Itβs said that art mirrors life. In hip-hopβs case, thereβs always been a deliberate entanglement of perception and reality. Fans demand their MCs be realβ¦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.
βI wish everybody well whoβs making money in this rap game,β the Atlanta-raised rapper says, dismissing the controversy that followed him in the past. βMy own rap game is going so good, Iβve got so many things on my plate at my label, that I donβt got time for other peopleβs business.β 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.
βI live my life with no regrets. I just wish that a lot of things never happened, but anybody can wish,β says Gucci. Sounds like a man with his eyes on the prize. And youβd 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 βBlack Tee,β 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 βIcyβ single, featuring Jeezy. Clamor over song rights sparked dispute, and the resulting rift grew.
Controversy notwithstanding, Maneβs independence was cemented: βI was on the independent scene for about two years,β he recalls. βItβs 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 itβs a gamble out there with the independent circuit. One thing youβd better have is good music because without that, you go downhill fast in the independent game.β
Good music firmly in hand, Gucci was fast approaching stardom when more tragedy befell him. But letβs backtrack; how did the man born Radric Davis in Bessemer, Alabama, become Gucci Mane, mouthpiece for Atlanta stuntinβ? Mane remembers little from his time in Alabama, just that it was rural, and that itβs changed dramatically since he left at the age of nine. βI gotta shout out Alabama though, because they holdinβ it down,β he affirms. βEvery time I go there to do a show, Iβm impressed with how hip-hop culture has taken root.β
Maneβs identity coalesced when he moved with his mother to Atlanta. βI lived all of my adolescent and adult life in Atlanta,β he explains. βIβm from East Atlanta Zone Six; it was hard, man, it was real rough. I grew up in the Starter jacket era: theyβd take your Starter jacket, your 8Ball jacket, theyβd 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 youβd get jumped. It was wild when I came up.β
Itβs 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. βI was just a young dude in a single parent house most of my life. I canβt complain that much. I would guess itβs like any black child growing up in a single parent household. There are a lot of people who know how that is. I didnβt 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; sheβs been there through the whole struggle. Thereβs a lot that goes along with that; it made me who I am today.β
A stepfather would enter the picture during Maneβs adolescence, introducing not only a male figure, but also inspiration for Maneβs unusual moniker. βMy father came in, the original Gucci Mane; thatβs what people in the neighborhood called him, and thatβs 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.β Drawing inspiration from a pantheon of rappers before him βBig Daddy Kane, LL Cool J, Ice Cube, the Beastie Boys, N.W.AβMane went on to release Trap House, a lethal brew of his signature sound: βI call my music straight Gucci: going hard and whatever beats you make you for me, if Iβm feeling it, if Iβm rocking with it, Iβm gonna crush it. When you hear me, you hear a lot of pain, a lot of hood; you hear whatβs going on in the inner city in Atlanta.β
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. βI learned to keep better company, watch where I go, and be mindful of my surroundings at all times,β he reveals. βWatch what I say, watch what I do and how I do it, just keep myself out of the wrong crowd.β
βI always stand up man,β he continues. βIβm one of the toughest guys I know. Itβll take a lot more than that to break me down.β Undeterred, Mane was back in the studio, preparing 2006βs 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: βThere was a bidding war going on, and I liked Atlanticβs approach. They made it known that they wanted me, they felt where I was going and that I could grow with them.β
Asylum/Atlantic Records welcomed Gucci Mane in early β07, 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 ββI got them in training; they be in the weight room, pumping iron, doing pushups, shopping at the mall, buying iceββGucci is focused on his magnum opus, Back to the Trap House. βI started working on the album, and by the third song, I was like βThis is going back to the Trap House.β 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.β
βSince I went major, I want everybody to know Iβm still keeping it street, keeping it hood,β Gucci maintains. βIβm trying to take it back to all my fans that I had when I first started my career. And at the same time, Iβm trying to open up my new album to a new fan base. So itβs a mix for everybody coming together, like my first album was.β Gucci has always prided himself on his innate ability, and his refusal to let guest appearances dictate the tone of his records. βI just want people to know Iβm a great songwriter, man,β he asserts. βIβm passionate about what I do, and itβs 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; itβs a God-given gift and I just get paid for it. It come from God, itβs like wondering what makes a bird fly. He made me a poet like the great poets of the past.β
But donβt mistake Gucciβs confidence for self-absorption. The vicissitudes of his career have dictated a longer view. Lyrics aside, heβs less preoccupied with visible means and more so with acting as an emissary from his under-repped block. βIβm not the one to glorify what goes on in the hood,β he insists. βWe have everything there, the whole range from violence to people getting on the bus and going to work. Thereβs a lot more to the hood than just drugs. Itβs a bigger story, thereβs 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. Iβm 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.β
And Gucciβs professional aims have matured as well. While other rappers stress platinum plaques, Gucci hasnβt forgotten the route he took to stardom. βI made a lot of CDs on my own. People fucked with me and supported me, and just made me the man I am today. Thatβs 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 jobβs been done.β
Fortunately for Gucci, he should be prepared to welcome an army of new fans with Back to the Trap House. But longstanding fans shouldnβt fear; theyβll recognize βFreaky Gurl,β 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 Gucciβs 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 βBird Flu,β the albumβs number two single, laced by New-York based Supa Sonics. Elsewhere, firm guest verses from Rich Boy and Pimp C of UGK round out Gucciβs regional flavor, while Bay-area producer Zaytoven (of βIcyβ renown) locks down Gucciβs 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. βIβm best known for controversy but Iβm 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. Iβll be banging them out till I canβt bang no more.β
Jugg House
Gucci Mane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Intro)
Young Chop on the beat
Your time Scooter, turn up
(Verse 1: Young Scooter)
My life is a jugg, my momma, she jugg
Rest in peace to Lante, he died making the jugg
Free my nigga,Tay, he made sure, the whole hood good
I met my nigga Gucci Mane, I was making the jugg
They gave me jugger of the year cause I jugg so good
You can't jugg, jugg-man, I cut off your hand
I'll jugg you out your bands, and switch phones on your ass
(Hook)
I woke up in Juggland, what a great feeling
House full of Mexicans, nothing but drug dealing
Mi casa su casa Vato!, that's a jugg house
RIP Griselda Blanco, that's a jugg house
100 kilo, thank the chapo, that's a jugg house
We got 18 carat fully autos at the jugg house
Jugg house, jugg house
(Verse 2: Gucci Mane)
Mi casa su casa brotha
No bother cook powder brotha
We mix work like Spinderella
Black brick, white brick, salt and pepper
Yellow Maz and mozzarella
Shook house push three tons a day
While Molly sayin' who wanna get, we on the street but on the beat
Ran off on him I used my feet, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat
These Christian Lubs cost thirty-three
That's thirteen times your twenty-three
I still can cook the dope, remember the shit just like the A-B-C's
A-B-C, nigga, 1-2-3 - that 3-2-1 with a M-16
(Hook)
(Verse 3: Fredo Santana)
Billion everyday, everyday's a jugg house
Juggin' everyday, gotta meet my plug
Hit the trap up, make sure my work is good
Run off with that work, get left in the woods
Finessin' you out your work, get robbed in my hood
Drivin' real dirty tryna make a couple juggs
30's and F-Ns all under my hood
Got my money all in my pocket
You reach for it I'm poppin'
Ballin' like those stuntin, shooters with me, they thirsty
They ain't miss shit, they murkin'
They hittin' shit on purpose
I'm with Guwop, Scoot, and niggas nervous
Hoes see my horses, your bitch want me, can't afford it
Kill a nigga for my fortune, your bitch want me, can't afford it
I'll kill a nigga for my fortune
300 shit man
(Hook)
The song Jugg House by Gucci Mane, Young Scooter, and Fredo Santana speaks about living life as a jugg, which means someone who is successful in drug dealing. Scooter talks about how he met Gucci Mane while he was making drug deals and was awarded βjugger of the yearβ for his dealing skills. He also asks everyone to respect the word jugg, which he considers his own. Gucci Mane, in his verse, talks about his own successful drug dealing business and how he can still remember the process like the A-B-Cβs. Fredo Santana talks about his own success as a jugg and the risks that come with it, including violence and robbery.
The chorus speaks about waking up in a βjuggland,β a house full of Mexicans who are involved in drug dealing. The phrase βmi casa su casaβ is used to invite people into this world of drugs and crime. The song also references well-known drug dealer Griselda Blanco and drug kingpin JoaquΓn βEl Chapoβ GuzmΓ‘n, emphasizing the songβs focus on drug dealing.
Overall, Jugg House is a song that glorifies drug dealing and the lifestyle associated with it. The lyrics describe the dangers and risks of jugging, but they still celebrate being successful in that world.
Line by Line Meaning
Young Chop on the beat
Acknowledging the producer of the song
My life is a jugg, my momma, she jugg
Life is full of hustles and struggles, even his mother is a hustler
I own the word jugg, juggs got me fooled
He has been hustling for so long that he can define the word 'jugg', but it has consumed him
Rest in peace to Lante, he died making the jugg
Paying tribute to a person who died while hustling
Free my nigga,Tay, he made sure, the whole hood good
Requesting the release of his friend who helped the community during his hustling days
I met my nigga Gucci Mane, I was making the jugg
He formed a bond with Gucci Mane while hustling together
They gave me jugger of the year cause I jugg so good
Won an award for being the best hustler
You can't jugg, jugg-man, I cut off your hand
No one can compete with him, anyone who tries will face consequences
I'll jugg you out your bands, and switch phones on your ass
Hustling skills are so good, he can trick someone out of their possessions and change phones without getting caught
I woke up in Juggland, what a great feeling
The joy he feels for being successful in his hustle
House full of Mexicans, nothing but drug dealing
Mexican laborers employed for drug dealing
Mi casa su casa Vato!, that's a jugg house
Informing everyone that they are welcome in their hustle place
RIP Griselda Blanco, that's a jugg house
Paying tribute to Griselda Blanco, a notorious drug lord
100 kilo, thank the chapo, that's a jugg house
Grateful for the big-time drug dealer Γngel BermΓΊdez, and that the house is dedicated to hustling
We got 18 carat fully autos at the jugg house
Possessing expensive weapons for protection while hustling
Mi casa su casa brotha
Reaffirming the house is open to everyone
No bother cook powder brotha
No need to deal with low purity drugs
We mix work like Spinderella
Mixing different types of drugs to increase profit, similar to how DJ Spinderella mixes songs
Black brick, white brick, salt and pepper
Different types of drugs
Yellow Maz and mozzarella
Different types of drugs
Shook house push three tons a day
A well-established hustle, pushing three tons of drug sales per day
While Molly sayin' who wanna get, we on the street but on the beat
While he is on drugs, he is still active in the streets and music industry
Ran off on him I used my feet, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat
Escaped from danger, comparing it to an athletic game
These Christian Lubs cost thirty-three
Designer shoes that cost a lot of money
That's thirteen times your twenty-three
The cost of his shoes compared to the age of another person
I still can cook the dope, remember the shit just like the A-B-C's
Able to cook drugs easily, as if reciting the alphabet
A-B-C, nigga, 1-2-3 - that 3-2-1 with a M-16
Referencing a cadence while handling weapons
Billion everyday, everyday's a jugg house
Constant hustling, making large sums of money daily
Juggin' everyday, gotta meet my plug
Hustling daily, and always in need of drugs
Hit the trap up, make sure my work is good
Checking on his hustle place to ensure everything runs smoothly
Run off with that work, get left in the woods
Anyone who steals his drugs will be abandoned in the wilderness
Finessin' you out your work, get robbed in my hood
He is proficient in conning people out of drugs and will steal from them in his neighborhood
Drivin' real dirty tryna make a couple juggs
Breaking traffic laws in order to make drug deals
30's and F-Ns all under my hood
Possession of high-powered weapons
Got my money all in my pocket
Carrying all his earnings in his pocket
You reach for it I'm poppin'
Anyone who tries to steal his money will be shot
Ballin' like those stuntin, shooters with me, they thirsty
Spending money flamboyantly, accompanied by trigger-happy people
They ain't miss shit, they murkin'
His shooters will not hesitate to kill their target
They hittin' shit on purpose
The shots fired are calculated and deliberate
I'm with Guwop, Scoot, and niggas nervous
Being in the presence of Gucci Mane and Young Scooter intimidates others
Hoes see my horses, your bitch want me, can't afford it
The expensive lifestyle attracts women, but they cannot keep up
Kill a nigga for my fortune, your bitch want me, can't afford it
Willing to kill anyone who poses a threat to his earnings
I'll kill a nigga for my fortune
He values his earnings more than people's lives
300 shit man
Reference to 300 Entertainment, a record label known for representing hip-hop artists
Contributed by Nicholas A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mark
This song is so underrated..
John cliff
Facts
Blaise
All the Trap House tapes are underrated. Shit Gucci himself is underrated overrated overrated.
BetosGarage
always a banger
G P
I'm playing this loud as fuck when I go to Mexico π²π½
MyNameIsRayRayy
Rip Fredo he had the best verse on here
Bossman Laflare
no
Chris
RIP Fredo but his verse on this was the lamest.
Marco Beats
They gave me jugga of the year cuz i jugg so good π―
Josh Zrapp
They gave Fredo trapper of the year cuz u know (WIPP)