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.”
Countin' Money (feat. Yo Gotti
Gucci Mane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Fuck a rubber band a nigga need a buncha' birds)
(Fuck a rubber band a nigga need a buncha' birds)
(Fuck a rubber band a nigga need a buncha' birds)
[Chorus]
Money all day, count money all day
Count money all day, count money all, money all
Money all, money all day
Say mane, no matter where I go, no matter what I do
If chillin' wit' myself, or ballin' wit' my crew
The skies is lookin' cloudy or Bahama water blue
I got that money on my mind, so tell me what it do
And if you be like me, then you already knew it
We goin' for the money then we goin' right through it
Take it to the table baby, chop it up and screw it
'Cause it ain't nothin' to it where come from, but to do it
We get it in our hands, and then it go right through the fingas
We standin' on the system in a fresh set of swangas
We pop a couple tags, put some fresh up on the hangas
That everyday struggle and can't nair nigga change us
Believe that I was famous 'fore I ever did a song
Believe I had a poppin' 'fore a label put me on
It's 2010 and I ain't seein' nothin' wrong
But niggas countin' money all day fuckin' long
[Chorus]
Money totin', pistol carrying young nigga thugged out
Very first song I ever dropped was in a drug house
Razor blades, sandwich bags, Louis shoes, stupid swag
Rubber bands, duffel bags, small bills, trash bags
Apple chain on my neck, you know that cost stupid cash
Maserati for the watch, that's that foolish cash
Penitentiary chances, '6's on a muscle car
Bun helped me keep it real and watch it take me far
My money don't fold, this money here
I ain't make it for no hoes, I ain't get this off of shows
Count money all day, count money all night
Just know I'm wit' my paper, so I got my paper twice
I be lonely wit' out my paper, so I sleep wit' it at night
Now I wake up wit' to my paper so I start my day off right
They call me Cocaine Gotti, and it's money over bitches
Mr. Everything White, he be always in the kitchen
[Chorus]
It's me Gucci
I'm the shit bitch you smell me
Ain't no need to check ya sneakers
Three bricks, plus a split wit' me, then bitch you got a hit
Big money on my leisure, pop bottles wit' top models
Wit' my goons in Puerto Rico,
Yo' girlfriend I'm a freak her
Believe me I'm a giant, you down best leave us to believe us
I own the team I play for, plus I coach 'em I'm the center
The hottest rapper that you know, people look like Cujo (Gucci)
A coward dies a million times a soldier dies with uno
So tune into East Atlanta uh,
Please don't change the channel ma
Roll the windows down back up
In my Phantom show my automa
Hangin' out my partner, naw
Don't you want this autograph?
Thinkin' that you angry
Ccause my neck look like the Mardi Gras
[Chorus]
In Gucci Mane's song "Countin' Money," the rapper talks about his obsession with money and how it drives his every move in life. The lyrics reflect a desire for financial success, as he repeats the line "fuck a rubber band, a nigga needs a buncha' birds" in reference to his need for stacks of cash instead of a simple rubber band. The chorus repeats the phrase "money all day" over and over again, emphasizing his constant focus on acquiring wealth.
The second verse sees Yo Gotti join in, rapping about his own experiences with money and his rise to fame. He mentions his days as a drug dealer, using razor blades and sandwich bags as packaging, and his love of luxury items, like his Apple chain and Maserati watch. He also highlights the importance of staying true to oneself, remaining loyal to his Bun-B inspired music and his belief in "money over bitches."
Overall, the song conveys a message of the drive for financial wealth and success, and how that can fuel a person's every move. It also emphasizes the importance of staying true to oneself and remaining loyal to one's roots, no matter how much success is attained.
Line by Line Meaning
Fuck a rubber band a nigga need a buncha' birds
I don't need rubber bands to hold my cash, I need piles of cash, like a bunch of birds.
Money all day, count money all day
All I do is make and count money, all day every day.
Say mane, no matter where I go, no matter what I do
No matter where I am or what I'm doing, money is always on my mind.
If chillin' wit' myself, or ballin' wit' my crew
Whether I'm alone or with my friends, I'm still focused on making money.
The skies is lookin' cloudy or Bahama water blue
Whether my surroundings are dreary or beautiful, I still have money on my mind.
I got that money on my mind, so tell me what it do
I'm always thinking about money, so what's the plan to make more?
And if you be like me, then you already knew it
People who are like me already understand the obsession with money.
We goin' for the money then we goin' right through it
We strive to make money and then spend it just as quickly.
Take it to the table baby, chop it up and screw it
Bring the cash to the table, count it and use it.
'Cause it ain't nothin' to it where come from, but to do it
We came from nothing, so making money is natural to us.
We get it in our hands, and then it go right through the fingas
As soon as we have money, it's gone.
We standin' on the system in a fresh set of swangas
We're flaunting our fresh style on top of the financial system.
We pop a couple tags, put some fresh up on the hangas
We buy new clothes and put them on our hangers.
That everyday struggle and can't nair nigga change us
The struggle to make money is a part of our everyday lives and we won't let anyone change that.
Believe that I was famous 'fore I ever did a song
I was already well-known before I even started making music.
Believe I had a poppin' 'fore a label put me on
I was already popular before a record label signed me.
It's 2010 and I ain't seein' nothin' wrong
It's a new year and I'm still making money and everything seems good.
But niggas countin' money all day fuckin' long
But my crew and I are still counting money all day, every day.
Money totin', pistol carrying young nigga thugged out
I always have cash on me and carry a gun, I'm a young thug.
Very first song I ever dropped was in a drug house
I got my start in the music industry performing at a drug house.
Razor blades, sandwich bags, Louis shoes, stupid swag
I've got razor blades for cutting drugs, bags for carrying them, and expensive clothing and accessories.
Rubber bands, duffel bags, small bills, trash bags
I use rubber bands to wrap my money, duffel bags to carry it, and trash bags to dispose of the evidence.
Apple chain on my neck, you know that cost stupid cash
I'm wearing an expensive apple-shaped necklace.
Maserati for the watch, that's that foolish cash
I bought a Maserati just to match my expensive watch.
Penitentiary chances, '6's on a muscle car
I'm taking big risks (and could end up in jail) by driving a powerful car with illegal modifications.
Bun helped me keep it real and watch it take me far
Bun B helped me stay true to myself and my music, which has helped me succeed.
My money don't fold, this money here
I don't have to worry about my cash running out.
I ain't make it for no hoes, I ain't get this off of shows
I didn't make this money to impress women, and it's not from performing concerts.
Count money all day, count money all night
Just like before, all I do is count money.
Just know I'm wit' my paper, so I got my paper twice
I'm loyal to my money, so I always have it with me.
I be lonely wit' out my paper, so I sleep wit' it at night
I feel empty without my money, so I even sleep with it.
Now I wake up wit' to my paper so I start my day off right
I wake up to my money, which starts my day on the right foot.
They call me Cocaine Gotti, and it's money over bitches
I'm known as Cocaine Gotti and prioritize money over women.
Mr. Everything White, he be always in the kitchen
I go by the nickname Mr. Everything White, where 'white' refers to drugs, and I'm always in the kitchen cooking them.
It's me Gucci
This is Gucci Mane.
I'm the shit bitch you smell me
I'm the best and most successful, can you smell it?
Ain't no need to check ya sneakers
You don't need to inspect me or question my validity.
Three bricks, plus a split wit' me, then bitch you got a hit
I have three bricks of drugs and a joint, so let's smoke together and you'll get high.
Big money on my leisure, pop bottles wit' top models
I spend my spare time with beautiful models and expensive alcohol.
Wit' my goons in Puerto Rico, Yo' girlfriend I'm a freak her
I hang out with my crew in Puerto Rico and try to have sex with your girlfriend or any woman.
Believe me I'm a giant, you down best leave us to believe us
I'm powerful and successful, so don't mess with me or my crew.
I own the team I play for, plus I coach 'em I'm the center
I'm in charge of my own success, and everyone that helps me is on my team.
The hottest rapper that you know, people look like Cujo (Gucci)
Everyone knows I'm the best rapper and they look up to me.
A coward dies a million times a soldier dies with uno
A coward fears death over and over, while a soldier only dies once.
So tune into East Atlanta uh, Please don't change the channel ma
Listen to music from East Atlanta and don't skip to another station.
Roll the windows down back up, In my Phantom show my automa
Roll the car windows down and back up and I'll show off my automatic weapon.
Hangin' out my partner, naw, Don't you want this autograph?
I'm hanging out with my friends and fans, and want to give out autographs.
Thinkin' that you angry, Ccause my neck look like the Mardi Gras
You're probably mad because my necklace is so fancy and looks like Mardi Gras beads.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG Rights Management
Written by: BERNARD FREEMAN, BERNARD JAMES FREEMAN, MARIO MIMS, MARIO SENTELL GIDEN, RADRIC DAVIS, RADRIC DELANTIC DAVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@unknownspirit2-9
These old down south songs are golden
@mrahmed2900
Slaps 2023 burrrr for all the grinders get itttr ❤️
@Trappedclanyek
that hook still slaps hard in 2022
@youngphill9964
Bun b with the bape & supreme 🔥 way before these hype beast trend
@Chronos127
R.I.P. PIMP C MANE!!
@marshallyates853
Countin Money all day... <3
@Trappedclanyek
Gotti killed his verse 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
@johnnybravo1734
If you Mom and Dad and you know what you need to do stop sneaking and geeking.
@blubbdiblubb6573
I love Gotti's part it's too hard man
@RussellDavis-dv2gg
FRESHER THAN A PEPERMINT