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.”
Shout Out To My Set
Gucci Mane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shout out to my set
Shout out to my set
Shout out my connect
Shout out my connect
Shout out to my check
Shout out to my check
Shout out my wrist and neck
I'm a man of respect
Man of respect
And I'm a nigga with a check
Nigga with a check
I'm a man of respect
Man of respect
A nigga with a check
Nigga with a check huh
Shout out to your main bitch
Shout to her neck
It's cold outside I ain't got time to play so please don't get wet
It's just me with my young boy at your front door with the teck
Ain't shit for free
That's it for me I demand a check
Shout out to my weed man, I call him the geek squad
I smoke too much, I just lost my thoughts,
I'm feelin' like a retard
Got two bead freaks plus me riding in that two seater
They face to face
I'm by myself but they huggin' like a wife beater
Shout out to my OG for him I'm puttin' in work
Shout to them real killa's that's puttin' in that twerk
Whoo da kidd a real nigga
Shout out to my set
Shout out to my jeweler for my wrist and neck
Yes
[Chorus]
Shout out to my accounant,
My attorneys and my manager
And shout out to my twenty six's dat sittin' up under my challenger
I'm a professional
Your an amateur
Your an artist
I'm an animal
I eat rapper
I'm Hannibal
Not cannibal
I'm a carnivore
I'm a dinosaur
Your a herbivore
I use verbs up verbs you ain't never heard before
Faith trapper never sold birds before
Probably never even use dirty words before
But not me
Can't stop me
Ain't no hood nigga gonna top me
I'm focus
Just watch me
I send out shout out to my posse
I send a shout out to my a-r
My tek-9 and my A-K
I don't play
Not a day
Not a way I'm Gucci
Salute me or shoot me
Make next move your best move
Every move around me is a chess move
Real goon's don't aim for the chest fool
It's Gucci!
[Chorus]
The lyrics to Gucci Mane and Young Thug's song Out My Biz is a shoutout to the people who have helped them become successful in their career. The chorus of the song starts with "Shout out to my set" which refers to their group of people that they associate with. The term "set" means a group of people who are from the same neighborhood or share the same interests. The rappers give a shoutout to their weed man and jeweler, among others. The song acknowledges the fact that they have made it big because of their talent, dedication, and hard work. The lyrics also let people know that they're not to be underestimated because of their success. The rappers mention that they're professionals and that they're experienced in the music industry.
In the rest of the song, the rappers use metaphors and similes to describe their experiences. They mention that they're like Hannibal, which refers to the character from the movie and TV show Hannibal Lecter. The reference to Hannibal Lecter means that they're successful and powerful like the character. The rappers use other animal-related metaphors to describe themselves, such as "carnivore" and "dinosaur." The song is a celebration of the rappers' success and how they've worked hard to get where they are today.
Line by Line Meaning
Shout out to my set
I want to give a shout out to my group of people
Shout out my connect
I also want to recognize my connections and networking skills
Shout out to my check
I'm grateful for the money I'm making
Shout out my wrist and neck
I'm showing appreciation for the jewelry I'm wearing
I'm a man of respect
I pride myself in being someone who has earned respect
And I'm a nigga with a check
I've also achieved financial success
Shout out to your main bitch
I want to give a shout out to the girl you're dating
Shout to her neck
I'm complimenting her choice of jewelry
It's cold outside I ain't got time to play so please don't get wet
I'm in a rush and don't want to waste time dealing with unnecessary drama
It's just me with my young boy at your front door with the teck
I'm letting you know that I'm not alone and am armed
Ain't shit for free
I expect to be paid for my work
That's it for me I demand a check
I'm reiterating that I expect compensation for my efforts
Shout out to my weed man, I call him the geek squad
I'm giving a shout out to my marijuana supplier
I smoke too much, I just lost my thoughts,
I've been smoking too much weed and my mind is foggy
I'm feelin' like a retard
I'm feeling mentally slow or stupid
Got two bead freaks plus me riding in that two seater
I'm driving a two-seater car with two attractive women
They face to face
The girls are sitting close and looking at each other
I'm by myself but they huggin' like a wife beater
Even though I'm alone in the car, the girls are cuddling with each other
Shout out to my OG for him I'm puttin' in work
I want to recognize my older mentor who has helped me succeed
Shout to them real killa's that's puttin' in that twerk
I also want to give a shout out to the people who are hustling and grinding
Whoo da kidd a real nigga
I'm referring to myself as a legitimate and authentic person
Shout out to my jeweler for my wrist and neck
I'm showing gratitude to my jewelry supplier
Shout out to my accounant, My attorneys and my manager
I'm recognizing the people who help me keep my finances and career on track
And shout out to my twenty six's dat sittin' up under my challenger
I'm giving a shout out to my car and its rims
I'm a professional
I take my work and career seriously
Your an amateur
You're not as experienced or skilled in this industry as I am
Your an artist
You're a creative, but you may not have the same level of business acumen as me
I'm an animal
I'm a beast in my field
I eat rapper
I dominate and conquer other artists
I'm Hannibal
I'm like the historical figure Hannibal, who was a brilliant strategist and conqueror
Not cannibal
I'm not literally eating people, this is a metaphor for my success
I'm a carnivore
I'm aggressive and always hungry for more success
I'm a dinosaur
I'm unique and distinct, like a dinosaur
Your a herbivore
You're not as fierce or ambitious as me
I use verbs up verbs you ain't never heard before
I'm very skilled at using language, and I like to use uncommon words
Faith trapper never sold birds before
I've never been a street dealer or involved in illegal activity
Probably never even use dirty words before
I'm not the kind of person who speaks or behaves rudely
But not me
I'm different and exceptional
Can't stop me
I'm determined and unstoppable
Ain't no hood nigga gonna top me
I've surpassed my competition from my previous neighborhood
I'm focus
I'm dedicated and concentrated
Just watch me
I'm confident in my abilities and will succeed
I send out shout out to my posse
I'm showing appreciation for my crew and team
I send a shout out to my a-r
I'm acknowledging and recognizing my weapon supplier
My tek-9 and my A-K
I'm listing the firearms that I own and have access to
Not a day
I don't rest or take breaks
Not a way I'm Gucci
I'm always doing well and living in luxury
Salute me or shoot me
Either show me respect or face the consequences
Make next move your best move
I'm suggesting that my competitors make wise, strategic choices
Every move around me is a chess move
I'm always thinking strategically, and every action I take is a calculated move
Real goon's don't aim for the chest fool
I'm implying that my enemies shouldn't underestimate me, and should aim for a more vulnerable spot
It's Gucci!
This is my catchphrase and signature sign-off
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOSHUA LUELLEN, NYQUAN MALPHURS, RADRIC DAVIS, RADRIC DELANTIC DAVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind