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.”
God's Witness
Gucci Mane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Big fat rich nigga, call me Refrigerator Perry
If I piss on your head then call it rain, do you believe it?
And your girl's a freak and I'ma leak it, I can't keep a secret (Fuck It)
40 thou, chillin' out, under my PosturePedic mattress
Look at me now, iced out, damn I can fuck an actress
40 thou for a brick now and that's not even taxin
Turn my spot to a lean house, all I drink is Activis
Got the whole wide world shawty on my dick
Go tell your hot mouth ho she can suck my dick
I blow my nose with money ho, I'm snot nose rich
6's on my chargers so I'm dodging potholes ho
Your nigga lost cuz he got on a Movado watch
And spill the sauce, bitch it ain't a car that I ain't got
Your nigga lost it but Gucci 'bout to lose his top
She found it sexy that every problem I got I address it
These niggas flexin', I pistol whip the boy that bring the message
Police interrogate me, man fuck the shit, am I arrested?
If not then let me go cuz bitch I got a show in Texas
Black nigga but I gotta stab like I'm Mexican
And I'mma hit your next of kin if I don't have my Benjamins
Popped two mollies and it boosted my adrenaline
And your baby mama say my nuts taste like cinnamon
I pull up in a Bentley and I give they ass the business
Tractor trailer full of midget, nigga come and get it
Nigga you know all the cash I made on I-20
God can be my witness, I'm a real trap nigga
Pull up in the Bentley and I give they ass the business
I'm servin' by myself cuz I don't need no co-defendant
Hand countin the money lost count at 560
Cartel wanna clip me cuz I intercept the shipment
I've been sellin' dope since a little boy, I ain't have no choice
Two man operation but I ain't have no voice
I ain't have no Rolls Royce and I ain't have no Porsche
But if you step on these Air Force Ones, then your ass gon' get jumped, son
Gotta Apologize to your granddaddy cuz I beat up your grandson
I've been jumpin out of that van boy, cuz I owe cash to the landlord
Say I whip the nigga with a pool stick, man Gucci Mane is no pool shark
All this diamonds sittin' on my chest baby, they turned me into a cold heart
You can jump in front of these bullets and act like you a Braveheart
Quick ticket to the graveyard, playin' hard but you fake heart
You with the won't bust a grape boys, mine kidnap and rape boys
Know the streets ain't safe boy, suggest you open that safe boy
You've been owing me since the 3rd nigga, and you don't know it's the 8 month
Like how your blood taste boy, cuz you lyin' to me in my face boy
Your dad say you're a disgrace, mistake in the first place
Glock 40 on my waist, and I tote a pistol on the first date
I pull up in a Bentley and I give they ass the business
Tractor trailer full of midget, nigga come and get it
Nigga you know all the cash I made on I-20
God can be my witness, I'm a real trap nigga
Pull up in the Bentley and I give they ass the business
I'm servin' by myself cuz I don't need no co-defendant
Hand countin the money lost count at 560
Cartel wanna clip me cuz I intercept the shipment
The lyrics to Gucci Mane's song "God's Witness" primarily focus on his wealth and success as a drug dealer. He describes himself as a "big fat rich nigga" and compares himself to the football player Refrigerator Perry. The lines "If I piss on your head then call it rain, do you believe it?/And your girl's a freak and I'ma leak it, I can't keep a secret" suggest his arrogance and disrespect towards others. He boasts about the amount of money he has stashed under his mattress and the expensive items he can afford to buy. He also mentions his violent tendencies, such as pistol-whipping someone who delivers a message he doesn't like and carrying a Glock 40 on his first date. The song ends with him discussing his ongoing criminal activities and the danger he faces from cartel members who want to kill him.
Overall, the lyrics to "God's Witness" paint a picture of Gucci Mane as a wealthy, powerful, and dangerous individual who doesn't hesitate to use violence to get what he wants. The song highlights the allure of the trap lifestyle and the risks and rewards associated with it.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born legendary on the 12th of February
I was destined for greatness from birth
Big fat rich nigga, call me Refrigerator Perry
I'm a wealthy man with a big physical build, like the famous football player William "Refrigerator" Perry
If I piss on your head then call it rain, do you believe it?
I have so much power and influence that people will believe whatever I say, even if it's obviously false
And your girl's a freak and I'ma leak it, I can't keep a secret (Fuck It)
I have no problem revealing people's secrets, even if it causes harm or damage to their reputation
40 thou, chillin' out, under my PosturePedic mattress
I keep $40,000 hidden under my comfortable PosturePedic mattress
Look at me now, iced out, damn I can fuck an actress
I'm covered in expensive jewelry and have the ability to sleep with famous actresses
40 thou for a brick now and that's not even taxin
I can make significant money selling illegal drugs, even without adding tax
Turn my spot to a lean house, all I drink is Activis
I regularly use codeine cough syrup to get high and have turned my residence into a place to consume it
And I ain't even gotta flex to you bitch, I'm rich
I don't need to show off my wealth to prove that I have it
Got the whole wide world shawty on my dick
Everyone, especially women, wants to be with me because of my fame and wealth
Go tell your hot mouth ho she can suck my dick
Tell your promiscuous girlfriend to perform oral sex on me
I blow my nose with money ho, I'm snot nose rich
I have so much money that I can use it to blow my nose
6's on my chargers so I'm dodging potholes ho
The rims on my Dodge Charger are 26 inches, making it difficult to drive on bumpy roads
Your nigga lost cuz he got on a Movado watch
Your man is inferior because he wears a less expensive Movado watch
And spill the sauce, bitch it ain't a car that I ain't got
I have many expensive cars and continue to acquire new ones
Your nigga lost it but Gucci 'bout to lose his top
You may think I'm losing my mind, but I don't care because I have money and status
She found it sexy that every problem I got I address it
Women are attracted to me because I take care of my problems and am in control of my life
These niggas flexin', I pistol whip the boy that bring the message
I become violent towards people who act tough and bring me messages from others
Police interrogate me, man fuck the shit, am I arrested?
I don't care about the police interrogating me and only fear being arrested
If not then let me go cuz bitch I got a show in Texas
If I'm not under arrest, I need to leave so I can perform at a concert in Texas
Black nigga but I gotta stab like I'm Mexican
I have a reputation for violent behavior similar to that of some Mexican gang members
And I'mma hit your next of kin if I don't have my Benjamins
I'm willing to harm your family members if you don't pay me back the money you owe me
Popped two mollies and it boosted my adrenaline
I took two MDMA pills and felt more energetic and alert
And your baby mama say my nuts taste like cinnamon
Your child's mother enjoys performing oral sex on me and has commented on the taste of my genitals
I pull up in a Bentley and I give they ass the business
I arrive in a Bentley and handle business matters aggressively
Tractor trailer full of midget, nigga come and get it
I have acquired a large number of little people and am inviting others to take them off my hands
Nigga you know all the cash I made on I-20
I made a significant amount of money selling drugs on the I-20 highway
God can be my witness, I'm a real trap nigga
I swear to God that I am a legitimate drug dealer
I'm servin' by myself cuz I don't need no co-defendant
I am able to sell drugs alone and don't need anyone to assist me
Hand countin the money lost count at 560
I'm counting my money by hand and lost track after reaching $560
Cartel wanna clip me cuz I intercept the shipment
I've angered a drug cartel by intercepting one of their drug shipments
I've been sellin' dope since a little boy, I ain't have no choice
I began selling drugs at a young age and felt as though I had no other options
Two man operation but I ain't have no voice
I worked with someone else to sell drugs, but was not in charge
I ain't have no Rolls Royce and I ain't have no Porsche
I didn't have luxury cars like Rolls Royces or Porsches
But if you step on these Air Force Ones, then your ass gon' get jumped, son
If someone damages my Nike Air Force One shoes, I will become violent
Gotta Apologize to your granddaddy cuz I beat up your grandson
You need to apologize to your grandfather because I beat up your son
I've been jumpin out of that van boy, cuz I owe cash to the landlord
I've been evading someone by jumping out of a van because I owe money to my landlord
Say I whip the nigga with a pool stick, man Gucci Mane is no pool shark
People say I used a pool cue to hurt someone, but I don't actually know how to play pool very well
All this diamonds sittin' on my chest baby, they turned me into a cold heart
The wealth and material possessions I've acquired have made me heartless and indifferent
You can jump in front of these bullets and act like you a Braveheart
You can try to act tough and take a bullet for someone, like the character Braveheart, but it won't change the outcome
Quick ticket to the graveyard, playin' hard but you fake heart
If someone tries to act tough but is actually weak, they're at risk of dying
You with the won't bust a grape boys, mine kidnap and rape boys
You may talk tough, but I have the ability to commit much more heinous acts, like kidnapping and rape
Know the streets ain't safe boy, suggest you open that safe boy
The streets are dangerous, so you should keep your valuables in a safe
You've been owing me since the 3rd nigga, and you don't know it's the 8 month
You've owed me money since March, but it's now August and you still haven't paid
Like how your blood taste boy, cuz you lyin' to me in my face boy
I'm threatening to hurt you and want to know how your blood tastes because you lied to me
Your dad say you're a disgrace, mistake in the first place
Even your own father thinks you're a disappointment and shouldn't have been born
Glock 40 on my waist, and I tote a pistol on the first date
I always carry a gun, and even bring one on a first date
Lyrics © Ultra Tunes
Written by: XAVIER DOTSON, RADRIC DAVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Saheed Mohammed
Gucci should’ve played this at the Versuz yesterday
Catus Jack
The Real Guwop 💯💯💯🔥
Lore 25
Real fans are here in 2020
Wixard Kxlly
2023
GO CRAZY GO STUPID, AAA
Gang gang🔥
cameraman
2022
Bluebenjjs 💙 Dey Swear I’m Crippin ♿️
Aww ready 💯💯💯💯
River Doe
@SketchyDolphin yup 2021
Alchemist Two.0
While Im jumping out that van cuz I owe bread to the landlord 😂.. Shit hard still
Joe NeckBone
Mean he robbing for the rent money