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 Hood
Gucci Mane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's my hood, nigga, that's my hood
Glenwood to Grountry Road, that's my hood
That's my hood, nigga, that's my hood
Rolla 1st to flat show, nigga that's my hood
That's my hood, nigga, that's my hood
I can't forget Counter Road, that's my hood
Gangsta biddin' everybody coppin'
Niggas walkin' out wit bags like they goin' shoppin'
I'm on tha PlayStation, playin' Grand Thief
I had a 100 bricks I got 3 left
Shootin' see lows middle of tha day
I bet a 100 grand, da nigga iced away
5:45 in tha afternoon
98 degrees and it's tha 1st of June
Niggas goin' in, niggas gettin' out
Everybody strap and they griped out
12:00 on tha dot, midnight
Bet 50 grand on a pit fight
6:43 and I'm wakin' up
Cookin' cocaine and it's cakin' up
9:00 on da dot, rush hour
First you get the money then you get the power
East Atlanta Zone 6, that's my hood
That's my hood, nigga, that's my hood
Glenwood to Grountry Road, that's my hood
That's my hood, nigga, that's my hood
Rolla 1st to flat show, nigga that's my hood
That's my hood, nigga, that's my hood
I can't forget Counter Road, that's my hood
That's my hood, nigga, that's my hood
Money real dirty, 9:30
Got a trap to catch fo' a Quarter Birdie
10:45, quarter to 11
AK 47 and a Mac 11
1:17, my trap bunkin'
If you from tha hood then you sellin' something
2:22, time to cook a deuce
To my lil' partner, I call his ass tha truth
3:34, time to swing tha doe
9600 fo' a pound of dro
4:46, trunk fulla bricks
Can't stop trappin' til I'm fithy rich
Dropped out of school, 1998
Bought a box Chevy and a half of cake
2k3 hit a LIC
100 pounds of weed, 50 bricks
East Atlanta Zone 6, that's my hood
That's my hood, nigga, that's my hood
Glenwood to Grountry Road, that's my hood
That's my hood, nigga, that's my hood
Rolla 1st to flat show, nigga that's my hood
That's my hood, nigga, that's my hood
I can't forget Counter Road, that's my hood
That's my hood, nigga, that's my hood
Age 13, I'm a trap star
Paid a 50 slab fo' a junky car
School's still in but I'm at home
Standin' on tha corner wit some uazone
Turned 15 and I'm trapped out
Bet a 100 dollars just to crap out
17 now and I'm on tha grind
Neva stand in line at tha 55 Dime
19 years, blood sweat and tears
Sellin' inner tubes like Good Year
21, now I'm a grown up
So, when you call my phone it's a zone up
Age 25, and it's gettin' worst
18.5, fo' a hook and verse
'Fo I turn 30, I be 30 plus
Swimmin' in tha bucks like Scrooge McDuck
East Atlanta Zone 6, that's my hood
That's my hood, nigga, that's my hood
Glenwood to Grountry Road, that's my hood
That's my hood, nigga, that's my hood
Rolla 1st to flat show, nigga that's my hood
That's my hood, nigga, that's my hood
I can't forget Counter Road, that's my hood
That's my hood, nigga, that's my hood
In the song "That's My Hood" by Gucci Mane, he raps about his hometown and how it has influenced his life. The lyrics describe various locations within East Atlanta Zone 6 that are significant to Gucci Mane. The chorus is a catchy repetition of the phrase, "that's my hood," which serve as a proud declaration of his roots and loyalty to his community.
The verses describe the hustle and grind of life in the hood, mentioning gang activity, drug dealing, and violence. Gucci Mane also reflects on his own journey, mentioning dropping out of school and his rise to fame as a rapper. However, he never forgets where he came from and the struggles he and his community faced. The song serves as a tribute to his neighborhood and the people who helped shape him into the person he is today.
Overall, "That's My Hood" is a celebration of Gucci Mane's upbringing and an ode to East Atlanta Zone 6. It is a reminder that despite the hardships and challenges faced in the hood, it is a place filled with love, pride, and resilience.
Line by Line Meaning
East Atlanta Zone 6, that's my hood
My neighborhood is in East Atlanta, specifically Zone 6, and that's where I'm from and proud of it.
That's my hood, nigga, that's my hood
I want to emphasize again that my neighborhood is important to me, and it's where I feel at home despite any challenges or struggles.
Glenwood to Grountry Road, that's my hood
From Glenwood to Grountry Road, my neighborhood is my entire world, and I know every inch of it like the back of my hand.
Rolla 1st to flat show, nigga that's my hood
My neighborhood extends from Rolla 1st to flat show, and I am proud of the community I have built and been a part of here.
I can't forget Counter Road, that's my hood
Even though I've mentioned a lot of places in my neighborhood, Counter Road is especially important to me and holds a special place in my heart.
Money real dirty, 9:30
At half past nine, my hustle and grind to make money in my neighborhood is in full swing, and even though it's not always clean or legal, it's the way I've survived and thrived.
Got a trap to catch fo' a Quarter Birdie
I have a trap set up in order to catch someone who's willing to give me a quarter ounce of cocaine to sell, so that I can make some quick money.
AK 47 and a Mac 11
I have two different guns, an AK 47 and a Mac 11, which I use to protect myself and my business in the dangerous world of drugs and gangs in my neighborhood.
If you from tha hood then you sellin' something
In my neighborhood, if you're not selling something, you're not making money, and you're not surviving in this tough environment where everyone's hustling to make ends meet.
Can't stop trappin' til I'm fithy rich
As long as I am making money and building my wealth, I can't stop hustling and trapping in my neighborhood, even though it's dangerous and unstable.
Age 13, I'm a trap star
I started hustling and trapping when I was just 13 years old, and even though I was young, I was already a star in my neighborhood and known for my business skills.
Paid a 50 slab fo' a junky car
I spent $50 on a car that was in bad shape and meant for junk, but I knew I could fix it up and use it to my advantage in my hustle in the neighborhood.
Neva stand in line at tha 55 Dime
I never have to wait in line at the 55 Dime, which is a spot to buy and sell drugs in my neighborhood, because I'm a well-respected and established hustler.
Swimmin' in tha bucks like Scrooge McDuck
As I approach 30 years old, I am making more money than ever before, and I feel like I'm swimming in cash like Scrooge McDuck, a wealthy duck from a popular cartoon.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DEMETRIUS STEWART, DEMETRIUS L STEWART, RADRIC DELANTIC DAVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Phil S
you won't find the new gucci hoppers on these beats.. this is where we come to remember legendary beats
jon jones
they dnt shit about this ...
Dally Benedetti
nigga i been listening to Gucci since I was lil. i been an og fan to this shit and all my friends don't know shit about it
King Satrick
agreee , days hard since zaytoven / gucci etc goes the mainstream way ...
Jason Howard
Bob Marley t
Kevin Loera
Tru tru
A R
2021 and still loving this joint. 🔥
Blakk Moneii
Desi Banks Just Brought Me Back Here 😂😂😂😂
Carter Carter
Me too bra shit crazy😂😎💯
Mopar
Factz bro!