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.”
Heavy
Gucci Mane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whats up Corey
Back in the trap!
Heavy, real heavy, its so heavy, heavy, real heavy
Gucci, Gucci, Gucci, Gucci
Heavy, real heavy, it feels heavy,
Somebody help me,
Heavy, door heavy, flow heavy,
Gucci bag full of cash, its so heavy,
Listen, I cant land it, I go get it,
My ego gettin' too big, its too heavy,
My head gettin' too big, its so heavy,
Somebody help me, to tote this cash its too heavy.
My bitch say every time she look up I'm bout to do a cook up,
I told he if she know like I know she will shut the fuck up,
Introduce color the soda and I said y'all need to hook up,
I pimp that white girl like a motherfuckin' hooker,
I took 300 out my stash and I went and bought a phantom,
I need some toilet paper, I'm the shit in east Atlanta,
On a 90 day tour so my niggas really miss me,
I couldn't kick it with them so I took my whole hood with me,
And I just got out of jail, ya they tried to Michael Vick me,
I gave my lawyer half a mill and told him come and get me,
I'm not wit G-unit but this drum here cost me 50,
This chain another 50 plus a hundred of you snitches.
Heavy, real heavy, it feels heavy,
Somebody help me,
My neck hurt, my chain heavy,
Heavy, door heavy, flow heavy,
Gucci bag full of cash, its so heavy,
Listen, I cant land it, I go get it,
My ego gettin' too big, its too heavy,
My head gettin' too big, its so heavy,
Somebody help me, to tote this cash its too heavy.
I'm so confused, don't have a clue, man, what to do.
Should I rob him, or should I serve him, you know the rules,
I keep Miami heat, got more strap then a gun show,
Run up on the kid, I have you morning like Alonzo,
Try me if you want to, I send my shooters pronto,
I know you die, but hell I don't know where you gotta go,
Run up on me wrong, try your luck, cause I don't think so,
This four four that I told a libra, whole size of a pot hole.
Yeah I got amigo, but they don't bring me taco,
Only bring me kilos, but keep that on the d lo.
I'm getting my tip fade cut, Bouldercrest, and Flat Shoals,
Wish a nigga would run up on me like I'm Brisco.
Heavy, real heavy, it feels heavy,
Somebody help me,
My neck hurt, my chain heavy,
Heavy, door heavy, flow heavy,
Gucci bag full of cash, its so heavy,
Listen, I cant land it, I go get it,
My ego gettin' too big, its too heavy,
My head gettin' too big, its so heavy,
Somebody help me, to tote this cash its too heavy.
Uh well I think I need a hundred pack, and I ain't even finished,
I'm I'm in this duplex in the 6, I only use the kitchen,
I'm the same with my grinder post, yeah I got big bags of smoke,
You fuck niggas don't call my phone unless you wanna buy some dro',
I got birds like Atlanta zoo, bitch who are you,
I got goons like a scary movie, yeah that is true,
And I change cars like a rich white girl change shoes,
Gotta go, go get get them the money, little cause wanna deuce,
And I was holdin' under thirty two, 2002 you know its true,
Bought 'em a sun valley Jacob, me and juice, you know the crue.
I got money stacks credential, now still ain't spent old bred,
If you wanna gladly pour some change on your own head.
Heavy, real heavy, it feels heavy,
Somebody help me,
My neck hurt, my chain heavy,
Heavy, door heavy, flow heavy,
Gucci bag full of cash, its so heavy,
Listen, I cant land it, I go get it,
My ego gettin' too big, its too heavy,
My head gettin' too big, its so heavy,
Somebody help me, to tote this cash its too heavy.
Heavy!
The song "Heavy" by Gucci Mane, featuring OG Boo Dirty, is a rap piece that talks about the burden of success and wealth, specifically about the weight that Gucci feels on his neck from the heavy chains and on his mind from the pressure of his ego and the responsibility that comes with having a lot of money. The opening line of the song sets the context, with Gucci exclaiming, "Back in the trap!" implying both his rise to fame from his past life in the streets and the struggle that comes with being a successful rapper in the music industry.
The first verse of the song highlights the physical pain that Gucci feels from the weight of the chains around his neck and the metaphorical burden of his ego's growth. He feels overwhelmed, asking for help from someone to carry all the cash that he's accumulated. The second verse is more about flexing his wealth, pointing to the luxuries that come with being rich, like a Phantom car and endless stacks of cash. He also talks about his criminal past and the legal troubles he's faced, boasting about his power and ability to protect himself with his goons or shooters.
Overall, the song depicts Gucci Mane's rise to fame and the challenges that come with it, from the physical pain of carrying heavy chains to the mental weight of maintaining an ego and a lucrative career in music.
Line by Line Meaning
Gucci, Gucci
Introducing the artist.
Whats up Corey
Addressing someone named Corey.
Back in the trap!
Returning to the old way of life.
Heavy, real heavy, it feels heavy,
The weight of success is becoming overwhelming.
Somebody help me,
Asking for assistance.
My neck hurt, my chain heavy,
The physical weight of jewelry.
Heavy, door heavy, flow heavy,
Everything is heavy and burdensome.
Gucci bag full of cash, its so heavy,
The weight of financial success is becoming overwhelming.
Listen, I cant land it, I go get it,
The artist is driven to succeed.
My ego gettin' too big, its too heavy,
Success is causing a dangerous level of arrogance.
My head gettin' too big, its so heavy,
Success is becoming overwhelming and affecting the artist's mental state.
Somebody help me, to tote this cash its too heavy.
Asking for assistance with handling the weight of success.
My bitch say every time she look up I'm bout to do a cook up,
The artist is always working and creating.
I told he if she know like I know she will shut the fuck up,
The artist is focused on success and doesn't have time for distractions.
Introduce color the soda and I said y'all need to hook up,
Selling illegal drugs.
I pimp that white girl like a motherfuckin' hooker,
Selling illegal drugs.
I took 300 out my stash and I went and bought a phantom,
Celebrating success.
I need some toilet paper, I'm the shit in east Atlanta,
The artist is very successful in his hometown.
On a 90 day tour so my niggas really miss me,
The artist is successful and in demand, but it's taking a toll on personal relationships.
I couldn't kick it with them so I took my whole hood with me,
The artist is sharing his success with his community.
And I just got out of jail, ya they tried to Michael Vick me,
The artist has faced legal trouble in the past.
I gave my lawyer half a mill and told him come and get me,
The artist has the financial resources to protect himself.
I'm not wit G-unit but this drum here cost me 50,
The artist is successful and can afford expensive equipment.
This chain another 50 plus a hundred of you snitches.
The artist is successful and is targeted by jealous people.
Uh well I think I need a hundred pack, and I ain't even finished,
The artist is focused on success and acquiring wealth.
I'm I'm in this duplex in the 6, I only use the kitchen,
The artist is living a luxurious lifestyle.
I'm the same with my grinder post, yeah I got big bags of smoke,
The artist is involved in illegal drug activity.
You fuck niggas don't call my phone unless you wanna buy some dro',
The artist is focused on business and success, not friendship.
I got birds like Atlanta zoo, bitch who are you,
The artist is successful and involved in illegal activity.
I got goons like a scary movie, yeah that is true,
The artist has dangerous connections.
And I change cars like a rich white girl change shoes,
The artist is successful and can afford luxury vehicles.
Gotta go, go get get them the money, little cause wanna deuce,
The artist is focused on making money.
And I was holdin' under thirty two, 2002 you know its true,
The artist has come from humble beginnings.
Bought 'em a sun valley Jacob, me and juice, you know the crue.
The artist is successful and sharing his wealth with friends.
I got money stacks credential, now still ain't spent old bred,
The artist has achieved financial success.
If you wanna gladly pour some change on your own head.
The artist has no time for nonsense or weakness.
Heavy!
Continued emphasis on the weight of success.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RADRIC DELANTIC DAVIS, DEMETRIUS STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@deezy1445
#bigguwop put a lot of rappers on !
@Najee2TIMESZ
deezy luciano facts
@jayjohnson7646
Pure Facts, I said dat the other day
@sirjames7800
Real talk-💯
@rxjetpacc
EVERY RAPPER ON...GRANDPA WOP
@daquanbanks4101
deezy luciano big facts
@rxjetpacc
Remember pullin up to school late on purpose blastin this shit😂
@darnell1027
😂 and going straight to the back of the class room with all the cool kids lol
@TheVega318
This song has literally ruined my consciousness....anytime i see something super emotional in real life or on television i think to myself " damn this shit is heavy right now" and as soon as i do this song starts to slowly crescendo into the forefront of my thoughts...preventing me from taking anything serious ever again for the rest of my life.
@Ihasmoarface
+Zachary Vega Same.