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.”
Lets Do It
Gucci Mane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Work the night, Pooh work the day shift
On South Beach, I'm in my spaceship
And I got more jewelry than Jacob (bling)
Haters sick, they doin' clap moves (damn)
Might as well just call the Jake up (huh)
In their feelings, not their bag (well, damn)
Just like a bitch, they need some make-up (woah)
Head chopped on him, got a tape up (baow)
I'm so picky, on my Vicky (yeah)
Shoot your funeral and wake up
Watch who you be screamin', "Free"
Sometimes their paperwork don't match up (free)
I'm a hustler and a robber, pray my crew never get captured
Ball like the Toronto Raptors, major player, indie label
Smokin' flavor, Garcia Vega, opps, yeah, that's my favorite flavor (well, damn)
Yeah, my daddy named me Gucci (pops)
But my mama named me Radric (mom)
But I named my crew So Icy (icy)
Then I put that on my bracelet (it's Gucci)
And it ain't no playin' games
Nigga, knowin' that we step
I can't change on my gang
These niggas know just what I rep
You know how we do it, nigga (do it nigga)
You know I ain't cool with niggas (cool with niggas)
You slidin', then prove it, nigga (prove it nigga)
No hidin', we shoot at niggas (shoot at niggas)
Load the clip, we're tryna shoot us a movie
Turn the swimmin' pool into a jacuzzi
Signed to Gucci, now I'm dodgin' the groupies
So official, niggas know how we do it
Know how we movin'
Had to bust down my necklace (brr)
Top tier, bitches know that I'm special (brr)
First nigga out the hood with a deal (ayy, ayy)
So I know I gotta keep me a weapon
Ayy, big automatics for all my opps, I'd really hate to be 'em
Brung 'em out just to get killed, I guess that means I paid to see 'em (can't wait to see 'em)
My shooters startin', they didn't come off the bench, these ain't no Jeremy Lins (no Jeremy Lins)
Gucci sealed the deal, now nothin' but blue check hoes in my DMs (hoes in my DMs)
My lil' Brooklyn ho too trained to go, keep my Glock in her Timbs (keep it in her Timbs)
Screamin', "Free Hank" ain't gon' work, now he out, what you gon' give him? (Ho, what you gon' give 'em)
I keep Chopper ridin' with me, can't name no young nigga more brazy than him (no nigga can see 'em)
Ayy, this Glock can chop a tree, bitch, you can't pay me to do an attempt (no attempts)
I use the red key for my SRT, press the gas in my Yeezy boots (skrrt, skrrt-skrrt)
Ayy, it ain't no pullin' over for the Jake, bitch, we do high pursuit
Don't ask to join my gang, it ain't no way, we don't do no recruitin' (it ain't no comin' home)
If we five deep and you sittin' in the middle, you ain't got no business shootin' (brr)
And there ain't no playin' games
Nigga, knowin' that we step
I can't change on my gang
These niggas know just what I rep
You know how we do it, nigga (do it nigga)
You know I ain't cool with niggas (cool with niggas)
You slidin', then prove it, nigga (prove it nigga)
No hidin', we shoot at niggas (shoot at niggas)
Load the clip, we tryna shoot us a movie
Turn the swimmin' pool into a jacuzzi
Signed to Gucci, now I'm dodgin' the groupies
So official, niggas know how we do it
Know how we movin'
Had to bust down my necklace
Top tier, bitches know that I'm special
First nigga out the hood with a deal
So I know I gotta keep me a weapon
In "Let's Do It," Gucci Mane is boasting about his lavish lifestyle, including expensive jewelry, a South Beach spaceship, and a crew named So Icy. He also emphasizes the importance of loyalty to his gang and his readiness to take on anyone who tries to come in between them. The chorus, "And there ain't no playin' games, Nigga, knowing that we step, I can't change on my gang, These niggas know just what I rep," reinforces this message of loyalty.
The lyrics are a reflection of Gucci Mane's life and experiences in Atlanta's rap scene. He talks about the struggle of coming from the hood and getting his big break, signing a deal and dodging groupies. The name "Gucci" comes from his father's nickname and "Radric" is his given name from his mother. The chorus is repeated several times in the song, giving it a catchy, repetitive flow that has become a signature style for the rapper.
The song also features Gorilla Zoe, who adds his own verse about the importance of staying strapped with weapons and being ready for anything. With its heavy, bass-heavy beat and street vernacular, "Let's Do It" is a classic club banger that exemplifies the trap music subgenre.
Line by Line Meaning
I freeze the same bitch, I'm a glacier (brr)
I am so cold-hearted and have such a strong presence in the industry that I can freeze anyone who tries to challenge me.
Work the night, Pooh work the day shift
My team and I work around the clock, with someone always on the grind to keep things moving.
On South Beach, I'm in my spaceship
I am living the high life, enjoying the luxury and excess of my success.
And I got more jewelry than Jacob (bling)
I have so much wealth that I can afford more extravagant and expensive jewelry than even a famous jeweler like Jacob.
Haters sick, they doin' clap moves (damn)
My haters may be trying to bring me down, but their efforts are pathetic and ineffective.
Might as well just call the Jake up (huh)
My haters are so desperate that they might as well just call the police on me to try and stop my success.
In their feelings, not their bag (well, damn)
My haters are too caught up in their own emotions and jealousies to focus on their own success and wealth.
Just like a bitch, they need some make-up (woah)
My haters are so fake and insecure that they need to cover up their own flaws and weaknesses like a woman applying makeup.
Like a ho after a break-up (ho)
My haters are acting desperate and promiscuous, like a woman who has just gone through a breakup.
Head chopped on him, got a tape up (baow)
I am so dangerous that I can decapitate anyone who challenges me and leave them with their head taped back on as a warning to others.
I'm so picky, on my Vicky (yeah)
I have high standards and am very selective about who I associate with, like one would be with a significant other named Vicky.
Shoot your funeral and wake up
I am so deadly that I could kill someone and then attend their funeral without being caught.
Watch who you be screamin', "Free"
Be careful who you advocate for to be freed from prison, as they may not be innocent or deserving of your support.
Sometimes their paperwork don't match up (free)
Even when people claim to be innocent and wrongly imprisoned, their legal documents and records may not match up with their claims.
I'm a hustler and a robber, pray my crew never get captured
I am involved in illegal activities such as hustling and robbery, and I hope that my associates never get caught by law enforcement.
Ball like the Toronto Raptors, major player, indie label
I am succeeding at a high level, like the Toronto Raptors in basketball, and I am doing so as a major player in the independent music label scene.
Smokin' flavor, Garcia Vega, opps, yeah, that's my favorite flavor (well, damn)
I enjoy smoking cigars, specifically the Garcia Vega brand, even when my enemies may try to use this to mock me.
Yeah, my daddy named me Gucci (pops)
My father gave me the name Gucci as my birth name.
But my mama named me Radric (mom)
My mother gave me the name Radric as my birth name.
But I named my crew So Icy (icy)
I have named my loyal group of associates and friends So Icy to reflect their devotion and trustworthiness.
Then I put that on my bracelet (it's Gucci)
I have even had a bracelet made to show my affiliation with and pride in my So Icy crew.
And there ain't no playin' games
I am serious about my success and will not let anyone get in my way or try to bring me down.
Nigga, knowin' that we step
People are aware that my team and I are always taking steps to move forward and achieve our goals.
I can't change on my gang
I am loyal to my So Icy crew and will always have their back.
These niggas know just what I rep
Everyone knows what I stand for and represents, especially my enemies who may try to challenge me.
You know how we do it, nigga (do it nigga)
Everyone knows how we function and operate, especially when it comes to achieving success and overcoming challenges.
You know I ain't cool with niggas (cool with niggas)
I am not friendly or cooperative with anyone who does not have my back or is not loyal to my crew.
You slidin', then prove it, nigga (prove it nigga)
If someone is trying to challenge me or my crew, then they better be ready to back up their claims with extreme actions.
No hidin', we shoot at niggas (shoot at niggas)
We are not afraid to confront or attack our enemies head-on, using deadly force if necessary.
Load the clip, we tryna shoot us a movie
We are ready to engage in a deadly confrontation, which could become a story or movie-like experience.
Turn the swimmin' pool into a jacuzzi
We live a lavish lifestyle and are always looking for ways to enjoy our wealth and success, even in our own backyard.
Signed to Gucci, now I'm dodgin' the groupies
Now that I am signed to Gucci Mane's record label, I have to be careful around girls who are trying to use me for my new found success and fame.
So official, niggas know how we do it
Everyone is aware of how serious, dedicated, and well-connected my team is when it comes to achieving our goals and succeeding in the industry.
Know how we movin'
People can see how we are always making moves and adapting to new challenges and opportunities to succeed.
Had to bust down my necklace (brr)
I had to spend a lot of money to get a custom necklace made with diamonds and other precious stones, reflecting my wealth and status.
Top tier, bitches know that I'm special (brr)
I am highly regarded and respected by women, who understand how unique and successful I am in the industry.
First nigga out the hood with a deal (ayy, ayy)
I was the first person from my neighborhood to land a record deal, which is a huge accomplishment and source of pride for me.
So I know I gotta keep me a weapon
I am aware of the dangers and risks in the industry, and I always carry a weapon to protect myself and my crew from harm or danger.
Ayy, big automatics for all my opps, I'd really hate to be 'em
I have powerful and deadly weapons to use against my enemies, and I enjoy watching them suffer and fail in their challenges to my success.
Brung 'em out just to get killed, I guess that means I paid to see 'em (can't wait to see 'em)
I have brought out my enemies in order to kill them, which demonstrates just how much they are worth to me and how much I want to see them gone.
My shooters startin', they didn't come off the bench, these ain't no Jeremy Lins (no Jeremy Lins)
My team is made up of highly skilled and specialized individuals who are always ready to engage in deadly conflict, and they are not benchwarmers or bench players like Jeremy Lin.
Gucci sealed the deal, now nothin' but blue check hoes in my DMs (hoes in my DMs)
Now that I am signed to Gucci Mane's label, I have found success and fame, and I am receiving many direct messages on social media from famous, verified women who want to be with me.
My lil' Brooklyn ho too trained to go, keep my Glock in her Timbs (keep it in her Timbs)
Even my female associates and friends are trained and ready to engage in deadly conflict to protect me, and they will carry a weapon like a Glock in their boots if necessary.
Screamin', "Free Hank" ain't gon' work, now he out, what you gon' give him? (Ho, what you gon' give 'em)
People who are advocating for the release of someone from prison using the phrase "Free Hank" will not be successful, as Hank is already out of prison, which leaves them with no real demands or actions to get what they want in return.
I keep Chopper ridin' with me, can't name no young nigga more brazy than him (no nigga can see 'em)
I always have my weapon, a Chopper, with me, and I am confident that there are no other young men in the industry who are as reckless and dangerous as me and my team.
Ayy, this Glock can chop a tree, bitch, you can't pay me to do an attempt (no attempts)
My Glock is so powerful that it could chop down a tree, and no one could pay me enough to even attempt to use it in anything other than self-defense or protection.
I use the red key for my SRT, press the gas in my Yeezy boots (skrrt, skrrt-skrrt)
I use a special key to start my SRT car, and I even have special Yeezy boots to wear while I am driving it and speeding off quickly (making a skrrt sound).
Ayy, it ain't no pullin' over for the Jake, bitch, we do high pursuit
If the police try to pull us over, we will not stop and will instead engage in a high-speed pursuit to evade them.
Don't ask to join my gang, it ain't no way, we don't do no recruitin' (it ain't no comin' home)
People cannot simply ask to join my So Icy crew, as we do not recruit new members easily or without a thorough vetting process (and once you're in, you cannot leave).
If we five deep and you sittin' in the middle, you ain't got no business shootin' (brr)
If someone is riding with my team and is in the middle seat of the car, they have no business using a weapon or attempting to engage in any sort of confrontation or violence, as they are not as well-equipped or well-positioned as my other associates.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Elijah Best, Jordan Hawkins, Lontrell Wiliams, Radric Davis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind