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.”
Make Love
Gucci Mane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wanna make love, love, love
King of the skreets
And when these suckas see me, they should bow to my feet
And kiss the ground underneath
I look down at the beef
That shit childish to me
And it's been sold out for weeks
Can't brush shoulders with me
These stones in my choker are 2 karats apiece
Look like boulders to me
Damn, who colder than me?
You think he colder than me?
You more bipolar than me
You talkin' crazy
I'm tryna book Beyoncé for my wedding day
I'm the type of nigga, spend a million on a wedding cake
Niggas hate, but hesitate
They hate to see ya elevate
I just left out the gym
I'm 'bout to take a swim and meditate
Woo!
Now it's time to celebrate
Ask me why I'm smilin'
I say, "'Cause I make two mil' a day"
And I might take your bitch and pay her bills
That's how I feel today
And I just wanna fuck
Don't wanna chill, that's how I feel today
I'm makin' money like I'm makin' sweet love
I wanna make love, love, love
She say the money make her wanna make love
Wanna make love, love, love, huh
Ay yo, ain't talkin' housewives, but I'm in the Porsche
First I'mma scorch her, then I'mma torch her
Then I'mma torture her, then I'mma off her
A million dollars for a show, they made their off-er
Go against Nicki, it's gon' cost ya
'Cause now it's fuck ya, intercourse ya
I rep Queens where they listen to a bunch of Nas
I'm a yes and these bitches is a bunch of nahs
Tryin' to win a gunfight with a bunch of knives
I win, get off the bench and give a bunch of fives
I don't see her
Bitch I'm the greatest, no Kendrick and no Sia
I'm the iPhone, you the Nokia
Everybody know you jealous, bitch it's so clear
Tell them bum ass bitches to play their role
She see my sexy ass every time she scroll
I got it in the can, Dole
Your career gon' be with Anna Nicole
Witcha dumbass face
She ain't eatin' but I swear she got some bum ass taste
Text her man like, "Dawg, how that bum ass taste?"
Pay your rent! And stay in your bum ass place
Oooohhh, oh you the qu-e-e-the queen of this here?
One platinum plaque, album flopped, bitch, where? (bitch, where?)
Hahaha, ahhhhh
I took two bars off just to laugh
You see, silly rabbit, to be the queen of rap
You gotta sell records, you gotta get plaques
S, plural like the S on my chest
Now sit your dumbass down
You got an F on your test
I'm makin' money like I'm makin' sweet love
I wanna make love, love, love
She say the money make her wanna make love
Wanna make love, love, love, huh
I love to see the money stack up
Hope that we don't ever, ever break up (up)
Wanna make love, love, love
In Gucci Mane's song Love, he expresses his desire to simply have sex without commitment. The opening lines of the song declare his intentions with the repetition of the phrase "wanna make love, love, love." Gucci boasts about his wealth and status in the music industry, referring to himself as the king of the streets. He claims that anyone who disagrees with his status should bow to him and kiss the ground beneath him. Gucci takes pride in his ability to sell out concerts, and his fans are willing to pay two hundred thousand dollars to see him perform.
Throughout the song, Gucci contrasts his luxurious lifestyle with his disdain for normal "beef" or arguments, which he describes as "childish." He also hints at his attraction to Beyoncé and his willingness to spend millions of dollars on a wedding cake. Gucci believes that he is the best rapper in the game and considers himself "colder" than any other artist. He compares himself to an iPhone, while his competition is a Nokia, emphasizing his status and superiority.
The second half of Love features rapper Nicki Minaj, who takes aim at fellow female rappers. Nicki raps about a hypothetical battle of gun versus knife and encourages other rappers to submit to her dominance by playing "their role." Nicki uses wordplay to belittle her competition by pointing out their failures in album sales and record plaques, emphasizing her own success. The song ends with a reference to money and the hope that the rapper and his lover can continue their no-strings-attached relationship without breaking up.
Line by Line Meaning
Uh, Gucci
Introducing himself and beginning the song.
Wanna make love, love, love
Expressing his desire to engage in physical intimacy with someone.
King of the skreets
Asserting his dominance over the streets and the people in them.
And when these suckas see me, they should bow to my feet
People should show deference and respect to him when they see him because of his status.
And kiss the ground underneath
He is so powerful and revered that people should even kiss the ground he walks on.
I look down at the beef
Conflict and negativity directed at him is beneath him and unworthy of his attention.
That shit childish to me
He views petty squabbles and arguments as immature and insignificant.
Two hundred thousand to see me
Asserting his value and the amount people are willing to pay to see him perform.
And it's been sold out for weeks
His popularity is evident through the fact that his shows sell out quickly.
Can't brush shoulders with me
He is so superior to others that they cannot even have a casual interaction with him.
These stones in my choker are 2 karats apiece
Showing off his wealth and the expensive jewelry he is wearing.
Look like boulders to me
The diamonds in his jewelry are so large that they resemble boulders.
Damn, who colder than me?
Rhetorically asking who can compete with his level of coolness and success.
You think he colder than me?
Asking someone who they think could be better than him.
You more bipolar than me
Accusing someone of being more erratic and unpredictable than he is.
You talkin' crazy
Someone is acting irrationally and Gucci finds it frustrating.
I'm tryna book Beyoncé for my wedding day
Expressing his desire to have Beyoncé perform at his wedding day since he is wealthy.
I'm the type of nigga, spend a million on a wedding cake
He is so wealthy that he can afford to spend millions of dollars on a cake for his wedding.
Niggas hate, but hesitate
People are jealous of him and his success, but are too afraid to truly act on it.
They hate to see ya elevate
People dislike seeing him become even more successful and rising up in the world.
I just left out the gym
He has been working out and improving himself physically.
I'm 'bout to take a swim and meditate
Relaxing after a workout and taking some time to clear his head.
Now it's time to celebrate
Finishing his workout and celebrating his accomplishments.
Ask me why I'm smilin'
Someone is curious as to why he is smiling and appearing happy.
I say, "'Cause I make two mil' a day"
Explaining that he is happy because he is making an enormous amount of money each day.
And I might take your bitch and pay her bills
He could potentially engage in a romantic/sexual relationship with someone else's significant other and pay their bills for them.
That's how I feel today
He feels like engaging in a casual sexual encounter and being generous with his money on the day he is singing this song.
I love to see the money stack up
He enjoys the sight of his wealth piling up and increasing.
Hope that we don't ever, ever break up (up)
Expressing his desire for his prosperity and success to continue indefinitely without interruption.
She say the money make her wanna make love
Another person is drawn to him because of his wealth.
Ay yo, ain't talkin' housewives, but I'm in the Porsche
He is driving a Porsche and referencing the television show 'Real Housewives.'
First I'mma scorch her, then I'mma torch her
He will first show her pleasure in a sexual encounter, then cause her pain and discomfort.
Then I'mma torture her, then I'mma off her
He will continue to cause her distress before finally ending the sexual relationship.
A million dollars for a show, they made their off-er
He is so sought after that people are offering him a million dollars to perform.
Go against Nicki, it's gon' cost ya
Warning people to not get on the bad side of Nicki Minaj or face negative consequences.
'Cause now it's fuck ya, intercourse ya
He does not have any positive feelings toward the people he is warning.
I rep Queens where they listen to a bunch of Nas
Referencing his hometown, Queens, and acknowledging the famed rapper Nas who is from the same area.
I'm a yes and these bitches is a bunch of nahs
Asserting himself as the affirmative answer while calling other women negative responses by comparison.
Tryin' to win a gunfight with a bunch of knives
People are foolishly trying to win a battle they cannot succeed in with their inferior tools.
I win, get off the bench and give a bunch of fives
He will succeed and triumph over anyone who tries to challenge him, then celebrate with his team.
I don't see her
He does not acknowledge or see someone potentially trying to compete with him.
Bitch I'm the greatest, no Kendrick and no Sia
He considers himself the best at what he does and does not need to be compared to anyone else, even musicians like Kendrick Lamar and Sia.
I'm the iPhone, you the Nokia
He is superior to others and they are not on the same level as him, comparing himself to the popular iPhone and others to the less popular Nokia.
Everybody know you jealous, bitch it's so clear
People are envious of him and he can tell it is apparent.
Tell them bum ass bitches to play their role
Advising people to stay in their place and not try to challenge him or others.
She see my sexy ass every time she scroll
Someone else is attracted to him and sees his pictures on social media.
I got it in the can, Dole
He has it under control and taken care of like a product from Dole, the food company.
Your career gon' be with Anna Nicole
Someone's career will end up being like Anna Nicole Smith's, the late model and actress who struggled with addiction and died at a young age.
Witcha dumbass face
Insulting the person he is addressing.
She ain't eatin' but I swear she got some bum ass taste
She does not have good judgement or taste even though she claims to be making good choices.
Text her man like, "Dawg, how that bum ass taste?"
Potentially causing drama by texting another person's significant other to question their choices.
Pay your rent! And stay in your bum ass place
Telling someone else to focus on paying bills and staying in their own lane rather than trying to challenge him or others.
One platinum plaque, album flopped, bitch, where?
Challenging someone else who only has one successful album to their name to show him where their career stands in comparison to his.
Hahaha, ahhhhh
Laughing and being satisfied with himself in how he has responded to someone else.
I took two bars off just to laugh
Noticing how he is so much better than others that he can even afford to take time off from rapping to laugh at them.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ONIKA TANYA MARAJ, RADRIC DELANTIC DAVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Rickby
Imagine laughing on a track and still being on beat... Nicki is some advanced species Jesus Christ
@rahoul9097
she really laughed!!! and went off. lord have mercy. and safed this track.
@nickithehajurukubarbie3474
Exactly🤞
@antoniamiguellecalzada3227
she slayed them, now i feel bad lmao,
@luffyist
LMFAOOO FOR REAL
@94hoi97
Right!!!
@nofrauds298
This will never get old, Nicki verse was full of metaphors,wordplay and entendres 🔥🔥🦄
@itskiaraooax3_
A army with sense
@colep.8330
😂 stop it was trash and corny
@ludginacadet3842
@cp productions no bitch u trash . fuck off