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.”
Bucket List
Gucci Mane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cut it up
Huh
It's Gucci
Metro Boomin want some more nigga
Fuckin' Wop on her bucket list, I flex so effortless
Fuckin' twins and they goin' in like they ain't relatives
I'm so arrogant right now, man, I don't even want the bitch
Right back, scoopin' my dog from prison on my bucket list
Know they goin' so hard in the yard if they listen to this
Goin' quadruple platinum, that's not on my bucket list
Bitch, my Rollie went quadruple platinum, you should see this shit
It's no way possible I'm falling off, that don't exist
If I wasn't rappin', I'll be sellin' narcotics just to pay the rent
That new Lambo on my bucket list so I just bought that bitch
It ain't a chick I feel that I can't get, man, that's that sucker shit
Bucket list, drop top 'Rari, scratch that off my bucket list
Bucket list, make a match and scratch that off my bucket list
Bucket list, super bad bitch and she rich like Gucci rich
Bucket list, no more sellin' bricks, that's off my bucket list
Bucket list, drop top 'Rari, scratch that off my bucket list
Bucket list, make a match and scratch that off my bucket list
Bucket list, super bad bitch and she rich like Gucci rich
Bucket list, no more waitin' to get that off my bucket list
Big boss business, quarter million on a pendant (brr)
Eight figure nigga, realest nigga in the business
Sittin' front row, freshest nigga in attendance
Gave a thousand dollars to the valet attendant
They ain't seen a player like me in a minute
Fuck your award, I don't even wanna win it
Rich hood dick, every singer wanna get it
Real authentic, everybody wanna live it
How a white man gon' criticize me 'bout reppin' these streets?
Man, fuck you critics
Change my name to "The best that did it"
Gucci turnt up, nigga just admit it
If I don't go gold I ain't fucked about it
With all this gold draped on my body (brr)
When I get married, that's a gangster wedding
Call my reception the gangster party
Bucket list, drop top 'Rari, scratch that off my bucket list
Bucket list, make a match and scratch that off my bucket list
Bucket list, super bad bitch and she rich like Gucci rich
Bucket list, no more sellin' bricks, that's off my bucket list
Bucket list, drop top 'Rari, scratch that off my bucket list
Bucket list, make a match and scratch that off my bucket list
Bucket list, super bad bitch and she rich like Gucci rich
Bucket list, no more waitin' to get that off my bucket list
In "Bucket List," Gucci Mane raps about his unapologetic and confident attitude, as well as his aspirations and accomplishments. He brags about his wealth and success with lines like "Bitch, my Rollie went quadruple platinum, you should see this shit," and expresses his desire for more luxuries, like a new Lamborghini. He also references his past life as a drug dealer, claiming that if he weren't a rapper, he'd still be selling narcotics just to make a living.
Throughout the song, Gucci also talks about his sexual conquests, suggesting that there's no woman he can't have. He even alludes to an encounter with twins, whom he claims are going in like they're not related, and boasts that being on a woman's bucket list is a testament to his sexual prowess.
Despite the materialistic and sometimes problematic themes in the song, "Bucket List" ultimately serves as a celebration of Gucci's success and his ability to cross items off his own metaphorical bucket list.
Line by Line Meaning
Bucket list
List of things I want to do before I die
Cut it up
Metro Boomin wants to produce the beat
Huh
Gucci hears the beat
It's Gucci
Gucci Mane introduces himself
Fuckin' Wop on her bucket list, I flex so effortless
Girls want to have sex with me because I'm rich and famous
Fuckin' twins and they goin' in like they ain't relatives
I had sex with twins who didn't care they were related
There's a slim chance that she may get this dick, like one percent
Only one girl out of a hundred has a chance to have sex with me
I'm so arrogant right now, man, I don't even want the bitch
I'm too cool to want any girl
Right back, scoopin' my dog from prison on my bucket list
Picking up my friend from jail is on my list of things to do
Know they goin' so hard in the yard if they listen to this
My friends in jail will work harder after hearing this song
Goin' quadruple platinum, that's not on my bucket list
I don't care about selling lots of albums
Bitch, my Rollie went quadruple platinum, you should see this shit
My expensive watch is more important to me than album sales
It's no way possible I'm falling off, that don't exist
I'm too successful to ever fail
If I wasn't rappin', I'll be sellin' narcotics just to pay the rent
I would sell drugs if I wasn't making money from music
That new Lambo on my bucket list so I just bought that bitch
I bought a Lamborghini because it was on my bucket list
It ain't a chick I feel that I can't get, man, that's that sucker shit
I'm confident that I can have any girl I want
Big boss business, quarter million on a pendant (brr)
I'm successful and I can afford expensive jewelry
Eight figure nigga, realest nigga in the business
I'm a successful and authentic rapper
Sittin' front row, freshest nigga in attendance
I look good and I get good seats at events
Gave a thousand dollars to the valet attendant
I'm rich and generous
They ain't seen a player like me in a minute
I'm a rare and talented person
Fuck your award, I don't even wanna win it
I don't care about awards
Rich hood dick, every singer wanna get it
I have lots of money and lots of girls want to have sex with me
Real authentic, everybody wanna live it
My lifestyle is enviable
How a white man gon' criticize me 'bout reppin' these streets?
White people can't understand my life and my music
Man, fuck you critics
I don't care what the critics say
Change my name to "The best that did it"
I'm the best rapper
Gucci turnt up, nigga just admit it
I'm popular and people love me
If I don't go gold I ain't fucked about it
I don't need to sell a lot of records to feel successful
With all this gold draped on my body (brr)
I wear a lot of expensive jewelry
When I get married, that's a gangster wedding
Even my wedding will be cool and tough
Call my reception the gangster party
My reception will be like a party for tough guys
Bucket list, drop top 'Rari, scratch that off my bucket list
I achieved my goal of buying a Ferrari
Bucket list, make a match and scratch that off my bucket list
I achieved my goal of making a lot of money
Bucket list, super bad bitch and she rich like Gucci rich
I achieved my goal of having a hot and rich girlfriend
Bucket list, no more sellin' bricks, that's off my bucket list
I achieved my goal of quitting selling drugs
Bucket list, drop top 'Rari, scratch that off my bucket list
I achieved my goal of buying a Ferrari (repeated)
Bucket list, make a match and scratch that off my bucket list
I achieved my goal of making a lot of money (repeated)
Bucket list, super bad bitch and she rich like Gucci rich
I achieved my goal of having a hot and rich girlfriend (repeated)
Bucket list, no more waitin' to get that off my bucket list
I achieved my goal of not waiting to do what I want
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Radric Davis, Leland Wayne, Gary Hill
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kareemkrl
Shout out all the way from Trinidad & Tobago 🇹🇹 Burrrr!
@keeganpaul7265
ON GANG!
@josiahd.7203
Trini viral trend gltttt
@Gunsmoke2220
OOOOO DAWGGGGG 😈😈😈
@jaredpereira2013
yeah g... we trappin in Trini tooo!!
@Ben10boy01
lmao TRINI TO D BONE
@monkgogimorake6974
My aspiration in life is to be as happy as Gucci Mane. 😭😭😭
@tajstanley2529
Monkgogi Morake yeesss
@slimspensive2439
Monkgogi Morake go to prison for a few years . Everything that's not jail while make you smile
@yaodon2390
He definitely got demons money can't make you happy 24/7