong crowd.β
βI always stand up man,β he continues. βIβm one of the toughest guys I know. Itβll take a lot more than that to break me down.β Undeterred, Mane was back in the studio, preparing 2006βs eerily apropos Hard To Kill. The buzz from Hard To Kill vaulted Gucci Mane from regional commodity to national treasure, and major labels responded accordingly: βThere was a bidding war going on, and I liked Atlanticβs approach. They made it known that they wanted me, they felt where I was going and that I could grow with them.β
Asylum/Atlantic Records welcomed Gucci Mane in early β07, granting him his own imprint, So Icey Entertainment. With it comes an entire stable of artists, the So Icey Boyz. As the Boyz ready for their own exposure ββI got them in training; they be in the weight room, pumping iron, doing pushups, shopping at the mall, buying iceββGucci is focused on his magnum opus, Back to the Trap House. βI started working on the album, and by the third song, I was like βThis is going back to the Trap House.β I started feeling the same way I did when I made my first album. It had the same feel to it, the same freshness. And I had the same hunger and desire I had when I first started rapping.β
βSince I went major, I want everybody to know Iβm still keeping it street, keeping it hood,β Gucci maintains. βIβm trying to take it back to all my fans that I had when I first started my career. And at the same time, Iβm trying to open up my new album to a new fan base. So itβs a mix for everybody coming together, like my first album was.β Gucci has always prided himself on his innate ability, and his refusal to let guest appearances dictate the tone of his records. βI just want people to know Iβm a great songwriter, man,β he asserts. βIβm passionate about what I do, and itβs choreographed strategically when I do it. I bring a lot of experience, creative wordplay, and a crazy style. And my albums, I record most of the songs without writing them down; itβs a God-given gift and I just get paid for it. It come from God, itβs like wondering what makes a bird fly. He made me a poet like the great poets of the past.β
But donβt mistake Gucciβs confidence for self-absorption. The vicissitudes of his career have dictated a longer view. Lyrics aside, heβs less preoccupied with visible means and more so with acting as an emissary from his under-repped block. βIβm not the one to glorify what goes on in the hood,β he insists. βWe have everything there, the whole range from violence to people getting on the bus and going to work. Thereβs a lot more to the hood than just drugs. Itβs a bigger story, thereβs a big picture. I went to school in that neighborhood, I worked there, I trapped there, I hustled there, and I got my name there. Iβm proud to be from East Atlanta Zone Six, and I claim there. I hold that on my back and carry that, to be the first one from there to really rock.β
And Gucciβs professional aims have matured as well. While other rappers stress platinum plaques, Gucci hasnβt forgotten the route he took to stardom. βI made a lot of CDs on my own. People fucked with me and supported me, and just made me the man I am today. Thatβs my blueprint right there, and I stay mindful of it. So now, my only concern is that people feel my music; at the end of the day, I do it for people to feel it. If one person feel it, two people feel it, I feel like my jobβs been done.β
Fortunately for Gucci, he should be prepared to welcome an army of new fans with Back to the Trap House. But longstanding fans shouldnβt fear; theyβll recognize βFreaky Gurl,β reprised from its previous appearance from Hard To Kill. Luda, upon hearing the joint, asked for a guest spot on the remix. Said remix now appears as the lead single on Back to the Trap House, following in Gucciβs theme of mating old and new. Over a bouncing, meandering beat from Cyber Sapp, the two cook up the requisite concoction of whips, chips, and chicks. Also look out for βBird Flu,β the albumβs number two single, laced by New-York based Supa Sonics. Elsewhere, firm guest verses from Rich Boy and Pimp C of UGK round out Gucciβs regional flavor, while Bay-area producer Zaytoven (of βIcyβ renown) locks down Gucciβs West Coast appeal.
Gucci Mane has something for everyone, and with the struggles of the past in his rearview, Gucci is settled in for his ride to the top. βIβm best known for controversy but Iβm trying to gain respect as a songwriter and entertainer. I plan to hit them so hard with this album; who knows what the future will bring. Iβll be banging them out till I canβt bang no more.β
Bipolar
Gucci Mane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
OG, go
BiPolar
BiPolar
Yeah, oh ah
Bipolar with the check (bipolar)
I just put somethin' crazy 'round my neck (bipolar)
I just might go crazy with my bitch (bipolar)
Bipolar with the check (bipolar)
I just put somethin' crazy 'round my neck (bipolar, yeah)
Bipolar on my wrist, (bipolar) yeah
Bipolar, man I keep on switchin' whips (bipolar)
Bru, bipolar gang diamond tennis chains on huge (yeah, huge)
A marijuana war would take your trees like Scrooge (yeah)
My bitch bad and yellow but my hunnids all blue (bad)
I just went bipolar, put my wrist on Tom Cruise (ooh)
Insane man, my stash man, it's crazy in the Range
He must be bipolar cause he can't stay in his lane
I'm talking to my shrink and I'm draped in a mink
She asked me want I need, I said, "Bitch I need some to drink"
Ice Cream Mane, man I pull up in a tank (ooh)
I feel like Mamma Mia 'cause I'm whippin' in a sink (yeah)
The colonel, the huncho, the leader of the game (yeah)
Bipolar, see murder, the draco with the shank
Bipolar with the check (bipolar)
I just put somethin' crazy 'round my neck (bipolar)
Go crazy with your ex (bipolar, muah)
I just might go crazy with my bitch (bipolar)
Bipolar with the check (bipolar)
I just put somethin' crazy 'round my neck (bipolar, yeah)
Bipolar with my wrist (bipolar)
Bipolar, man I keep on switchin' whips (bipolar)
Swappin' out the Lamb' think I'm crazy (skrt)
Shittin' on these hoes tryna play me (euw)
Bipolar I be spending cash lately (cash)
Make you drown in the sauce, too much gravy
Ball player shit, we get cash in this bitch (ball)
Money stretching long, from the north to the Six (eh)
Bipolar gang 'cause I spaz on that bitch (gang, gang)
I fucked her and get her out of my face, that's the bipolar shit (oh yeah)
Dance on that work, huncho James Brown
All them colors in your stone like a damn clown (clown)
Screw the tip on the Uzi, don't make no sound (shh)
(Pew, pew, pew, pew, pew)
Man down
Two million in cars (two), I don't know what to drive (no)
Neck ice polar (polar), all my hoes be bi (bi)
Jet fly solo (solo), like a bird in the sky (sky)
Tryna game, we fold ya (fold ya), 'stendos and 9's (9's)
Went bipolar on Chanel, went bipolar on the scale
Went bipolar on the plug, told them to feed me bails
Went bipolar on drugs, they be telling me chill
Gave my mom her first door, she taught I was going in jail (mama, huncho)
Bipolar with the check (bipolar)
I just put somethin' crazy 'round my neck (bipolar)
Go crazy with your ex (bipolar)
I just might go crazy with my bitch (bipolar)
Bipolar with the check (bipolar)
I just put somethin' crazy 'round my neck (bipolar, yeah)
Bipolar with my wrist (bipolar)
Bipolar, man I keep on switchin' whips (bipolar)
The song "BiPolar," by Gucci Mane featuring Quavo, is a typical trap song that talks about living life luxuriously but experiencing extreme emotional ups and downs. The chorus "Bipolar with the check" and variations thereof, showcases the concept of living life without restraint while dealing with intense mood swings. The artists use wealth and extravagance to demonstrate their high-flying lifestyle. The lyric βI just might go crazy with my bitchβ is a reference to wanting to live life to its fullest with oneβs partner. Throughout the song, the singers also rap about being the leaders of the game and owning their success with pride.
The verses mention lavish possessions, giving examples of mansions, cars, jewelry and money. The line "Bipolar gang diamond tennis chains on huge" stands out, as does "I just went bipolar, put my wrist on Tom Cruise." The song speaks to the catchy hooks and flashy lyrics typical of the trap genre, with Gucci Mane and Quavo using clever wordplay to express their message.
Line by Line Meaning
Bipolar with the check (bipolar)
Making erratic financial decisions with the money he has earned, possibly indicating unstable earnings or impulsive spending habits.
I just put somethin' crazy 'round my neck (bipolar)
Gucci Mane is bragging about displaying wealth in an absurd way, such as adorning himself with expensive jewelry.
Go crazy with your ex (bipolar)
Suggesting Gucci Mane is unstable and has a tendency to behave erratically, especially with a former romantic partner.
I just might go crazy with my bitch (bipolar)
Gucci Mane may be suggesting that he is prone to extreme highs and lows within his romantic relationships, hence the bipolar label.
Bipolar on my wrist, (bipolar) yeah
Referencing his unstable personality traits via the act of wearing flashy, outrageous watches that command attention.
Bipolar, man I keep on switchin' whips (bipolar)
Switching cars is a trait commonly associated with someone with erratic behavior, further emphasizing the theme of instability within the song.
Bru, bipolar gang diamond tennis chains on huge (yeah, huge)
Gucci Mane and Quavo display wealth through expensive jewelry which serves as an outward expression of bipolar behavior.
A marijuana war would take your trees like Scrooge (yeah)
Quavo is highlighting the power of their drug operation and comparing it to the famous character Scrooge, famous for his greed.
My bitch bad and yellow but my hunnids all blue (bad)
Gucci Mane expresses promiscuity with women and the enduring desire to display wealth through flashy spending habits.
I just went bipolar, put my wrist on Tom Cruise (ooh)
Gucci Mane juxtaposes his lavish spending habits with another example of over-the-top behavior exemplified in Tom Cruise's infamous couch-jumping incident.
Insane man, my stash man, it's crazy in the Range
Gucci Mane's drug supplier is mentally unstable, emphasizing the dangerous and unpredictable nature of the lifestyle he leads.
He must be bipolar cause he can't stay in his lane
Implying that his supplier's erratic behavior could be attributed to bipolar disorder and that it makes him difficult to work with.
I'm talking to my shrink and I'm draped in a mink
Acknowledging mental health struggles and the desire to cope with these feelings through extravagant purchase of an expensive clothing item.
She asked me want I need, I said, "Bitch I need some to drink"
Using objectification and derogatory language to assert dominance over the person attempting to help him with his mental health struggles.
Ice Cream Mane, man I pull up in a tank (ooh)
Gucci Mane's narcissistic need for attention is satisfied by driving around in a noticeable and expensive vehicle.
I feel like Mamma Mia 'cause I'm whippin' in a sink (yeah)
Gucci Mane is further showcasing how erratic and outlandish his behavior is by comparing it to the musical Mamma Mia and the oddity of someone driving in a sink.
The colonel, the huncho, the leader of the game (yeah)
Quavo puts himself and Gucci Mane at the top of the food chain in the drug dealing game, further inflating their egos.
Bipolar, see murder, the draco with the shank
Elaborating on the dangerous lifestyle, the drug dealing business requires protection in the form of an illegally obtained firearm.
Swappin' out the Lamb' think I'm crazy (skrt)
Gucci Mane is exchanging Lamborghinis with such frequency, it is hard for others to keep up, indicating the level of his wealth and the need to accent it with flashy cars.
Shittin' on these hoes tryna play me (euw)
Emphasizing his status and ego while denigrating women who oppose him or try to control him.
Bipolar I be spending cash lately (cash)
Gucci Mane reaffirms his diagnosis of bipolar disorder with his recent reckless spending in order to maintain a certain image.
Make you drown in the sauce, too much gravy
An allusion to drowning in money, emphasizing his insatiable desire and ostentatious lifestyle at the expense of others.
Money stretching long, from the north to the Six (eh)
Gucci Mane portrays his extreme wealth and dominance in the drug-dealing game, by referencing the geographic scope of his operation.
Bipolar gang 'cause I spaz on that bitch (gang, gang)
Gucci Mane makes it clear that his wild mood swings and erratic behavior are not something to be tamed and are even a source of pride for him and his associates.
I fucked her and get her out of my face, that's the bipolar shit (oh yeah)
Gucci Mane's promiscuity extends to using women for his own gratification, with no thought for their feelings, further showcasing his erratic behavior.
Dance on that work, huncho James Brown
Quavo suggests he can move drugs with the same precision and style at James Brown's iconic stage performances.
All them colors in your stone like a damn clown (clown)
Another reference to flashy jewelry, this time using clown imagery to emphasize the garishness and showmanship of the display.
Screw the tip on the Uzi, don't make no sound (shh)
Advocating for illegal modification of a weapon to make it more lethal and secretive in a criminal context.
(Pew, pew, pew, pew, pew) Man down
Gucci Mane and Quavo further romanticize gun violence by using onomatopoeia weapons sounds to symbolize the ultimate act of winning against a rival in their criminal activities.
Two million in cars (two), I don't know what to drive (no)
Having so much wealth that it becomes overwhelming and the opportunity to flex your wealth through driving multiple luxury vehicles.
Neck ice polar (polar), all my hoes be bi (bi)
Icy necklaces that signify the feeling of having thick, ice-cold jewelry around your neck while simultaneously making a derogatory statement toward his female conquests' sexuality.
Jet fly solo (solo), like a bird in the sky (sky)
Emphasizing how Gucci Mane feels he stands out from his peers, he compares himself to a bird soaring high, independent and untouchable.
Tryna game, we fold ya (fold ya), 'stendos and 9's (9's)
Promoting violence and aggression against those who cross them, bringing the attention to the weaponry they would use to take someone's life.
Went bipolar on Chanel, went bipolar on the scale
Recreating the feeling of mania he experiences when he goes on expensive shopping binges (Chanel), and then satisfying that impulse with drug use (scale).
Went bipolar on the plug, told them to feed me bails
Gucci Mane is bragging about his ability to leverage his volatile personality to manipulate his drug supplier and get more product.
Went bipolar on drugs, they be telling me chill
Acknowledging his own personal struggles with addiction, including the tendency towards irrationality while under the influence.
Gave my mom her first door, she taught I was going in jail (mama, huncho)
Gucci Mane bought his mother a home and looks back on the time he spent as a young criminal, underscoring the dangerous privilege of attaining wealth through unstable and illegal means.
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Grant Andrew Decouto, Joshua Isaih Parker, Quavious Keyate Marshall, Radric Delantic Davis, Samuel David Jimenez
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Flex Piper
Gucci been responsible for so much in the industry and has stayed relevant and respected from the beginning.
Big respect. π₯
GadesGades
Pallab Baruah nah
magic
Flex Piper Was for doing shit.
Xander Van Asten
You right he would killed this beat
Gstacks_bundles
π₯π₯π₯π₯π―
Rebo da ZN
Que Hit pesadΓ£o, aΓ sim ficou um Trap de qualidade, parabΓ©ns por essa obra de arte, quando bater o bipolar em mim,eu ouvirei esse som. Rsrsrsrsrs Dope song brothers
Friends4ever
Timileyin Babatunde
4 years later, this song still bangs
Π΄ΡΠ°Π³ΠΈΡΠΈΡ
bangs even better dammit
Agatha
SOM FODA PRA CARALHOOOOOOO π₯π₯π₯
migm
Canβt wait to finally get this new Gucci project. People might say, he dropped one last year....thatβs not that long ago. Real Gucci fans know thatβs a lifetime when it comes to the Wop π―