It’s said that art mirrors life. In hip-hop’s case, there’s always been a deliberate entanglement of perception and reality. Fans demand their MCs be real…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.
“I wish everybody well who’s making money in this rap game,” the Atlanta-raised rapper says, dismissing the controversy that followed him in the past. “My own rap game is going so good, I’ve got so many things on my plate at my label, that I don’t got time for other people’s business.” 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.
“I live my life with no regrets. I just wish that a lot of things never happened, but anybody can wish,” says Gucci. Sounds like a man with his eyes on the prize. And you’d 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 “Black Tee,” 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 “Icy” single, featuring Jeezy. Clamor over song rights sparked dispute, and the resulting rift grew.
Controversy notwithstanding, Mane’s independence was cemented: “I was on the independent scene for about two years,” he recalls. “It’s 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 it’s a gamble out there with the independent circuit. One thing you’d better have is good music because without that, you go downhill fast in the independent game.”
Good music firmly in hand, Gucci was fast approaching stardom when more tragedy befell him. But let’s backtrack; how did the man born Radric Davis in Bessemer, Alabama, become Gucci Mane, mouthpiece for Atlanta stuntin’? Mane remembers little from his time in Alabama, just that it was rural, and that it’s changed dramatically since he left at the age of nine. “I gotta shout out Alabama though, because they holdin’ it down,” he affirms. “Every time I go there to do a show, I’m impressed with how hip-hop culture has taken root.”
Mane’s identity coalesced when he moved with his mother to Atlanta. “I lived all of my adolescent and adult life in Atlanta,” he explains. “I’m from East Atlanta Zone Six; it was hard, man, it was real rough. I grew up in the Starter jacket era: they’d take your Starter jacket, your 8Ball jacket, they’d 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 you’d get jumped. It was wild when I came up.”
It’s 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. “I was just a young dude in a single parent house most of my life. I can’t complain that much. I would guess it’s like any black child growing up in a single parent household. There are a lot of people who know how that is. I didn’t 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; she’s been there through the whole struggle. There’s a lot that goes along with that; it made me who I am today.”
A stepfather would enter the picture during Mane’s adolescence, introducing not only a male figure, but also inspiration for Mane’s unusual moniker. “My father came in, the original Gucci Mane; that’s what people in the neighborhood called him, and that’s 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.” Drawing inspiration from a pantheon of rappers before him –Big Daddy Kane, LL Cool J, Ice Cube, the Beastie Boys, N.W.A—Mane went on to release Trap House, a lethal brew of his signature sound: “I call my music straight Gucci: going hard and whatever beats you make you for me, if I’m feeling it, if I’m rocking with it, I’m gonna crush it. When you hear me, you hear a lot of pain, a lot of hood; you hear what’s going on in the inner city in Atlanta.”
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. “I learned to keep better company, watch where I go, and be mindful of my surroundings at all times,” he reveals. “Watch what I say, watch what I do and how I do it, just keep myself out of the wrong crowd.”
“I always stand up man,” he continues. “I’m one of the toughest guys I know. It’ll take a lot more than that to break me down.” Undeterred, Mane was back in the studio, preparing 2006’s 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: “There was a bidding war going on, and I liked Atlantic’s approach. They made it known that they wanted me, they felt where I was going and that I could grow with them.”
Asylum/Atlantic Records welcomed Gucci Mane in early ’07, 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 –“I got them in training; they be in the weight room, pumping iron, doing pushups, shopping at the mall, buying ice”—Gucci is focused on his magnum opus, Back to the Trap House. “I started working on the album, and by the third song, I was like ‘This is going back to the Trap House.’ 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.”
“Since I went major, I want everybody to know I’m still keeping it street, keeping it hood,” Gucci maintains. “I’m trying to take it back to all my fans that I had when I first started my career. And at the same time, I’m trying to open up my new album to a new fan base. So it’s a mix for everybody coming together, like my first album was.” Gucci has always prided himself on his innate ability, and his refusal to let guest appearances dictate the tone of his records. “I just want people to know I’m a great songwriter, man,” he asserts. “I’m passionate about what I do, and it’s 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; it’s a God-given gift and I just get paid for it. It come from God, it’s like wondering what makes a bird fly. He made me a poet like the great poets of the past.”
But don’t mistake Gucci’s confidence for self-absorption. The vicissitudes of his career have dictated a longer view. Lyrics aside, he’s less preoccupied with visible means and more so with acting as an emissary from his under-repped block. “I’m not the one to glorify what goes on in the hood,” he insists. “We have everything there, the whole range from violence to people getting on the bus and going to work. There’s a lot more to the hood than just drugs. It’s a bigger story, there’s 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. I’m 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.”
And Gucci’s professional aims have matured as well. While other rappers stress platinum plaques, Gucci hasn’t forgotten the route he took to stardom. “I made a lot of CDs on my own. People fucked with me and supported me, and just made me the man I am today. That’s 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 job’s been done.”
Fortunately for Gucci, he should be prepared to welcome an army of new fans with Back to the Trap House. But longstanding fans shouldn’t fear; they’ll recognize “Freaky Gurl,” 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 Gucci’s 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 “Bird Flu,” the album’s number two single, laced by New-York based Supa Sonics. Elsewhere, firm guest verses from Rich Boy and Pimp C of UGK round out Gucci’s regional flavor, while Bay-area producer Zaytoven (of “Icy” renown) locks down Gucci’s 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. “I’m best known for controversy but I’m 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. I’ll be banging them out till I can’t bang no more.”
Brick Fair
Gucci Mane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I never look back there
If you ain't from the Zone 6
Shawty don't go there
I'mma die a bachelor
Girlfriend I don't want none
I already smashed her
So don't even go there
Bitch I got a brick fair
Say them boys don't play fair
I'm from the East Atlanta Zone 6
And the kid got rich there
Hell yeah we got bells there
And you know we got bricks there
If the police pull me over
I'll probably get the damn chair
First one off the bench nigga
You can call me the 6 man
Lot of squares in my living room
AKA I'm the brickman
And I hope that you a snitch player
So we can throw you in a ditch player
The way I wrestle with the work nigga
People call me Rick Flair
[Hook]
Dirty ass folk, dirty ass pistols
My lil goon in the hood & he just wait for me to hit him
Do you got a body for me beggin' on the line
And when I do, what would you do or not?
Hit em in the head, I had an extra five
Pushin weight like I'm doing exercise
Moving up the hill and shit
And I got them pills and pies
I go Pauly Costellano,I'm a mafia santano
I got accepted to the MOB now I think I'm Tony Soprano
Without the t.v, you wanna be if you see me
Just 8-1 FBG, we hit hunnids on our PT
Keep water on like FiJi
I make real movies in HD
Imma astronaut my real life
I promise you can't see me
In "Brick Fair" by Gucci Mane, the rapper talks about his rise to success as a drug dealer and the consequences that come with it. He mentions how he has made it to the top and doesn't look back on his past, specifically when he was broke and struggling. He invites others to come to Zone 6, his hometown in East Atlanta, but warns those who are not from there to stay away. He dismisses relationships and romance and instead prioritizes money and drugs, as he mentions that he has already slept with his ex-girlfriend and does not want a girlfriend.
Gucci Mane talks about the dangers and risks of the drug game, mentioning police harassment and potential imprisonment. He is proud of his success and reputation, being known as a "brickman" and the "sixth man" in his community. He makes references to wrestling, comparing himself to Rick Flair, and mentions violence, threatening anyone who might snitch on him.
Despite the lyrics promoting a dangerous and illegal lifestyle, the song provides insight into the world of drug dealing and the mentality that comes with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Ever since I got a brick fair
Since I started making money dealing drugs
I never look back there
I don't think about my past life anymore
If you ain't from the Zone 6
If you're not from my part of town
Shawty don't go there
Don't come around here
I'mma die a bachelor
I don't plan on settling down with a woman
Girlfriend I don't want none
I don't want a girlfriend
I already smashed her
I already had sex with her
So don't even go there
Don't even try to be my girlfriend
Bitch I got a brick fair
I make a lot of money dealing drugs
Say them boys don't play fair
The competition is ruthless
I'm from the East Atlanta Zone 6
I'm from the east side of Atlanta in Zone 6
And the kid got rich there
I made a lot of money there
Hell yeah we got bells there
We have guns there
And you know we got bricks there
We have drugs there
If the police pull me over
If I get caught by the police
I'll probably get the damn chair
I'll probably go to jail
First one off the bench nigga
I'm the go-to guy
You can call me the 6 man
I'm like the sixth man on a basketball team
Lot of squares in my living room
I have a lot of drugs in my home
AKA I'm the brickman
I'm the one who sells drugs
And I hope that you a snitch player
I hope that you're a police informant
So we can throw you in a ditch player
So we can get rid of you
The way I wrestle with the work nigga
How I handle the drugs
People call me Rick Flair
I'm like the wrestler Rick Flair
Dirty ass folk, dirty ass pistols
I hang out with dangerous people
My lil goon in the hood & he just wait for me to hit him
My friend in the neighborhood is ready for me to call him when I need help
Do you got a body for me beggin' on the line
Do you have someone you want me to kill?
And when I do, what would you do or not?
If I kill someone for you, what will you do in return?
Hit em in the head, I had an extra five
I shoot people in the head, and I have extra bullets
Pushin weight like I'm doing exercise
I'm moving large amounts of drugs
Moving up the hill and shit
I'm becoming more successful
And I got them pills and pies
I have both illegal drugs and money
I go Pauly Costellano, I'm a mafia santano
I have a similar lifestyle to that of a mafia boss
I got accepted to the MOB now
I've become a part of the criminal organization
I think I'm Tony Soprano
I feel like a famous mob figure Tony Soprano
Without the t.v, you wanna be if you see me
If you see me, you'd be scared
Just 8-1 FBG, we hit hunnids on our PT
My team and I have a lot of money from drug deals
Keep water on like FiJi
I have money and resources
I make real movies in HD
I'm living a high-quality lifestyle
Imma astronaut my real life
I feel like I'm living in a different reality
I promise you can't see me
I'm living a secretive lifestyle
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@iloveitwhentheycallmepackp1487
All hail this song & the memories it brings back
@payraapayraa8540
Rightttt
@jaykristie1488
Faaacts
@jamiecharles3954
Can someone else agree that this is one of the greatest beats of all time?
@airreanousley8778
It IS the GREATEST beat of all time
@kennylo850
That bih floating
@RoadRunners285
ZAYTOVEN IS THE FUCKING GOAAATTTTT 💯💯💯
@kalebwithakkk
@@RoadRunners285 frfr
@tha1434
Greatest hook
@zoelongway1436
This beat late at night smoking and cruising is like heaven. Zaytoven a genius.