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.”
Get Money Nigga
Gucci Mane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From ATL to Philly, nigga
Real recognize real yeah, we hood rich bitch
Trap God, turn us up
I'm a money getting nigga
At least, that's just what I'm known for
You better call on my connect
I heard y'all niggas ballin'
Then why the fuck you take a loan for?
Better get the fuck out East Atlanta
You niggas know you don't belong there
All my niggas smoking strong here
We don't talk reckless on the phone here
A lot of cliques don't get along here
Bricksquad my nig, we rock our own gear
(Squad)
I'm on the grass, sitting on the lawn chair
I hope that you don't read me wrong
But if I go pull out that tone there
I bet that you don't make it home
I'm in the trap house with my long johns
And I been trapping all day long (Skrt)
They call me Baking Soda Armstrong
Before it dry, that shit be gone
I'm a money getting nigga
(Money getting nigga)
At least, that's just what I'm known for
(That's just what I'm known for)
You better call up my connect (My connect)
And ask him what he put me on for
(What he put me on for)
I heard y'all niggas ballin' (Ballin)
Then why the fuck you take a loan for?
(Loan for)
(You better stay up out of Philly, nigga
You know you pussies don't belong here)
Rose gold on my bottom six
Half a mill on foreign whips
I'm in the wheel with a foreign bitch
I'm on the bra strap, and she on this dick
Just bow down, you lame
Your diamonds look strange
I'm grinding like Wayne
When he on that skateboard, I'm saying
Nigga your new girl's my old bitch
My old bitch your new girl
Young lil rich Philly nigga
Them hoes tell me I'm too thorough
I don't even fuck one on one
Cause when I come, I need two girls
That's down to fuck like all night
Give them bitches that hard pipe
Riding with with a ho named Keisha
And we smoking on Keisha
Young nigga fresh like Easter
Blood dripping on my sneakers
Straight drop, I stick that
I sell a brick, I get back
That Molly look like a Tic Tac
And I tell that ho that I
Get it back like 'Whoa'
I'm a money getting nigga
(Money getting nigga)
At least, that's just what I'm known for
(That's just what I'm known for)
You better call up my connect (My connect)
And ask him what he put me on for
(What he put me on for)
I heard y'all niggas ballin' (Ballin)
Then why the fuck you take a loan for?
(Loan for)
(You better stay up out of Philly, nigga
You know you pussies don't belong here)
I drop a bag on your head, nigga
And they'll locate your ass like OnStar
I ain't have to buy shit, nigga
My nigga Waka got his own car
You on my dick like you a bitch, nigga
Why don't you go and quote your own bars?
And I don't want to go back to jail, nigga
But you gon' make me catch one more charge
I could look and tell you're frail nigga
But you keep on tryin' to look hard
Your friends keep asking "What's the smell
Nigga?" that's your motherfucking homeboys
I'm a money getting nigga
(Money getting nigga)
At least, that's just what I'm known for
(That's just what I'm known for)
You better call up my connect (My connect)
And ask him what he put me on for
(What he put me on for)
I heard y'all niggas ballin' (Ballin)
Then why the fuck you take a loan for?
(Loan for)
(You better stay up out of Philly, nigga
You know you pussies don't belong here)
In Gucci Mane's song "Get Money Nigga," he boasts about his love for money and the hustle that he and his crew go through to get it. The chorus is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the point that Gucci's "bitches" (which is slang for his female associates) are focused on making money above all else. The line "I'm high like a scraper" suggests that Gucci is under the influence of drugs, adding to the overall vibe of the song.
The verse "I'm cashing out for 100 P's, put em straight in the trap and then collect the green" refers to Gucci's involvement in drug dealing. "P's" is slang for pounds, and "the trap" is a term for the location where drugs are sold. He also mentions other illegal activities in the song, such as "shoot[ing] at cops" and having "young niggas standing on the block."
The lyrics "These niggas ain't got no money to dress like I dress, these niggas don't show out and be oh so fresh" demonstrate how Gucci believes he is superior to other rappers who claim to have money but do not display it through their fashion choices. He consistently boasts about his wealth and how it sets him apart from others in the rap game.
Line by Line Meaning
My bitches be running, they chasing that paper
My female acquaintances are in pursuit of financial gain
I'll serve you like waiters, I'm high like a scraper
I will attend to you like a server, I am feeling euphoric like a cutting tool
Put a hole in your head, you look like a pacer
I will cause injury to your cranium, you will resemble a racehorse
I'm sliming, I'm coming, know why I look at you funny?
I am approaching surreptitiously, do you grasp why I am gazing at you curiously?
My bitches chase money, my bitches chase money
My female associates are pursuing financial means
I'm cashing out for 100 P's
I am exchanging currency for one hundred pounds of drugs
Put em straight in the trap and then it collect the green
I will place them immediately in the location where drug sales take place and then acquire the money
Your bitches want to caress the young slime king
Your females desire to touch the youthful eminent individual
Your old man want to arrest me for some slime things
Your elder male relative wishes to detain me for engaging in criminal activities
I'm a fucking king cobra
I am analogous to a venomous snake with high social status
Thugger, Thugger, not snitching, but I told ya
I go by the name Thugger, and I will not inform, but I previously warned you
Catch a trip, now they hit him with that mini chopper
I caught him slipping, now they are using a small machine gun to harm him
I'm not talking Africans but they say blocka blocka
I am not discussing African culture, but the sound of gunfire
I can't stop
I am unable to cease my actions
I got young niggas standing on the block
I have youthful individuals loitering on the street corner
I told him chill but he refused to stop selling rocks
I advised him to relax, but he declined from ending his illicit drug trade
He told me I never need license, he go shoot at cops
He informed me he will not obtain authorization, he claims he will shoot at police officers
Put em down, Thugga run round with 100 some rounds
Harm them, Thugga will move about with more than one hundred bullets
Serving in everyone's town
I am present and distributing illegal substances in every location
These niggas ain't got no money to dress like I dress
These individuals lack the finances to attire themselves as I do
These niggas don't show out and be oh so fresh
These individuals do not display and act in a stylish manner
Got red bottoms for me and my chick
I possess designer shoes with red soles for myself and my female companion
My camera man got red bottoms on cause I'm so rich
My cameraman is also wearing designer shoes with red soles because of my wealth
My bus driver wearing Louis cause I'm Gucci bitch
My bus driver is dressed in Louis Vuitton attire because of my status and wealth
My chef got on Ferragamos, nigga cook that shit
My chef is wearing Ferragamo shoes, I demand that he cook excellent food
I got that stupid bread, my mama don't got to want for shit
I possess a copious amount of money, my mother will have no needs
I bought a hard top Lamb, didn't even want the shit
I purchased a Lamborghini roadster, I did not passionately desire the item
1017 Brick squad, bitch I own that shit
The group 1017 Brick Squad belongs to me, and I control it
A nigga disrespect me, I can't condone that shit
If someone disrespects me, I cannot tolerate that behavior
I got a 10 O clock appointment at the office, trick
I have scheduled a meeting at 10 in the morning, fool
They pour a half a pint of lean in that coffee bitch
They add an unhealthy amount of codeine cough syrup to their coffee, female dog
My bitches chase money, my bitches chase money
My female acquaintances are in pursuit of financial gain
My bitches chase money, my bitches chase money
My female associates are pursuing financial means
My bitches chase money, my bitches chase money
My females strive for monetary wealth
My bitches chase money, my bitches chase money
My female companions pursue financial gain
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NATE HILLS, CORTE ELLIS, MARCELLA ARAICA, JAMES WASHINGTON, NIGEL TALLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind