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.”
Holmes
Gucci Mane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wop
Brr, brr
(Once again I'm locked in with TP, we finna make a hit) go
Walker Homes, Herndon Homes, hell, you can be from Bowen Homes
If you ain't bustin' fire, holmes, I'm tradin' yo' ass like Jerry Jones (well, damn)
Gone on and run along, run by myself, I come alone (go)Drop my nuts, I'll use my own, you borrow nuts, you took a loan (han)
I'll be playin' naive but I know 'xactly what's goin' on (wow)
Chopsticks like I'm Chinese, I might dynamite a hater home
Judge lookin' down on me like he a king sittin' on the throne
Murder charge, I beat the case then beat my chest, I'm King Kong (grrah)
Lavish home, gettin' super dome, head knocked me out like Larry Holmes (huh)
Money long, don't saw the barrel off, I like the barrel long
Gucci gone, you rats ain't really have no one to tattle on (rats)
Slimey nigga, Memphis killa, snake your watch and ride along (slime)
Pest control, we killin' rodents, that's what Gucci really on (fuck 'em)
Coronavirus got me itchin', clutchin', all these masks is on (clutchin')
Niggas think it's cool to be broke, that shit ain't in fashion, holmes
Ain't no hit and run, you can't insure it, I see you, we crashin', holmes
I'm from Mill Branch but I got killers out of Cleaborn Homes
Play pussy, one to the dome, now you gotta create a stone
By myself with a few bales, ain't no stoppin' for jakes or law
Hood hero servin' cold, how he make it with eighty boulders?
My lil' brother, think he pop? Smooth dude and he keep his Glock
In the field with gloves on, swingin' steel, we play for the Sox
High-speed chase, we duckin' cops, I just got off on 70 North
Choppa Gang, so Icy Gang, me and Sheisty got matchin' watches
He a rat, I'll draw some cheese, try to eat, put his ass to sleep
No Draco, big .223, roll up and smoke his ass like weed
My niggas, they CGE, he ain't gang, he ain't shit to me
Two-hundred shots up in his SUV, shots out the AUG (brr, brr)
Ayy, that shit wasn't no dream when I had slammed that man out in my sleep
And I did some shit I can't rap about, but may they rest in peace (ayy, I hope they rest in peace)
Strapped up in this Phantom, ran though Bouldercrest, but from the Creek (bitch, I'm from the Creek)
Just young niggas from D.A.G. tryna leave bodies in the street (leave yo' ass to sleep)
It's different type of smoke, if I gotta slide, bodies got to drop
Lil' slimy dude gon' stay on top, grab the Draco and shake the block
FN in my trench coat, I post by the door like Jamie Foxx (brr, brr, brr)
We got him and his cousin shot, give a fuck if they know or not (fuck 'em)
This brand-new Glock came out the box, my chop came with a forty, stock
MGU ran in my spot, took all my shit and broke the lock
I'm back at it again, I know them crackers wanna see me fall (fuck 'em)
I kept callin' my lawyer, he wouldn't answer, that shit had me hot (fuck 'em)
Brr, brr (brr)
In the song "Holmes," Gucci Mane boasts about his success, street credibility, and willingness to take on anyone who crosses him. He starts off by naming various neighborhoods but then quickly makes it clear that he doesn't care about where someone is from, as long as they are ready to bring the heat. Gucci Mane recounts his experiences with the law and getting away from murder charges, which further establishes his power in the streets. He also mentions his wealth, including his lavish home and the fact that his money is so long that he doesn't need to saw the barrel off his gun the way some people do. Gucci Mane continues to flex his power by calling out anyone who thinks it's cool to be broke and reminding them that crashing into him will not end well. The song's final verse is a mixture of memories and threats, with Gucci Mane reflecting on past violent acts and stating that he will not hesitate to use his firearms if necessary.
Overall, "Holmes" is a typical Gucci Mane song, with its focus on his street credibility, bravado, and toughness. The lyrics are straightforward and unapologetic, with Gucci Mane making no attempt to sugarcoat anything or make himself seem more likable. Instead, he exudes confidence and power, painting himself as someone not to be messed with.
Line by Line Meaning
Walker Homes, Herndon Homes, hell, you can be from Bowen Homes
Regardless of which neighborhood you come from, whether it be Walker Homes, Herndon Homes, or Bowen Homes,
If you ain't bustin' fire, holmes, I'm tradin' yo' ass like Jerry Jones (well, damn)
If you're not coming with heat or putting in work, then I'll trade you away like Jerry Jones does with his players in the NFL.
Gone on and run along, run by myself, I come alone (go)
I prefer to work alone, so you can run along and do your thing solo too.
Drop my nuts, I'll use my own, you borrow nuts, you took a loan (han)
I have my own resources and I'm not relying on anyone else, unlike those who have to borrow or take a loan.
I'll be playin' naive but I know 'xactly what's goin' on (wow)
I may act like I don't know what's happening, but trust me, I'm aware of everything that's going on.
Chopsticks like I'm Chinese, I might dynamite a hater home
I'm quick to use my chopstick (AK-47) and destroy anyone who tries to hate or disrespect me.
Judge lookin' down on me like he a king sittin' on the throne
The judge is patronizing me as if he's sitting on his throne, but I won't let him intimidate me.
Murder charge, I beat the case then beat my chest, I'm King Kong (grrah)
I was once charged with murder, but I managed to clear my name and prove my innocence, which makes me feel unstoppable like King Kong.
Lavish home, gettin' super dome, head knocked me out like Larry Holmes (huh)
I have a luxurious home with a special room for intimate activities and someone gave me good satisfaction that knocked me out like a punch from Larry Holmes.
Money long, don't saw the barrel off, I like the barrel long
I have a lot of money, so there's no need to saw off the barrel of my gun. I prefer to keep it long.
Gucci gone, you rats ain't really have no one to tattle on (rats)
Now that Gucci is out of the picture, all of you snitches have no one to inform on.
Slimey nigga, Memphis killa, snake your watch and ride along (slime)
I'm a deceitful and slippery guy from Memphis who'll steal your watch and casually ride away from the scene.
Pest control, we killin' rodents, that's what Gucci really on (fuck 'em)
Gucci and I are like pest control, killing off any small-time nuisances and obstacles that get in our way. Fuck them.
Coronavirus got me itchin', clutchin', all these masks is on (clutchin')
The coronavirus has me feeling uneasy and paranoid, desperately clutching onto my masks for protection.
Niggas think it's cool to be broke, that shit ain't in fashion, holmes
Some people seem to think that being broke is fashionable, but it's not cool whatsoever, holmes.
Ain't no hit and run, you can't insure it, I see you, we crashin', holmes
There won't be any hit and run accidents because you can't insure those. If I see you, we're colliding for sure, holmes.
I'm from Mill Branch but I got killers out of Cleaborn Homes
I hail from Mill Branch, but I also have some dangerous associates from Cleaborn Homes.
Play pussy, one to the dome, now you gotta create a stone
If you're hesitant to engage with me, then I'm putting one to your head, and you'll end up needing a gravestone.
By myself with a few bales, ain't no stoppin' for jakes or law
I have a few kilos with me, and I'm not stopping for any police officers or law enforcement.
Hood hero servin' cold, how he make it with eighty boulders?
I'm a hero in my neighborhood serving drugs (or anything) openly with no fear, even though I have a lot of product. The question is how I managed to make it successfully.
My lil' brother, think he pop? Smooth dude and he keep his Glock
My younger brother thinks he's tough, but he's actually quite slick and resourceful by always carrying a gun (Glock).
In the field with gloves on, swingin' steel, we play for the Sox
We're in the streets with gloves on ready to injure people with our knives (steel), and brag about that when we're playing with our friends from the White Sox.
High-speed chase, we duckin' cops, I just got off on 70 North
We're in the middle of a high-speed chase, and we're evading police officers. I just got off the highway 70 North.
Choppa Gang, so Icy Gang, me and Sheisty got matchin' watches
The Choppa Gang and So Icy Gang (two groups of rappers) are united, and both me and Sheisty are showing it off by wearing similar watches.
He a rat, I'll draw some cheese, try to eat, put his ass to sleep
If someone is a snitch, I'll lure them with some 'cheese,' shoot them, and make them go to sleep (or die).
No Draco, big .223, roll up and smoke his ass like weed
I don't have an AK-47, but instead, I have a big rifle that shoots .223 remington. I'll still have the same effect by 'smoking' someone like weed.
My niggas, they CGE, he ain't gang, he ain't shit to me
My friends are part of the CGE (Can't Go Extinct) gang, and anyone who's not affiliated means nothing to me.
Two-hundred shots up in his SUV, shots out the AUG (brr, brr)
There are 200 bullets aimed at his SUV, and I'm shooting my gun (AUG) nonstop.
Ayy, that shit wasn't no dream when I had slammed that man out in my sleep
When I knocked a guy out, it wasn't a dream but a real-life event that occurred while I was sleeping.
And I did some shit I can't rap about, but may they rest in peace (ayy, I hope they rest in peace)
I did something that I'm not willing to discuss in my music, but whoever was involved is now deceased. May they rest in peace.
Strapped up in this Phantom, ran though Bouldercrest, but from the Creek (bitch, I'm from the Creek)
I'm carrying a gun inside my Rolls-Royce Phantom, and I drove past Bouldercrest (a street in Atlanta), but I'm not from there. I'm from the Creek instead (referring to Ellenwood Creek).
Just young niggas from D.A.G. tryna leave bodies in the street (leave yo' ass to sleep)
We're just some young guys from D.A.G. trying to take out our enemies and make them sleep permanently in the streets.
It's different type of smoke, if I gotta slide, bodies got to drop
There's a unique type of danger associated with me, and if I have to move (slide), then some people will end up dead.
Lil' slimy dude gon' stay on top, grab the Draco and shake the block
Even though he's a slimy guy, he'll stay on top by grabbing his gun (Draco) and causing chaos and unrest in the block.
FN in my trench coat, I post by the door like Jamie Foxx (brr, brr, brr)
I'm hiding my FN gun in my trench coat, and I'm stationed by the door like Jamie Foxx in the movie 'Collateral.'
We got him and his cousin shot, give a fuck if they know or not (fuck 'em)
We shot both him and his cousin, and we don't care if they know that it was us or not. Fuck them.
This brand-new Glock came out the box, my chop came with a forty, stock
My Glock gun is new and straight out of the box, and my chop (another gun) came with a 40 round magazine.
MGU ran in my spot, took all my shit and broke the lock
The MGU (Money Gang University) invaded my house, took everything I had, and broke the lock on my door.
I'm back at it again, I know them crackers wanna see me fall (fuck 'em)
I'm back to doing what I do best, and I know that some people (especially white people) are hoping for me to fail. Fuck them.
I kept callin' my lawyer, he wouldn't answer, that shit had me hot (fuck 'em)
I tried to contact my lawyer several times, but he refused to pick up my calls, which pissed me off. Fuck him.
Brr, brr (brr)
The sound of my gun firing (onomatopoeia).
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, NOREMAC MEDIA GROUP
Written by: BIG30, Lontrell Williams, Radric Davis, Tiquon Pryor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@guccimane
🥶❄️🥶❄️
@lenardjones1592
Dis dat shit right here .
@JUDGEFEFETV
Early squaddddddddd big perioddddd
@reallifeatlanta676
🥶🥶🥶 2500 ETHERIDGE COURT BANKHEAD ZONE 1 REAL ATLANTA
@deluxedecoy
WOPPPP
@Kyzzy10
Keep it up Gucci. 👏🏽. This 1017 team is fire 🔥 🔥🔥🔥🔥
@kevinmckissack946
Big30 Smoked this beat. All three of these dudes got bars like a mother. CGE is next
@bryan.f193
Memphis ain’t playing dis year 🔥🔥
@aliceflanary1144
Don't make no sense how they running dis shit
@breal6592
@@aliceflanary1144 where you from ?