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.”
Servin Lean
Gucci Mane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rollin' round juugin P's I'm a rollin' pharmacist I'll serve you lean
I'm rollin' round juugin P's I'm a rollin' pharmacist I'll serve you lean
[Verse 1: Peewee Longway]
I ain't neva seen a nigga like me where he at where he from I'd like to meet him
I'm a rolling stone cookin' with the rolly on 32 shots in my nina
I'm a rolling stone got my rolly pollie on fuck it not Kafima and Katrina
Pussy bald head like leukemia
Watch me set it off like Khadijah
Stuffing my cigar with the diesel
Pull up jump off with the Keisha
See you out dea' I need my money-fa
Puerto Rican don't need a visa
Dope white name Mona Lisa
Frank white head shot Tito
Longway not Carlito
Boot up off the molly I don't fuck with the easy hoes
Porsche 9-1-1 got it out the repo
Trap house naw bitch I'm trappin' rollin stizzle
Gas bags I got them bitches going for the lizzo
Fake shot glass and have them J's at the dizzo
I'm runnin them I'm a mob boss calling me Sunny
I'm connected with the pharm-ist got them pints by the hundreds
Whole lot of C notes rubberbandin' my hunnits
Still makin drug deals out the trunk of my Honda
Leanin of a double seal like I'm dumber than dumber
Rollin off a molly pill tryna fuck on your mama
[Chorus x2]
[Verse 2: Peewee Longway]
I'm servin you Xanax to lean the neighborhood pharm-ist I'll serve you coedine
My bitch she servin up P's and buy different bags then go by Saline
She speak different languages but she Portuguese
She drop in the fishes then whip it up in grease
My trap house but her name on the lease
We might get married like Nas and Kelis
My bad I'm trippin' I'm back on my G
Mad black the forgies and srt8 the jeep
Just got an endorsement from servin' the lean
Thanks to extortion I'm cleaning the streets
Double are Royces I roll them in fleets
My trap house stay rollin' I'm never off beat
I'm baggin up pounds to a new C Note beat
Trapper and rapper still strapped with them hammer
(I make the dope dance like I'm mc Hammer [x2])
Chopin' up pharmists I'm servin you the grammar
And lean I get it from over the counter
Chopin' up pharmists with cameras like Tony Montana
And choppas with clips like bananas
[Chorus x2]
The song "Servin Lean" by Gucci Mane featuring Peewee Longway is all about their drug-dealing lifestyle. In the chorus, they talk about rolling around with P's or pints of codeine syrup that they will serve to anyone who wants it. The repetition of the line "I'm a rollin' pharmacist, I'll serve you lean" emphasizes their role as drug dealers who are always ready to supply their customers.
In the first verse, Peewee Longway boasts about his skills with a gun, his ability to move drugs, and his connections with other drug dealers. He mentions different drugs such as gas bags (nitrous oxide), Keisha (ketamine), and Molly (ecstasy) to show his expertise in the drug scene. He emphasizes his wealth with lines like "whole lot of C-notes rubberbandin' my hunnits" and "Porsche 9-1-1 got it out the repo." He ends the verse with a sexually explicit line, "Leanin off a double seal like I'm dumber than dumber, Rollin off a molly pill tryna fuck on your mama."
In the second verse, Peewee Longway talks about his partner who is also a drug dealer, saying that she sells different drugs than he does. He sings that his trap house is always rolling, and he's never off-beat, emphasizing the continuous movement of his drug deals. He also mentions their plan to get married, but he attributes this to being high since they are both in the drug scene. The verse ends with him comparing himself to Tony Montana, the drug lord from the movie Scarface, and saying that he has choppers with clips like bananas.
Overall, the song glorifies drug dealing, including the use and sale of drugs such as codeine syrup, nitrous oxide, ketamine, and ecstasy. It portrays the life of a drug dealer as one that is glamorous and full of wealth and luxury.
Line by Line Meaning
Rollin' round juugin P's I'm a rollin' pharmacist I'll serve you lean
I'm driving around looking for prescription pills, I have plenty of drugs to sell and I'll provide you with 'lean' (a mixture of cough syrup and soda)
I ain't neva seen a nigga like me where he at where he from I'd like to meet him
I'm unique, and I haven't come across anyone like me before. I'd like to find out where he's from and meet him
I'm a rolling stone cookin' with the rolly on 32 shots in my nina
I'm constantly on the move, with my Rolex watch on and my gun with 32 bullets
I'm a rolling stone got my rolly pollie on fuck it not Kafima and Katrina
I'm wealthy and well-dressed, my Rolex watch is shining. I'm not worried about any natural disasters that are happening in the world.
Shots of gas bags in the beamer
I have bags of marijuana in my BMW car
Pussy bald head like leukemia
Her private area is shaved completely bald
Watch me set it off like Khadijah
I'm going to make things happen like the character Khadijah from the movie 'Set it Off'
Stuffing my cigar with the diesel
I'm packing my cigar with weed
Pull up jump off with the Keisha
I'm getting out of the car with a gun named 'Keisha'
See you out dea' I need my money-fa
If I see you outside, I'm going to need my money from you
Puerto Rican don't need a visa
I can travel freely without any restrictions as a Puerto Rican citizen
Dope white name Mona Lisa
I have high-quality cocaine named after the famous painting Mona Lisa
Frank white head shot Tito
I'm going to shoot a man named Tito in the head, just like in the movie 'King of New York'
Longway not Carlito
I'm not afraid to do violence like the character Carlito from the movie 'Carlito's Way'
Boot up off the molly I don't f*** with the easy hoes
I'm high on MDMA and I'm not interested in sleeping around with easy women
Porsche 9-1-1 got it out the repo
I have a Porsche 911 car that I got back from repossession
Trap house naw bitch I'm trappin' rollin stizzle
I'm not just selling drugs from a trap house, I'm also driving around in my rolling car and selling drugs.
Gas bags I got them bitches going for the lizzo
I have a lot of people interested in buying my bags of marijuana
Fake shot glass and have them J's at the dizzo
I'm selling fake shots of liquor and people are getting drunk and dancing to music at a party.
I'm runnin them I'm a mob boss calling me Sunny
I'm in charge and controlling the drug operation, like a mob boss. People are calling me Sunny.
I'm connected with the pharm-ist got them pints by the hundreds
I have a good relationship with a pharmacist who has given me many bottles of prescription cough syrup.
Whole lot of C notes rubberbandin' my hunnits
I have hundreds of dollar bills, and I'm using rubber bands to bundle them together.
Still makin drug deals out the trunk of my Honda
I'm still selling drugs out of the trunk of my Honda car
Leanin of a double seal like I'm dumber than dumber
I'm high on lean and I'm so out of it, I feel like I'm as dumb as the characters in the movie 'Dumb and Dumber'
Rollin off a molly pill tryna f*** on your mama
I'm high on MDMA and I'm trying to sleep with your mother.
I'm servin you Xanax to lean the neighborhood pharm-ist I'll serve you coedine
I'm providing you with Xanax to help intensify your high when you drink lean. I know a pharmacist in the neighborhood who can provide us with codeine.
My bitch she servin up P's and buy different bags then go by Saline
My girlfriend is selling prescription pills, and she's using different types of packaging before she goes by Saline (a type of solution used in medicine)
She speak different languages but she Portuguese
My girlfriend can speak different languages, but her primary language is Portuguese.
She drop in the fishes then whip it up in grease
She's dropping off drugs and then cooking them up in oil or grease.
My trap house but her name on the lease
My drug-selling operation is happening in her house but it's under her name.
We might get married like Nas and Kelis
My girlfriend and I may get married like famous musicians Nas and Kelis did.
My bad I'm trippin' I'm back on my G
Sorry, I was getting distracted, but I'm back to focusing on being a gangster.
Mad black the forgies and srt8 the jeep
My cars are all black and I have a Jeep Wrangler SRT8 model.
Just got an endorsement from servin' the lean
I just got a sponsorship deal for selling lean.
Thanks to extortion I'm cleaning the streets
I'm cleaning the streets by selling drugs and extorting people for money.
Double are Royces I roll them in fleets
I have multiple Rolls Royce cars that I use to get around
My trap house stay rollin' I'm never off beat
My drug-selling operation is constantly moving and I'm always on top of things.
I'm baggin up pounds to a new C Note beat
I'm packing up pounds of drugs while listening to a new beat produced by C Note (a music producer)
Trapper and rapper still strapped with them hammer
I'm both a trap seller and a rapper, and I'm still carrying guns.
(I make the dope dance like I'm mc Hammer [x2])
I'm really good at selling drugs and I always have a lot of customers because I make drugs 'dance' (selling quickly and often).
Chopin' up pharmists I'm servin you the grammar
I'm manipulating and cutting up prescription pills, so I can provide you with high-quality drugs.
And lean I get it from over the counter
The lean that I sell is made from prescription cough syrup that I can get over-the-counter at the pharmacy.
Chopin' up pharmists with cameras like Tony Montana
I'm cutting up prescription pills while filming it, just like Tony Montana did in the movie 'Scarface'
And choppas with clips like bananas
I have guns with large magazines of bullets that look like banana clips.
Contributed by Jeremiah V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Stubbo242
This music will never die 🔥🙏🏿
Tony Turner
💯
Brandi Jones
This song is so underrated... fucking iconic! Just came here to check & make sure I wasn’t the only one thinking it😩
Swic Keabreau
You ain’t lying this shit heat
Dora Ünlü
😩👌🏻
TimePieceTre
This triple drop from Gucci was all three Classics and very unique, I remember playing Call of Duty all day during the summer listening to every single song at least three times a day 🔥 🔥 🔥 Longway Not Carlito!!! 🔫 🔫 🔫🆙
Sean Yager
Shit still bangs!
itsjoff
This shit STILL some of the hardest shit ever. Never skip this to this day ♿️♿️♿️💪🏽
SOID DRONE SLAYER
This beat is on some flickering neon light hanging above a dark hallway shit. PeeWee strikes the perfect tone to match. PeeWee lookin to be another good signing for Gucci, he got a real ear for talent.
carnell alford
SOID DRONE SLAYER GUCCI