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.”
My Chain
Gucci Mane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I Came To Da Club Just To Floss My Chain Mane Catched Another Charge And I'm Going To The Chain Gang Oh I Think I'm Icy Sold A Hundred Thou Eating Bologna Selling White Streaks don't You See How Bright It Is City Girls And Country Girls Be Telling Me How Tight It Is These Girls They Be Choosey Diamonds Be So Sparkly They Think My Chain Was Moving My Chain Is Off The Chain Stacked Up Me Some Money Budged It Off And Bought A Chain Check The Way My Chain Hang Gucci I don't Gang Bang All I Do Is Chain Swang
[Chorus x2]
Gucci You Be Shining Gucci You Be Shining Man Gone Turn Me On Dog Tell Me Who Your Chain Man My Girlfriend Acting Lame She Say I'm Acting Different Just Because I Got This Chain Haters Get Your Hating On When They See Them Yellow Stones Holla At Cha Later On My Chain Hang To My Shoe String Like My Watch And Ring But I Know You Love My Chain My Chain Hang To My Ding-A-Ling I Do My Thug Thing When I'm In The Club Mane When You Heard So Icy You Thought Of Gucci Mane I Got That Stupid Money So I Bought A Stupid Chain
In this song, Gucci Mane boasts about his extravagant gold chain and how it is a symbol of his wealth and status. He repeats the phrase "My Chain" numerous times in the chorus to emphasize its importance and catchiness. He describes how he goes to clubs just to show off his chain and how city and country girls are amazed by it. He also mentions how he sold drugs to earn money to purchase the chain and how it is the reason for his recent charge, which will send him to the "chain gang." Gucci makes it clear to his listeners that he doesn't gang bang, he just likes to show off his chain.
This song is an example of Gucci Mane's trap music style, which became very popular in the late 2000s and early 2010s. The lyrics focus on topics like drug dealing, criminal activity, and material possessions, which are common themes in trap music. The repetitive nature of the chorus and the catchy melody make it a popular song in clubs and at parties. It is also interesting to note that Gucci Mane references his previous hit song "So Icy" and how it is a famous example of trap music.
Line by Line Meaning
My Chain My Chain don't You Like My Chain Mane
I am proud of my chain and want to show it off to everyone. Do you like my chain?
Young Gucci Mane And I'm Poppin Off The Chain Mane
I am a young man named Gucci Mane and my chain is so impressive that it catches everyone's attention.
And My Jacob Is So Fruity Call Me Gucci Mane Or You Call Me Gucci Gucci
My expensive watch, or Jacob, is so flashy and colorful that it gives me a nickname. You can call me Gucci Mane, or just Gucci for short.
I Came To Da Club Just To Floss My Chain Mane
I came to the club specifically to show off my chain and make sure everyone sees it.
Catched Another Charge And I'm Going To The Chain Gang
Unfortunately, I have been arrested again and will be sent to prison with the other inmates in the chain gang.
Oh I Think I'm Icy Sold A Hundred Thou Eating Bologna Selling White Streaks
I think I am really rich and successful, having sold 100,000 records while being poor enough to only afford to eat bologna. I also sold cocaine to make ends meet.
don't You See How Bright It Is
Have you noticed how shiny and eye-catching my chain is?
City Girls And Country Girls Be Telling Me How Tight It Is
Girls from both the city and the countryside compliment me on how great my chain looks.
These Girls They Be Choosey Diamonds Be So Sparkly
Women are very selective about the men they choose to be with, but they can't resist the sparkle of diamonds, like those on my chain.
They Think My Chain Was Moving
The diamonds on my chain sparkle and shine so much that people think it's moving or flickering.
My Chain Is Off The Chain
My chain is so amazing that it surpasses all expectations and is simply the best.
Stacked Up Me Some Money Budged It Off And Bought A Chain
I saved up a lot of money and decided to spend it all on buying an expensive chain.
Check The Way My Chain Hang
Look at how well my chain is displayed and how it hangs on my neck.
Gucci I don't Gang Bang All I Do Is Chain Swang
I don't belong to a particular gang or group, I just love to show off my chain and wear it with pride.
Gucci You Be Shining Gucci You Be Shining Man
People notice and compliment me on how flashy and sparkly my chain is.
Gone Turn Me On Dog Tell Me Who Your Chain Man
My chain is so impressive that it catches people's attention and makes them want to know where and from whom I got it.
My Girlfriend Acting Lame She Say I'm Acting Different Just Because I Got This Chain
My girlfriend is acting strange and distant, claiming that I have changed since getting my chain and that it has gone to my head.
Haters Get Your Hating On When They See Them Yellow Stones Holla At Cha Later On
People who dislike me or are jealous of my success and flashy chain can express their opinions now, but I won't pay them any mind.
My Chain Hang To My Shoe String Like My Watch And Ring
My chain is so long that it hangs down to my shoe laces, just like my watch and ring also attract attention.
But I Know You Love My Chain My Chain Hang To My Ding-A-Ling
I know that everyone loves my chain too, even though it might seem excessive and over the top to some. It even hangs down to my waistline!
I Do My Thug Thing When I'm In The Club Mane
Even though I am flashy and stylish, I remain tough and intimidating when I am out and about.
When You Heard So Icy You Thought Of Gucci Mane
My music is so well-known and successful that whenever someone hears the song So Icy, they immediately think of me, Gucci Mane.
I Got That Stupid Money So I Bought A Stupid Chain
I have so much money that it might seem senseless to some, but I used it to buy a really expensive and flashy chain, just to show off my wealth and success.
[Chorus x2]
The chorus of the song repeats twice.
Lyrics © Ultra Tunes
Written by: XAVIER DOTSON, RADRIC DAVIS, CHRISTOPHER RAMSEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind