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.”
Shooter
Gucci Mane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It’s a whole bunch, a whole bunch of shooters in this house
It’s some shooters in this house, it’s some shooters in this house
If you wanna go to war, fuck it, nigga let’s shoot it out
Walk up from my spot, see I don’t have a seat
I just been there, 5 shoot outs last week
He bought the run division, plus he moving in the kitchen
Reaching in his pocket, Gucci slap him with the pistol
Get your bitch ass down nigga, motherfucking move nigga
Hood rich!
Break up to your sister, I’m a sunder in the runner
I don’t give a damn about it, but I make niggas with the tunner
I got money in the jungle, tryina pop a kish kush
Me and Scooter ain’t twins but we got twin choppers
I Waka Flocka Flame a nigga hit em with the yapa
I’m a street nigga, never be a partner to a copper
What the fuck going on nigga?
Who the fuck let these police ass nigga in?
I don’t know
Fuck at the spot nigga
Snitching ass niggas got caught with a brick
Same day call my phone for 30 seats
I can see with one eye open like Slick Rick
Fuck the police that’s why I rep about them bricks
I ain’t did it nigga, but these bricks get remix
When the choppa start spitting, nigga gonn get split
Nigga rob me in the car, while it was 1996
Ever since the day, them niggas trying me since
Bow down bruh
Tell my nigga Raj here in ’96
No, you get out boy
You did
You still gotta pay…
Nigga owed me a brick, that was 3 years ago
Seen him in the club, niggas shot him in the throat
Black amigo Scooter still rob me gold
And I still got a lot of shooters on the pay roll
I don’t Scooter
I got shooters
You got a shooter?
Aye man what?
Get it down by that fresh man, you’re sitting by the counter?
I need ‘em bruh
Yea, let ‘em in
Aye, open the door nigga
I need 50 of them pretty mills, this nigga at the store
He waiting right now, Gucci is it a go?
I hope it is, cause if it is, my shooters, they on go
Shooter on the Scooter, brain them both
He runnin right right now, she just came from way up the road
10 millimeter with 30 shots, make your fuckin head explode
I got a traphouse mansion with some hard wood floors
Can’t come in, I got burglar bar doors
Trap going crazy, but I got it under control
I just bust them open, fix em up and move them out the door
Hoodest nigga in this building, man get Scooter on the phone
I’m like a nba coach, cause I keep shooters at my home
All I know I never seen his face in my life
Street smart so I know this nigga ain’t right
Pull up at my spot, country car hit your lights
Before you hit the door, you get robbed on sight
It’s some shooters in this house, it’s some shooters in this house
It’s a whole bunch, a whole bunch of shooters in this house
It’s some shooters in this house, it’s some shooters in this house
If you wanna go to war, fuck it, nigga let’s shoot it out
It’s some shooters in this house, it’s some shooters in this house
It’s a whole bunch, a whole bunch of shooters in this house
It’s some shooters in this house, it’s some shooters in this house
If you wanna go to war, fuck it, nigga let’s shoot it out
The lyrics to Gucci Mane's song "Shooter" discusses the presence of many armed individuals in a house and showcases the rapper's authoritative stature. The song is about a man who is feared for his reputation as he walks around the neighbourhood. He has people who deal with things on his behalf, hence the "shooters" who are present with him. It is evident from the lyric "nobody makes a move, nigga when Scooter handling business" that people know not to interfere when he's handling his business. The phrase "If you wanna go to war, let's shoot it out" is a challenge to anyone looking to confront the singer, stating that they will not back down from a fight. The song is about power, control, and intimidation.
The lyrics to "Shooter" may reference the fact that Gucci Mane had been involved in several shootouts himself. The song also touches upon drug dealing and illegal activities, which could potentially lead to violent confrontations. Interestingly, the song's melody and overall aesthetic contrast with the violent lyrics, presenting a playful quality to the listener. The song's light-hearted melody could be viewed as ironic in terms of the song's content.
Line by Line Meaning
It’s some shooters in this house, it’s some shooters in this house
There are a lot of people with guns in this place.
It’s a whole bunch, a whole bunch of shooters in this house
There are many people armed with guns in this location.
If you wanna go to war, fuck it, nigga let’s shoot it out
If you are ready for a fight, we can settle it with guns.
Walk up from my spot, see I don’t have a seat
I stand up and leave my seat.
I just been there, 5 shoot outs last week
I have been in the same location where five shootouts occurred last week.
He bought the run division, plus he moving in the kitchen
He purchased the illegal drug-selling operation and is now cooking drugs inside.
Nobody make a move nigga when Scooter handling business
Everyone stays still when Scooter is conducting illegal activities.
Reaching in his pocket, Gucci slap him with the pistol
When someone reaches for something in their pocket, Gucci hit them with the gun he was carrying.
Get your bitch ass down nigga, motherfucking move nigga
Stop acting weak and get on the ground, move quickly.
Hood rich!
Proud to be wealthy from illegal activities in a poor area.
Break up to your sister, I’m a sunder in the runner
I do not care about the consequences and cause chaos by shooting anyone who opposes my illegal activities.
I don’t give a damn about it, but I make niggas with the tunner
I do not care about the legality of making money and sell drugs using weaponry such as the tunner.
I got money in the jungle, tryna pop a kish kush
I have plenty of money and I am attempting to gain more by selling the illegal drug kish kush.
Me and Scooter ain’t twins but we got twin choppers
Scooter and I are not biologically related, but we both have firearms called choppers.
I Waka Flocka Flame a nigga hit em with the yapa
I shoot an enemy in the head with a gun called the yapa, like rapper Waka Flocka Flame said he would do.
I’m a street nigga, never be a partner to a copper
I am someone who grew up on the streets and would never work with a police officer.
What the fuck going on nigga?
What is happening right now?
Who the fuck let these police ass nigga in?
Who allowed these people who look like police officers to come in?
I don’t know
I am not aware.
Fuck at the spot nigga
Do not mess up the area we are in.
Snitching ass niggas got caught with a brick
People who give away illegal activity secrets were caught with a quantity of drugs.
Same day call my phone for 30 seats
Immediately after their arrest, someone called me about purchasing 30 units of drugs.
I can see with one eye open like Slick Rick
I am always aware of my surroundings, like rapper Slick Rick who had one eye.
Fuck the police that’s why I rep about them bricks
I do not respect police officers, which is why I am proud about selling drugs.
I ain’t did it nigga, but these bricks get remix
I did not commit a crime, but the drugs I sold are often combined with other substances.
When the choppa start spitting, nigga gon’ get split
When I start shooting my weapon, someone will be injured.
Nigga rob me in the car, while it was 1996
Someone stole from me while we were in a car more than two decades ago.
Ever since the day, them niggas trying me since
Those same people have been testing me ever since that day.
Bow down bruh
Show respect to me.
Tell my nigga Raj here in ’96
Relay a message to my friend Raj from the year 1996.
No, you get out boy
You need to leave.
You did
You were the one who did it.
You still gotta pay…
You still owe me money.
Nigga owed me a brick, that was 3 years ago
Someone has not paid back drugs they purchased from me three years ago.
Seen him in the club, niggas shot him in the throat
I saw him in the club and someone shot him in the throat.
Black amigo Scooter still rob me gold
My friend Scooter, who is of African descent, is still stealing from me.
And I still got a lot of shooters on the pay roll
I have many people with guns working for me and paying them.
I don’t Scooter
I am not aware of where Scooter is.
I got shooters
I have people working for me who are armed with guns.
You got a shooter?
Do you have someone with a gun working for you?
Aye man what?
What is it, man?
Get it down by that fresh man, you’re sitting by the counter?
Can you find out who is near the counter in the fresh area?
I need ‘em bruh
I need them, my friend.
Yea, let ‘em in
Yes, allow them to enter.
I need 50 of them pretty mills, this nigga at the store
I need to buy 50 units of a drug called pretty mills, and someone is at the store selling them.
He waiting right now, Gucci is it a go?
He is waiting at the moment, Gucci, should I proceed with the purchase?
I hope it is, cause if it is, my shooters, they on go
I hope everything is good to proceed since my armed workers are ready.
Shooter on the Scooter, brain them both
The person with a gun will shoot both of them who are on a vehicle.
He runnin right right now, she just came from way up the road
Someone is running away currently and another person has just arrived from far away.
10 millimeter with 30 shots, make your fuckin head explode
A 10 millimeter gun with 30 rounds of ammunition can blow your head up.
I got a traphouse mansion with some hard wood floors
I own a big house where I sell drugs called a traphouse with high-quality wooden flooring.
Can’t come in, I got burglar bar doors
People cannot enter my house because I have bars on the doors to prevent break-ins.
Trap going crazy, but I got it under control
My drug-selling operation is very active, but I have it managed.
I just bust them open, fix em up and move them out the door
I break the packages of drugs for individual sale, fix them and then sell them.
Hoodest nigga in this building, man get Scooter on the phone
I am the toughest person in this location, get Scooter on the phone.
I’m like a nba coach, cause I keep shooters at my home
I am a bit like a basketball coach, as I have trained gunmen at my residence.
All I know I never seen his face in my life
I have absolutely never met the person in question.
Street smart so I know this nigga ain’t right
I am quite capable of handling myself on the streets and know that this person is not trustworthy.
Pull up at my spot, country car hit your lights
When you arrive at my location, flash your car lights.
Before you hit the door, you get robbed on sight
As soon as someone arrives at my door, they will be robbed immediately.
Contributed by William Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
knowledgeis
I love this song because it sounds good of course but it's very unique, with them conversing like that, people dont make music like this anymore so this is really a great throwback !
Candace Price
2019 and it's still 🔥💯 R.I.P BankRoll Fresh Strrreeeeeeeet
oaklandish510
Chocolate Bunny on me 510 Oakland cali in this thang blood 💯💯
Money mane #GMEMEMPHIS
Rip and we need the old gucci back
your mom in spaceship
This gucci make me alive!!!
A.C. Curry
SKREEEEET
Neverchange Jayy
❌🧢
Malik Gore
This shit never gets old.
Aj Brown
Man
Ultra.Ultra.
2k23 🥶