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.”
Jack Boyz
Gucci Mane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm fucked up!
You fucked up!
Selling Niggers where's your stash
You just blew your luck!
Jack boys on your ass put your chain on top,
I ain't talking about a name but my
I'm fucked up!
Telling Niggers where's your stash
You just blew your luck!
Jack boys on your ass put your chain on top,
I ain't talking about a name but my
For big Gucci OJ
I put the cross on
For now it comes the thunderstorm
Couple Niggers down to murder for a couple strikes
Brick squad, brick squad, everything is brick squad
Seein a bitch nigga dead make my dick hard.
Is only one word I can't take is the fear.
I'm dying for my Niggers!
My Niggers die for me!
Like a midget to a train. ain't no stopping me
No!
I'm writing for my Niggers!
My Niggers write for me!
I'm my brother's that we got is real.
[Chorus x2]
I'm not the bad Niggers or the biggest one
But if you beat us, son,
I get a bigger gun!
I walk a lot of jewels
And plus a lot of tools
I make a lot of shops
I make some mortal soup.
It's such a beautiful day,
To put my diamonds on display
Black and yellow diamonds catchin sun rays on a sunday.
You're a man or a mouse?
He's a fucking mouse!
The song "Jack Boyz" by Gucci Mane is a rap song that talks about the dangers and consequences of being involved in illegal activities, especially drug dealing. The opening lines of the chorus establish the theme of the song by stating that the singer and the person they are talking to have both messed up by revealing the location of their stash to someone or somehow attracting the attention of jack boys, who are essentially robbers or criminals who steal from other criminals. The chorus then goes on to tell the person to put their chain on top, likely as a way to protect themselves from being robbed of their jewelry. This sets up the scenario that the rest of the song explores, which is the fear and danger that come with being involved in illegal activities.
The first verse of the song brings in the character of "big Gucci OJ," who may be a reference to Gucci Mane himself. The verse describes how the singer is prepared to face any potential threats or enemies, with a "thunderstorm" on the way and a "couple Niggers down to murder" for them. The repeated mention of "brick squad" in this verse is likely a reference to Gucci Mane's label and crew, Brick Squad 1017. The verse ends with a particularly violent image, with the singer stating that seeing a "bitch nigga" dead makes their "dick hard." The second verse continues on this theme of violence, with the singer bragging about their weapons and jewels and warning anyone who crosses them that they will respond with even greater force.
Overall, "Jack Boyz" is a song that plays with ideas of fear and intimidation, particularly within the context of illegal activities. The repetition of certain phrases, such as "I'm fucked up!" and "brick squad," helps to create a sense of urgency and danger, while the violent imagery and threats underscore the consequences of entering into the criminal world. At the same time, the song also celebrates a certain kind of brotherhood and loyalty, with the singer stating that they are willing to both die for their friends and kill anyone who threatens them.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm fucked up!
I am in a bad state, possibly under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or it could refer to my emotional state.
You fucked up!
You are also in a bad state, possibly due to the influence of drugs or alcohol or emotionally.
Selling Niggers where's your stash
Asking someone where they store their illegal goods, usually referring to drugs.
You just blew your luck!
By revealing your stash, you have just ruined your chances of keeping it safe and not getting arrested.
Jack boys on your ass put your chain on top,
The 'jack boys' are thieves who are after you, and they are telling you to hide your valuable possessions, such as jewelry.
I ain't talking about a name but my
When Gucci Mane says 'I ain't talking about a name,' he likely means he is not referring to a specific thing or person. Instead, he is probably talking about himself, his lifestyle, or his gang.
For big Gucci OJ
This line refers to Gucci Mane's nickname, 'Big Gucci.' OJ is likely a reference to Orange Juice, which was a nickname given to Gucci Mane's mentor, who was also a rapper.
I put the cross on
To 'put the cross on' is to kill someone.
For now it comes the thunderstorm
There is trouble coming or maybe even a violent confrontation.
Couple Niggers down to murder for a couple strikes
There are people who are willing to kill for as little as a couple of dollars or for even less than that.
Brick squad, brick squad, everything is brick squad
Brick Squad is the name of Gucci Mane's gang, and this line means that everything is under their control.
Seein a bitch nigga dead make my dick hard.
Gucci Mane gets pleasure from seeing someone he does not like or who he thinks is weak or pathetic die.
Is only one word I can't take is the fear.
The only thing Gucci Mane is afraid of is being scared or fearful.
I'm dying for my Niggers!
Gucci Mane is willing to sacrifice his life for his gang or for anyone he considers a friend.
My Niggers die for me!
Gucci Mane's gang members are willing to sacrifice their lives for him.
Like a midget to a train. ain't no stopping me
Gucci Mane sees himself as an unstoppable force, and anyone who tries to stop him is like a small person trying to stop a train.
No! I'm writing for my Niggers!
Gucci Mane is creating music for his gang and for the people who support him.
My Niggers write for me!
Gucci Mane's gang members are also contributing to his music in some way, perhaps by giving him inspiration or other ideas.
I'm my brother's that we got is real.
Gucci Mane considers himself and his gang members to be like family, and their bond is based on something genuine and authentic.
I'm not the bad Niggers or the biggest one
Gucci Mane believes that he is not necessarily the most dangerous or the most powerful person around.
But if you beat us, son, I get a bigger gun!
If anyone tries to harm Gucci Mane or his gang, he will retaliate with more force or with more powerful weapons.
I walk a lot of jewels, And plus a lot of tools
Gucci Mane carries a lot of expensive jewelry and a lot of weapons, implying that he is both financially well-off and prepared for whatever may come his way.
I make a lot of shops, I make some mortal soup.
This line is difficult to interpret, but it could mean that Gucci Mane has a lot of resources and can provide things for himself and his gang. Also, he may be referring to his cooking skills, with 'mortal soup' meaning deadly or dangerous concoctions.
It's such a beautiful day, To put my diamonds on display
This line implies that Gucci Mane is not afraid to show off his wealth, even if it makes him a target for robbery or other crimes.
Black and yellow diamonds catchin sun rays on a sunday.
This line refers to Gucci Mane's distinctive jewelry, and how it looks when it catches the sunlight.
You're a man or a mouse? He's a fucking mouse!
Gucci Mane is taunting or insulting someone he does not like, calling them weak or timid by comparing them to a small animal.
Contributed by Hunter D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Memphis Shit
Old Gucci mane > Now Gucci mane
Zelly Zell
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Arcenio Randall
On repeat 2023 Navajo Nation AZ
Arcenio Randall
Jamming Phoenix Arizona 2023
G3608 III
Same but in northern az yk
Tyshondra Barnes
Old Gucci is the S@@@
jashard wallington
Dj akdermal infection aka dj akademiks better listen to this
KXYNINE
Woah pause 1:30