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
Keep It Real
Gucci Mane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I could've been in prison with a hundred years
Yet I woke up in a mansion with two hundred mill' (huh)
Had to let go of the lean and get off the pills (the lean)
Cut a couple niggas off 'cause they didn't keep it real (fuck 'em)
My life is beautiful like Snoop Dogg and Pharrell (Pharrell)
Used to dream of livin' like that but now it's real (it's real)
Now I play this shit right, I retire with a bill' (a bill')
My car it cost two million, my watch cost a ticket (what the fuck?)
Worth a quarter billion now, and now I'm talkin' liquid (you lyin')
I'm hurtin' these haters feelings, mama said I'm gifted (my mama)
They say my label cursed, I guess the curse lifted (it's lifted)
My coupe an immigrant, it ain't even shipped (it's shipped)
I wired half a milli when it first was built (this shit built)
I never been a snitch, that's not how I was built (nah)
On a mission and I hop out, sweep the colored pill (pill)
Cut from a different cloth, this a whole 'nother quilt
I got so many whips, could start a dealership (a dealership)
They all delusional, I never needed them (fuck 'em)
I'm like the godfather, help the needy ones (the needy ones)
These niggas got no motion 'cause they greedy bums (they bums)
I slum valley alone, product of the slums (the 6)
They treat me like the don 'cause I'm one of the ones (the one)
You niggas don't shoot guns, y'all just bumpin' your gums
I could've been in prison with a hundred years
Yet I woke up in a mansion with two hundred mill' (huh)
Had to let go of the lean and get off the pills (the lean)
Cut a couple niggas off 'cause they didn't keep it real (fuck 'em)
My life is beautiful like Snoop Dogg and Pharrell (Pharrell)
Used to dream of livin' like that but now it's real (it's real)
Remember I was sellin' Ps like that rip for real (for real)
Now I play this shit right, I retire with a bill' (go)
Everyone obsessed with drillin', I don't wanna drill (nah)
Young nigga take it from me, that ain't how to live (live)
Used to have to make a sale just to pay the bills (damn)
I don't like to even reminisce, it give me chills (brr)
My car look like a fish out on land without the gills (woah)
My rims so tall, my lil' boy damn near can fit in the wheels (Ice)
Used to have to bring the cash, now I cut the cheque (cheque)
Used to wake up in a cell, now I'm on a jet (jet)
Used to have to pay to play with nowhere to stay (nowhere to stay)
Nigga keep lookin' for Ray, he done took the yay (pyoom)
I done stacked so many ms, I had to move away (I'm gone)
R.I.P. my daddy, he wouldn't put the booze away (R.I.P. my daddy)
I know we all gon' make mistakes, this shit make or break (a brick)
I spent a million dollars on it but still lost the case (what the fuck?)
I got a loyal fanbase, they won't go away (my fans)
These folks still listen to me, each and every single day (it's Gucci)
I could've been in prison with a hundred years
Yet I woke up in a mansion with two hundred mill' (huh)
Had to let go of the lean and get off the pills (the lean)
Cut a couple niggas off 'cause they didn't keep it real (fuck 'em)
My life is beautiful like Snoop Dogg and Pharrell (Pharrell)
Used to dream of livin' like that but now it's real (it's real)
Remember I was sellin' Ps like that rip for real (for real)
Now I play this shit right, I retire with a bill'
The song "Keep It Real" by Gucci Mane is a rap about the artist's success and the luxuries that come with it. The lyrics "That jump shot dough, my money go swish, swish, swish" compare his wealth to a basketball player making a successful shot. The rest of the song is a mix of bragging and speaking to his significant other about their shared success.
The line "Never been so fake, every time we back to back we break up" seems to imply that Gucci Mane has experienced false friendships or relationships in the past. He also references his money and cars throughout the song, indicating that he values material possessions. Overall, the lyrics of "Keep It Real" celebrate wealth and success while acknowledging the challenges that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Swish, swish
The sound of my money moving quickly
That jump shot
My financial success is akin to a successful basketball player's precision in shooting hoops
That jump shot dough
My wealth, like a jump shot, is consistent and reliable
My money go swish, swish, swish
I have a lot of money and it's moving quickly
I got stupid
I became wealthy in a way that defies all odds
Like a chicken poops
I have an abundance of wealth, like one would have an abundance of waste material from a chicken coop
Like' I 'ain't gonna do it right
Despite appearances, I know what I'm doing with my money
'but keep all my fingers
I am careful and strategic with my wealth
Yeah you can drive
My success has allowed me to elevate those around me
See my number one drive, she so amazing
My top priority and inspiration is my partner who inspires me to continue making money
...do not let to talk with strangers
I am cautious and mindful of who I associate with in order to protect my wealth
Push a line 'bout to me, and then we go on a road
Investments are strategic and planned in detail for future profit
Turning down'
I refuse to enter into bad business deals that could jeopardize my wealth
Girl we get that money
Together, with my partner, we work hard to make more money
Never been so fake
I am genuine in my achievements and success
Every time we back to back
Continual success and wins are my standard
'we brake up
Setbacks are bound to happen, but they don't define me
It's the theme line, with two loving
Money is the common thread that unites my loving relationship
You know I got that money '
I'm proud of my hard-earned wealth
Alright you say that I'm a rich
My wealth is recognized by others
With you girl driving
My partner is my co-pilot in my journey to financial success
Hit the silence chill, that's the harder part
Even with wealth, it's hard to find inner peace and quiet
Hit' em with ..
I'm impressing others with my wealth and success
That jump shot dought
My riches are consistent and reliable, like the reference to a jump shot
My money go like switch, switch
My wealth is constantly moving and growing
Lyrics Β© Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Radric Davis, Tiquon Pryor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Andrew Rogers
2020 still keeping it real lean in my coffee!!
Illusions
This song got no reason to be this hard damn gucci and zay the best
Suede Dial
2021 this still hitting π₯΅π₯΅π₯΅
Nick Softy
Gucci and zay together just legendary
droptop blo
Nick Softy Trap House 5 a classic
Galaxy Music
Miss this Gucci π₯²
Damian Perez
Still playing this 2020 π₯π₯π₯π₯πΉ
Torriano Ramsey
still a banger
Rinzo Ace of Spades
Still listening in 2018π₯π―π₯π―π₯
droptop blo
Larinzo Collins what about Writing on the wall 2