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.”
Let's Go To War
Gucci Mane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So I don't give a damn, we can still go to war
This AK, I have no license for
Well, I don't give a damn, you just started a war
Let's go to war, nigga. Yeah, mm mm.
Let's go to war, nigga. Yeah mm mm.
Let's go to war, oooh. Let's go to war.
I don't have to worry about bills and shit
It's been 28 years, never missed no meals
Cause everybody knows I'll steal some shit
East Atlanta niggas like to start that shit
Dem Bouldercrest road niggas kill ya quick
See I ain't have to pull my K out this year
But don't think I won't unload the clip
I been lettin' shit rock for a month or mo'
But now I'm finna show you who control the show
Glock .45 with extended clip
Comin' off the hip, I ain't ready to rip
Rapid blood loss so he startin' to drift
Light shining bright & he ready to dip
No ambulance, just cancel the trip
Cause his hos ain't got no money at the funeral here
This AR, I have no license for
Well I don't give a damn, we can still go to war
This AK, I have no license for
Well, I don't give a damn, you just started a war
Let's go to war, nigga. Yeah, mm mm.
Let's go to war, nigga. Yeah mm mm.
Let's go to war, oooh. Let's go to war.
I bought a sawed off shottie then I got me some bullets
Leave a hole in any nigga think he a bully, PUSSY.
I wouldn't run from a dog.
Glock .40 leave a dog ass stuck to the wall
Beat you wit a pistol tryna tear off yo arm
Chest shot close make you cough up a lung
Rum ba bum bum bad men come come
Bad man run cause I carry a gun
Which one of you muthafuckas be-a there? NONE.
Off witcha head and you heard what I said
Infrared dot long trey 57s, tech 9s, 22s and mac 11's
My goons got guns, nigga, we got weapons
And we got shots & we sho ain't selfish
My money straight, we can start armageddon
I got a machine gun so don't bring a machette
GUCCI!
This AR, I have no license for
But I don't give a damn, we can still go to war
This AK, I have no license for
But, I don't give a damn, you just started a war
Let's go to war, nigga. Yeah, mm mm.
Let's go to war, nigga. Yeah mm mm.
Let's go to war, oooh.
The lyrics of Gucci Mane's "Let's Go To War" depict a life of intimidation and violence. Gucci Mane begins the song by acknowledging that he has guns that he has no license for, indicating that he is willing to break the law to defend himself. He expresses his willingness to go to war and kill his enemies. The lyrics also suggest that Gucci Mane is rich - he doesn't have to worry about bills and can afford to buy illegal weapons. He boasts that he's been letting things slide for a month or more, but now it's time to take charge and show who's in control.
Gucci Mane continues his aggressive stance by describing the different types of guns and ammunition his crew has. They have everything from a sawed-off shotgun to a machine gun, and he warns his enemies not to bring a machete to a gunfight. The lyrics paint a picture of a man who is willing to use violence to solve his problems and who has the resources to back it up.
Overall, "Let's Go To War" is a song about power, control, and violence. It highlights the harsh realities of life on the streets and the lengths that some people will go to protect themselves and their interests.
Line by Line Meaning
This AR, I have no license for
Despite not having a license for this AR, I am willing to use it for warfare anyway.
So I don't give a damn, we can still go to war
The lack of license doesn't bother me - let's still go to war.
This AK, I have no license for
I have no license for this AK, but it won't stop me from fighting.
Well, I don't give a damn, you just started a war
The absence of license for this AK doesn't matter - you've already provoked a war.
Let's go to war, nigga. Yeah, mm mm.
I am excited and eager to engage in war.
Let's go to war, oooh. Let's go to war.
I am repeating my desire to start a war.
Maybe cause I sell X pills, my nig
Perhaps because I sell drugs, I don't need to worry about finances.
I don't have to worry about bills and shit
Given my steady cash flow, I don't need to be concerned with expenses.
It's been 28 years, never missed no meals
I have lived comfortably without ever going without a meal for 28 years.
Cause everybody knows I'll steal some shit
Others are aware that I am willing to commit acts of theft or crime if necessary.
East Atlanta niggas like to start that shit
People from East Atlanta are often the ones to instigate fights or conflicts.
Dem Bouldercrest road niggas kill ya quick
The people on Bouldercrest road are known to be quick to kill.
See I ain't have to pull my K out this year
So far this year, I haven't needed to use my gun.
But don't think I won't unload the clip
However, I am still capable and willing to use it if necessary.
I been lettin' shit rock for a month or mo'
I have been patiently waiting and observing for a month or more.
But now I'm finna show you who control the show
It's time to take charge and show who has the upper hand.
Glock .45 with extended clip
I am carrying a Glock .45 with an extended clip.
Comin' off the hip, I ain't ready to rip
I am carrying the gun off of my hip, but am not yet prepared to use it.
Rapid blood loss so he startin' to drift
The wound I inflicted on my opponent is causing him to lose blood quickly and become faint.
Light shining bright & he ready to dip
The victim is becoming faint as if he is getting ready to faint or leave.
No ambulance, just cancel the trip
There's no need to call an ambulance since the victim won't survive and his family can't afford the funeral.
Cause his hos ain't got no money at the funeral here
The victim's family and friends can't afford to pay for the funeral expenses.
I bought a sawed off shottie then I got me some bullets
I purchased a sawed off shotgun and ammunition.
Leave a hole in any nigga think he a bully, PUSSY.
I am capable of killing anyone who thinks they are tough.
I wouldn't run from a dog.
I am not afraid of any threats.
Glock .40 leave a dog ass stuck to the wall
My Glock .40 is so powerful that it can leave an attacker immobilized and stuck to a wall.
Beat you wit a pistol tryna tear off yo arm
I am willing to use a pistol to try and break someone's arm.
Chest shot close make you cough up a lung
A close-range chest shot can cause someone to cough up a lung.
Rum ba bum bum bad men come come
I am prepared to use violence to protect myself and my interests.
Bad man run cause I carry a gun
People know to run when they see me because they know I have a gun.
Which one of you muthafuckas be-a there? NONE.
No one will challenge me because they know I am dangerous.
Off witcha head and you heard what I said
I am threatening to kill anyone who challenges me.
Infrared dot long trey 57s, tech 9s, 22s and mac 11's
I have access to various dangerous weapons.
My goons got guns, nigga, we got weapons
I have other people who are willing to fight beside me and who have access to weapons.
And we got shots & we sho ain't selfish
We have enough ammunition to share and are not selfish with it.
My money straight, we can start armageddon
I have plenty of money, and am willing to start a catastrophic conflict.
I got a machine gun so don't bring a machette
I am well equipped and can easily overpower those who bring less dangerous weapons.
GUCCI!
This line serves as a signature sign-off by the artist.
Contributed by Nathaniel O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@RobLaFlare
This will always and forever be one of the best Gucci classics.
@reyesfargas4021
Zaytoven need a award
@TimmyDahitman
facts
@LaytDaMage33
Who else still bumpin gucci 2008-2009 shit period?
@TheKenny0830
deffly on that shit like everyday
@DJzSith
Everyday my nigga.
@kylegoldberg
never gets old
@KeepItGank
Throwback gucci is the best gucci
@terentinodosh8053
me
@quiet_guy9772
I miss the old Gucci but I'm glad to see him waking up frfr