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.”
Met Gala
Gucci Mane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Southside
Wizop
Offset
If Young Metro don't trust you, I'm gon' shoot you
Woo
Mil' in a week
Yeah, playin' for keeps (keeps)
Suck a dick gang, she a leech (leech)
Came in the game with a key (key)
My pockets blew up, Monique (Monique)
Ooh, she got that perfect physique (ooh)
I'll tape a brick to her cheeks
Now that I'm gettin' this money
I'm fuckin' these thotties, they tryna get come up (come up)
This a good week, I been stackin' up Ms
And I'm snatchin' that Wraith in the mornin' (Wraith)
I was that nigga locked up in the cell
And they treated me like I was normal (normal)
Thankin' the Lord for the blessings
I just left the Met Gala dressin' up formal (formal)
Look at my boogers, they big as you (booger)
You could get shot with your nigga too
This stick make a nigga do boogaloo (brr)
Bentley Mulsanne but the seats masseuse
I'm havin' more stripes than Adidas Boost (havin' that)
Dick in her mouth like I'm edible (dickin' that)
Nigga start shootin', you better move (brr)
I fight for my gang, I won't let 'em lose (gang)
Your bitch, she wantin' the pipe, aight
This shit all started off likes
Hopped in my DM and rode me a kite, flight (yeah)
And she on the very first flight
Finesse a nigga then get this shit right
Sight, right, nigga, goodnight (sight)
Poppin' that shit 'cause he thinkin' he pipe, pipe
Hunnid rounds drum with the knife (brr)
Me and the Wop, Biggie and Pac (Wop)
But we so different, we keepin' the Glock (bow)
I'm on a yacht and a yacht on my watch (yacht)
Fuckin' a thot on the ocean, Dubai
I'mma play dumb but that's see out the plot (plot)
She know what I'm 'bout
You hit this dope and your heart gonna stop (hey)
They callin' the cops (twelve)
Hop on the jet, this a twenty passenger (jet)
Offset the mania, I'm the massacre (hey)
I take your heart out and shoot your bladder up (agh)
Get to the top and we blew the ladder up (top)
Ran up my money and I'm talkin' lateral (bang)
Had that bitch high off a Perc and Adderall (high)
Pull out the fire and you better grab it all (brrr)
Bitch, I'm Offset and I'm 'bout to set it off (hey, hey)
Mil' in a week
I bought a iced out Phillipe (ice)
Yeah, playin' for keeps (keeps)
Suck a dick gang, she a leech (leech)
Came in the game with a key (key)
My pockets blew up, Monique (Monique)
Ooh, she got that perfect physique (ooh)
I'll tape a brick to her cheeks
Now that I'm gettin' this money
I'm fuckin' these thotties, they tryna get come up (come up)
This a good week, I been stackin' up Ms
And I'm snatchin' that Wraith in the mornin' (Wraith)
I was that nigga locked up in the cell
And they treated me like I was normal (normal)
Thankin' the Lord for the blessings
I just left the Met Gala dressin' up formal (formal)
I'm havin' this shit what you hadn't
Showin' respect like your daddy
Yeah, Gucci the man, cash in the caddy
I just woke up in a palace
I did a walk through, I'm in Dallas, man
Flew in two bitches from Cali
These Bs on me, I can barely
They drunk and they just walkin' barely
I'm headed to Paris to pick up a bag
And they treat me like one of the Jacksons
These niggas ain't trippin', ain't makin' transactions
A nigga rob you, he be practicing
Four bitches all tryna swallow this
I feel like I'm fightin' an octopus
Thought it was killers, camped out in my bushes
Then come to find out it's photographers
Feds watch me with binoculars
Mad 'cause a nigga gettin' popular
Flex on a hoe wanna lock me up
Drop Top Wop when the top is low
Negative turn to a positive
I don't care nuttin' 'bout no obstacles
I could care less 'bout the bloggers, boy
80k stuffed in my joggers, boy (eighty ball)
Mil' in a week
I bought a iced out Phillipe (ice)
Yeah, playin' for keeps (keeps)
Suck a dick gang, she a leech (leech)
Came in the game with a key (key)
My pockets blew up, Monique (Monique)
Ooh, she got that perfect physique (ooh)
I'll tape a brick to her cheeks
Now that I'm gettin' this money
I'm fuckin' these thotties, they tryna get come up (come up)
This a good week, I been stackin' up Ms
And I'm snatchin' that Wraith in the mornin' (Wraith)
I was that nigga locked up in the cell
And they treated me like I was normal (normal)
Thankin' the Lord for the blessings
I just left the Met Gala dressin' up formal (formal)
The lyrics to Gucci Mane's song "Met Gala" feature the artist reflecting on his recent successes and increasing wealth. He boasts of his newfound financial freedom, having made a million dollars in a week, as well as his lavish lifestyle, referencing designer brands like Philippe and Bentley. Throughout the song, Gucci emphasizes his rejection of those who try to take advantage of him or his gains, calling out "suck a dick gang" and "leech" behavior.
At the same time, the artist remains humble, recalling the time he spent in prison and highlighting the use of drugs and sex in his life as a way to cope with his struggles along the way. He expresses gratitude for the blessings he has received and the opportunities that have come with his success. The title of the song, "Met Gala," serves as a reference to this aspect of his life, as the annual event is well-known among celebrities and the elite for its extravagance and exclusivity.
Overall, the lyrics to "Met Gala" present a complex picture of Gucci Mane's current situation and mindset, showcasing both his confidence and his vulnerabilities.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey
Greetings or acknowledgment
Southside
Referring to the Southside region or neighborhood
Wizop
Nickname or alter ego of Gucci Mane
Offset
Name of a rapper featured in the song
If Young Metro don't trust you, I'm gon' shoot you
If the producer Young Metro does not trust someone, Gucci Mane will take action against them
Woo
Exclamation of excitement or enthusiasm
Mil' in a week
Making a million dollars in a week
I bought a iced out Phillipe (ice)
Purchasing an expensive iced-out watch from the brand Phillipe
Yeah, playin' for keeps (keeps)
Engaging in serious and competitive actions to maintain success
Suck a dick gang, she a leech (leech)
Insulting a group of people who are parasitic or clingy
Came in the game with a key (key)
Entered the industry with influence and power
My pockets blew up, Monique (Monique)
Having a significant amount of money, referring to comedian Monique's catchphrase 'I coulda been your cellmate'
Ooh, she got that perfect physique (ooh)
Praising a woman's attractive and physically appealing body
I'll tape a brick to her cheeks
Putting drugs (brick) inside a woman's mouth (cheeks)
Now that I'm gettin' this money
Since Gucci Mane is now successful and wealthy
I'm fuckin' these thotties, they tryna get come up (come up)
Engaging in sexual encounters with promiscuous women who are seeking personal gain
This a good week, I been stackin' up Ms
Having a profitable week, accumulating large sums of money (Ms)
And I'm snatchin' that Wraith in the mornin' (Wraith)
Acquiring a luxurious Rolls-Royce Wraith early in the day
I was that nigga locked up in the cell
Referring to the experience of being incarcerated
And they treated me like I was normal (normal)
Being treated as if he was just an ordinary person while incarcerated
Thankin' the Lord for the blessings
Expressing gratitude to God for the good things in life
I just left the Met Gala dressin' up formal (formal)
Attending the prestigious Met Gala and dressing formally for the event
Look at my boogers, they big as you (booger)
Boasting about the size of his expensive and luxurious items
You could get shot with your nigga too
Imposing a threat that both the person being addressed and their associates could get shot
This stick make a nigga do boogaloo (brr)
Using a gun (stick) to intimidate people into submission or fear
Bentley Mulsanne but the seats masseuse
Referring to the luxurious Bentley Mulsanne car with seats that have massage capabilities
I'm havin' more stripes than Adidas Boost (havin' that)
Having more credibility, success, or status than Adidas Boost sneaker stripes
Dick in her mouth like I'm edible (dickin' that)
Engaging in sexual activities with a woman
Nigga start shootin', you better move (brr)
Warning someone to take evasive action when gunshots start
I fight for my gang, I won't let 'em lose (gang)
Being loyal and protective towards his crew or group
Your bitch, she wantin' the pipe, aight
Referring to a woman who desires sexual intercourse
This shit all started off likes
The origin or beginning of something, potentially related to social media likes
Hopped in my DM and rode me a kite, flight (yeah)
Someone interacted with him on social media and messaged him
And she on the very first flight
Referring to a woman joining him on a trip, possibly on a private jet
Finesse a nigga then get this shit right
Using cunning and manipulation to achieve a favorable outcome
Sight, right, nigga, goodnight (sight)
Expressing superiority or dominance over someone
Poppin' that shit 'cause he thinkin' he pipe, pipe
Someone is acting arrogantly or boastfully
Hunnid rounds drum with the knife (brr)
Possessing a firearm with a large ammunition capacity and a knife as backup
Me and the Wop, Biggie and Pac (Wop)
Referring to themselves as a legendary and influential duo like Biggie and Pac
But we so different, we keepin' the Glock (bow)
Though they may be unique, they are still armed with guns
I'm on a yacht and a yacht on my watch (yacht)
Being on a luxurious yacht while wearing a watch with yacht-related designs
Fuckin' a thot on the ocean, Dubai
Engaging in sexual activities with a promiscuous woman while in a high-end location like Dubai
I'mma play dumb but that's see out the plot (plot)
Acting ignorant or unaware while secretly understanding the plan or situation
She know what I'm 'bout
A woman understands his intentions or lifestyle
You hit this dope and your heart gonna stop (hey)
Warning that using drugs can have severe consequences, including death
They callin' the cops (twelve)
Referring to law enforcement being alerted or called
Hop on the jet, this a twenty passenger (jet)
Boarding a private jet that accommodates twenty people
Offset the mania, I'm the massacre (hey)
Offset is causing chaos or excitement, and Gucci Mane is responsible for destruction or domination
I take your heart out and shoot your bladder up (agh)
Figuratively claiming dominance over someone by emotionally damaging and physically harming them
Get to the top and we blew the ladder up (top)
Achieving success and burning any bridges or connections that could lead back to a lower position
Ran up my money and I'm talkin' lateral (bang)
Increasing his wealth significantly in a short period of time
Had that bitch high off a Perc and Adderall (high)
Causing a woman to be intoxicated or affected by drugs like Percocet and Adderall
Pull out the fire and you better grab it all (brrr)
Taking advantage of a situation or opportunity effectively and efficiently
Bitch, I'm Offset and I'm 'bout to set it off (hey, hey)
Asserting dominance and intention to cause a scene or commotion
I'm havin' this shit what you hadn't
Experiencing or possessing things that others have not had the opportunity to
Showin' respect like your daddy
Displaying admiration or deference similar to that of a father
Yeah, Gucci the man, cash in the caddy
Gucci Mane is successful and wealthy, carrying cash in a Cadillac
I just woke up in a palace
Waking up in a luxurious and opulent residence
I did a walk through, I'm in Dallas, man
Participating in a promotional appearance or performance in the city of Dallas
Flew in two bitches from Cali
Arranging for two women to be flown in from California
These Bs on me, I can barely
Having designer brands or valuable items on his person
They drunk and they just walkin' barely
Being intoxicated and struggling to walk properly
I'm headed to Paris to pick up a bag
Going to Paris to acquire a significant amount of money
And they treat me like one of the Jacksons
Being treated with the same level of fame and respect as the Jackson family
These niggas ain't trippin', ain't makin' transactions
Other men are not concerned or occupied with making money or business deals
A nigga rob you, he be practicing
If someone robs Gucci Mane, they have most likely been practicing their criminal skills
Four bitches all tryna swallow this
Four women are competing to engage in sexual activities with him
I feel like I'm fightin' an octopus
Facing multiple challenges or obstacles simultaneously, similar to fighting an octopus's many arms
Thought it was killers, camped out in my bushes
Believing that dangerous individuals were hiding or waiting outside his property
Then come to find out it's photographers
Discovering that the people lurking outside were actually photographers
Feds watch me with binoculars
Being under surveillance by federal authorities using binoculars
Mad 'cause a nigga gettin' popular
People becoming envious or upset because Gucci Mane is gaining popularity
Flex on a hoe wanna lock me up
Flaunting his success and wealth, causing jealousy or animosity towards him
Drop Top Wop when the top is low
Driving a convertible car with the top down
Negative turn to a positive
Converting a negative situation into a positive one
I don't care nuttin' 'bout no obstacles
Having a dismissive attitude towards obstacles or challenges
I could care less 'bout the bloggers, boy
Having complete indifference or lack of concern for online bloggers or critics
80k stuffed in my joggers, boy (eighty ball)
Having a large amount of money (80k) hidden in his baggy pants (joggers)
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Reservoir Media Management, Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Joshua Howard Luellen, Kiari Kendrell Cephus, Leland Tyler Wayne, Radric Davis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@trevellll
"I'm Offset and I'm bout to set it off" 🔥🔥🔥
@ChefLyrics
ItzTrevell bitchhh
@StuAshe
Harddddd 🔥
@djhoodieKe
Its 5-6 yrs now, but this song still hits harder than new💯
@joepa-zu6ho
Wait a minute.
This song is 6 years old?
Tf….
Found this song a couple of weeks ago.
I expected crazy costumes in this video. Disappointing!
@yovngrahhh
@@joepa-zu6hoyes. Lol
@BonzerMrT
Offset just bodied this song
@danji405
4r
@JamAl-iw9yw
Straight fax
@Jim57585
Offset's rapping has medical benefits for me. Boosts my dopamine and serotonin every morning, more than my meds... keep making good music bro