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.”
Gucci Bandana
Gucci Mane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna
It's Soulja Boy Tellem,
I rap with Shawty Low,
I got so much snow,
Gucci head to toe,
Chain on chill (chill),
Watch on freeze,
A pound a purp got me looking like Chinese,
Gucci Shades, but they still can't hide me,
Hit the club, seventeen with no ID,
Damn! I changed up the format,
Welcome to my crib,
Leave your shoes at the doormat,
Uhh, and ain't this Beat tight,
Chains say hello,
Watch say goodnight,
And I still look right,
This is the good life,
Gucci Bandanna just to make me look tight
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna
Gucci Bandanna,
Call me Gucci Montel,
Gucci girl with me,
Gucci bag,
Gucci sandals,
She too hot to handle,
Hot sex, burning candles,
Gucci Mane a player,
Gucci shopping this extravagant,
Gucci Mane drive a drop top red phantom,
And my bed got them super size Gucci spreads,
Pull up to the hood,
Stop and let them jock Gucci,
Broads jock Gucci, cause Gucci, just Gucci,
Yeah my boxer briefs,
Equipped with double G's,
Gucci key chain,
Holding on my Gucci keys,
Gucci down all the time in the summer time,
I'm Gucci Mane,
You would think that was my clothing line,
GUCCI
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna
Shawty Lo,
I really want a Lanna,
Scarf on my neck,
Gucci Bandanna,
Niggas talking slick,
They filled with anmnem,
But I don't care,
So Got damn ya,
This biggest watch,
Costs more than yours,
I built a house,
You can't afford,
It's Stupid Big,
It got an ocean view, it's way up there,
I look down on you,
We flexed down here,
That's what we do,
Get in our way,
I flex on you,
You acting monkey,
We keep bananas,
Dem goons with me,
Rocking bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna
The song “Gucci Bandana” by Gucci Mane featuring Shawty Lo and Soulja Boy is a typical example of trap music with ostentatious themes of wealth and luxury. It’s a braggadocious anthem that flaunts the rappers' extravagant tastes as the song’s lyrics solely revolve around sporting Gucci clothes and accessories, expensive cars, massive homes, and women draped in Gucci. The chorus is centered around the Gucci Bandana, which the rappers reckon increases their looks' swag and coolness.
Soulja Boy takes the lead on the first verse, boasting about his Gucci wardrobe and accessories, including the Gucci Bandana that shines his outfit to stand out. He also brags about having a lot of money and various drugs, stating his preference for Purple Kush. The first verse also details Soulja Boy's sneaking into clubs under age, giving a nod to his youthfulness.
Shawty Lo's verse boasts of his considerable wealth, sporting a giant watch, a Gucci scarf, and a Gucci Bandana, claiming to be the origin of the luxury version of Louie Vuitton. He boasts of his expansive home with an ocean view and flexes his superiority over his enemies.
Overall, the song's entirety promotes a conspicuous consumption culture that prioritizes extravagance and wealth as essential qualities of social status.
Facts:
Line by Line Meaning
Ey, Gucci Bandanna, Gucci, Gucci Bandanna,
The artist is donning a Gucci Bandana repeatedly and considers it an essential statement piece for his look and personal brand.
It's Soulja Boy Tellem,
The artist Soulja Boy starts his verse with an introduction.
I rap with Shawty Low,
The artist collaborates with another rapper named Shawty Low.
I got so much snow,
The artist has sold an abundance of cocaine.
Gucci head to toe,
The artist is wearing Gucci clothing from head to toe.
Chain on chill (chill),
The artist is wearing a chain that is iced out and sparkling in a cool way.
Watch on freeze,
The artist is wearing a watch with diamonds that glimmer and catch the eye.
A pound a purp got me looking like Chinese,
The artist has a pound of high-quality marijuana and is so incredibly stoned, his eyes appear to be almost shut like a Chinese person's.
Gucci Shades, but they still can't hide me,
The artist wears Gucci sunglasses, but they still can't make him completely invisible or anonymous in public.
Hit the club, seventeen with no ID,
The artist went to a club even though he was underage.
Damn! I changed up the format,
The artist switched up his style and experimented with something different.
Welcome to my crib,
The artist invites his audience to explore his luxurious home.
Leave your shoes at the doormat,
The artist intends for people to take off their shoes before entering his house.
Uhh, and ain't this Beat tight,
The artist acknowledges the quality of the beat in his song.
Chains say hello,
The artist is wearing expensive chains and is showing them off.
Watch say goodnight,
The artist is staring at his sparkling watch that looks nice enough to wish goodnight.
And I still look right,
The artist confirms that he looks good, even with all of his flashy accessories.
This is the good life,
The artist is enjoying his lavish lifestyle.
Gucci Bandanna just to make me look tight
The artist reiterates that the Gucci Bandana is enhancing his look.
Gucci Bandanna,
The artist repeats that he continues to wear a Gucci Bandana.
Call me Gucci Montel,
The artist is giving himself a luxurious nickname that combines his own name with an iconic, luxurious brand, Gucci.
Gucci girl with me,
The artist is accompanied by a beautiful girl who is also wearing Gucci clothing.
Gucci bag,
The artist is carrying a designer Gucci bag.
Gucci sandals,
The artist is wearing designer Gucci sandals on his feet.
She too hot to handle,
The girl with him is very attractive and hard to resist.
Hot sex, burning candles,
The artist is having passionate sex with the girl and there are candles burning in the room.
Gucci Mane a player,
The artist Gucci Mane is known for being a womanizer.
Gucci shopping this extravagant,
The artist shops for Gucci products and enjoys spending large amounts of money.
Gucci Mane drive a drop top red phantom,
The artist Gucci Mane drives a luxurious red convertible sports car.
And my bed got them super size Gucci spreads,
The artist's bed is adorned with extra-large Gucci sheets and blankets.
Pull up to the hood,
The artist arrives in a poor neighborhood.
Stop and let them jock Gucci,
The people in the poor neighborhood admire and acknowledge the artist's expensive Gucci clothing.
Broads jock Gucci, cause Gucci, just Gucci,
Women are interested in the artist because of his expensive Gucci outfits.
Yeah my boxer briefs,
The artist is wearing designer Gucci men's briefs.
Equipped with double G's,
The artist's Gucci briefs have the iconic double G (Gucci) logo on them.
Gucci key chain,
The artist is carrying keys on a key chain that is branded as Gucci.
Holding on my Gucci keys,
The artist guards his Gucci keys carefully.
Gucci down all the time in the summer time,
The artist wears Gucci clothing even during the hot summer months.
I'm Gucci Mane,
The artist is emphasizing that he is, in fact, Gucci Mane and loves to associate himself with the prestigious Gucci brand.
You would think that was my clothing line,
The artist's name Gucci Mane is so closely associated with Gucci clothing that people might assume he owns his clothing line.
Shawty Lo,
The artist introduces another rapper named Shawty Lo.
I really want a Lanna,
The artist desires a Land Rover SUV.
Scarf on my neck,
The artist is wearing a scarf around his neck.
Gucci Bandanna,
The artist is repeating once again that he is wearing a Gucci Bandana.
Niggas talking slick,
People are saying mean things about the artist.
They filled with anmnem,
The haters are filled with animosity and jealousy.
But I don't care,
The artist is not bothered by their negative comments.
So Got damn ya,
The artist expresses his frustration at the negativity that surrounds him.
This biggest watch,
The artist is wearing an oversized, expensive watch.
Costs more than yours,
The artist is trying to establish dominance over others by flaunting his wealth with his expensive belongings.
I built a house,
The artist has constructed a luxurious, expensive new home.
You can't afford,
The haters or general public cannot afford the artist's lavish home.
It's Stupid Big,
The artist's house is very large and luxurious.
It got an ocean view, it's way up there,
The artist's house has a beautiful view of the ocean and is located in a high, elevated area.
I look down on you,
The artist enjoys looking down on others from his elevated position and feeling superior.
We flexed down here,
The artist and his entourage are flaunting their wealth and status.
That's what we do,
Displaying and showing off their wealth to others is typical behavior for them.
Get in our way,
Anyone who does not approve of or criticize how they live their lives is considered a hindrance that must be removed.
I flex on you,
The artist asserts his dominance over anyone who dares get in their way.
You acting monkey,
Anyone who dares to challenge their status and wealth is acting impulsively and foolishly.
We keep bananas,
The artist and his entourage keep guns, specifically machine guns colloquially referred to as bananas.
Dem goons with me,
The artist is accompanied by his gangster friends and is considered to be one himself.
Rocking bandanna,
The artist and his friends are wearing bandanas, similar to gang members, but they are Gucci branded.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RADRIC DELANTIC DAVIS, QUANDARIOUS JORDAN, QUANDARIUS JORDAN, WRITERS UNKNOWN, DEANDRE WAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SouljaBoy
damn I killed this beat shit hard having Gucci rapping over a beat I made. RIP SHAWTY LO MISS YOU MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@Prexi
The good ol' days
@DuckDOGGERS92
facts
@jessetafeltennis
Yo hol' up this is the real Soulja boy...
@crystalsofine2924
fake ass account tryna get likes
@ideally6159
naw thats real u can check the subs and search him in the search bar
@xlilpimpx249
This song is ahead of its time. It definitely would blow up in this era of music. No Cap Soulja Boy paved the way for these artists.
@krisraps
I Hope You Are Joking !!!
@denilsonvarela2054
Sasha Buwu Soulja 🐐
@youngmarlomarlo8656
Facts bro you definitely Right