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.”
Dope Love
Gucci Mane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm fiending for you girl, I'm dope fiend
Addicted to you girl like a codeine
And ain't no re-rock I'ma come clean
Have your beer pushing love you can call me
We got that dope love, dope love, dope love
Baby dope love, dope love, dope love
Baby dope love, dope love
Baby girl we got that dope
Baby girl we got that dope
Baby girl we got that dope
Baby girl we got that dope
You want a nigga like me, it don't come cheap
Baby I'ma go hard, I'm a straight freak
You can run now, later you gon chase me
Cause you been playing games with me for like eight weeks
We got a dope love, we got a bond that they spoke of
Two guns we don't give them haters no love
So thug, see the edge in the wheeler
My dope girl, double cup leaned up
Say, thank the creator cause he made you
Thank you, gotta thank your mama cause she raised you
Hater, I bet that your daddy is a hater
Say there, ain't no need to cross that on the plate
We got that dope love, dope love, dope love
Baby dope love, dope love, dope love
Baby dope love, dope love, dope love
Baby dope love, dope love
Baby girl we got that dope
Baby girl we got that dope
Baby girl we got that dope
Baby girl we got that dope
See your man is a man but he ain't me
See that nigga can't be what he can't be
Baby it ain't really cheating if he don't see
And if you ever want me you can call me
We got a dope love, dope bond, you a dope girl
Dope girl, so dope, bringing more girls
Don't do em me to you went for more girls
Dope bond having fun, never told on
My girlfriend who was finer than my girlfriend
I carry on, Came to see what she was carrying
Carry on, how many bags you gon carry on?
Louis Vouton, ass bustin out them Darions
We got that dope love, dope love, dope love
Baby dope love, dope love, dope love
Baby dope love, dope love, dope love
Baby dope love, dope love
Baby girl we got that dope
Baby girl we got that dope
Baby girl we got that dope
Baby girl we got that dope
In the song "Dope Love" by Gucci Mane, the artist expresses his intense addiction to a woman, comparing his love for her to that of a drug addict's addiction to heroin, stating that he is "fiending" for her like a "dope fiend." He also declares that he is "addicted" to her like a person is to codeine, indicating his intense desire for her.
The lyrics also suggest that their love is strong and unbreakable, as they have a "dope bond" that others speak of. Gucci Mane brags about their love being so strong that they don't give "haters" any attention and they have a bond that some will never understand. He prophesizes that they will have a long-lasting relationship, stating that she may try to run away now, but eventually, she will chase after him.
Furthermore, Gucci Mane references his personal material possessions within the song, including expensive designer brands like Louis Vuitton and Darian. He also implies that his love interest's physical attributes are just as impressive as his material possessions, as he describes her "ass bustin out them Darions."
Overall, "Dope Love" by Gucci Mane is a song that articulates a deep and seemingly unbreakable connection between two lovers, described through the powerful metaphor of drug addiction.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby Dope
Addressing the person as dope
I'm fiending for you girl, I'm dope fiend
I crave and desire you like a drug addict craves and desires their drug
Addicted to you girl like a codeine
I am hooked on you, just like the way a person can be hooked on codeine
And ain't no re-rock I'ma come clean
I swear on my honesty that I am not trying to deceive you, nor will I give you any impure version of myself
Have your beer pushing love you can call me
I can provide you with love that is so strong that it can push away any other competing interests and you can call me for that
We got that dope love, dope love, dope love
The love between us is the kind that is addictive, irresistible and intense
Baby girl we got that dope
We have the kind of love that can be compared to the effects of a drug
You want a nigga like me, it don't come cheap
If you want a guy like me who is passionate and intense, you will have to invest in me
Baby I'ma go hard, I'm a straight freak
I am willing to go above and beyond in my pursuit of you, and I am willing to do anything that is necessary to keep you satisfied
You can run now, later you gon chase me
You can play hard to get now, but eventually, you will come after me because our connection is too strong to ignore
Cause you been playing games with me for like eight weeks
You have been leading me on for a long time, but our love is so strong that I have been patient and biding my time
We got a dope love, we got a bond that they spoke of
Our love is powerful and intense and everyone admires it
Two guns we don't give them haters no love
We do not care about what other people think, and we only focus on our relationship
So thug, see the edge in the wheeler
I am tough and rugged, and I have a cool and calm exterior that hides my passion and intensity
My dope girl, double cup leaned up
You are my drug and I am indulging in you twice as much as is normal
Say, thank the creator cause he made you
We should thank God for creating such a beautiful and perfect partner for me
Thank you, gotta thank your mama cause she raised you
I appreciate your mother, who has raised you to be the amazing person that you are, and I am grateful for that
Hater, I bet that your daddy is a hater
I am willing to bet that your father does not approve of our love, but we do not care
Say there, ain't no need to cross that on the plate
Let us not complicate our relationship and just enjoy it without any drama or conflicts
See your man is a man but he ain't me
Your current partner may be a man, but he is not me, and he cannot compare to me
See that nigga can't be what he can't be
Your partner cannot possibly match up to the love that I have for you
Baby it ain't really cheating if he don't see
If you are with me, but still with your partner, it's not really cheating as long as he does not find out
And if you ever want me you can call me
If you ever want to be with me, all you need to do is call me, and I will be there for you
We got a dope love, dope bond, you a dope girl
Our love is so strong, that it can be compared to a drug, and you are the perfect girl for me
Dope girl, so dope, bringing more girls
You are so amazing that other girls are attracted to you, but I know that I am the lucky one to be with you
Don't do em me to you went for more girls
Do not try to play games with me, or I will have to look for other girls who are just as amazing as you
Dope bond having fun, never told on
Our love is so great that we can have a lot of fun, and we will never betray each other or spread rumours
My girlfriend who was finer than my girlfriend
You are so beautiful and amazing that even thinking about any other girl that I have ever been with pales in comparison to you
I carry on, Came to see what she was carrying
I continue to pursue you relentlessly, and I came to see what kind of person you really are
Carry on, how many bags you gon carry on?
Continue to bring your love and affection with you, and I will continue to bring mine, and let us see where this relationship takes us
Louis Vouton, ass bustin out them Darions
You are so sexy and beautiful that even designer clothes cannot contain your amazing figure
Contributed by Savannah N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.