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.”
Shut It Down
Gucci Mane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drop Top (right now)
Wizop
Huh, Wop
(Hitmaka)
Go
Wop, wop, wop, wop (huh)
Wop, wop, wop, wop (huh)
Might steal your bitch (bitch)
Wop, wop, wop, wop (yeah, yeah) (huh)
VVS the wrist (wrist)
Wop, wop, wop, wop (huh)
Might steal your bitch
Tone that shit down, ooh, yeah
You ain't never ball like this
Tone that shit down (oh why?)
Tell me who can ball like this
Tone that shit down
Who you know can ball like this?
Tone that shit down (huh, hol' up, it's Gucci)
Tell me who can ball like this
Huh, pull up, froze up with the door up
Chopper in the club, I don't care who show up
Watch lookin' like a glow up, when I throw up
East side Bouldercrest Road where I growed up (huh?)
Hold up, lil' homie, tone it down
'Cause the jewelry that you rockin' is for kids, I'm a grown up (huh?)
Sittin' courtside right next to the owner
Lookin' so good, make his wife pick her phone up (wow)
Big gold boulders in my ring
Look like Fred Flintstone when he pick a stone up (ring)
If everybody got a watch like that
Then why would I want that watch? I'm a loner
Damn near had a temper tantrum
'Cause he got that car 'fore I got it, now I really don't wanna
You never seen a nigga glow up like this
Not a nigga that was trappin' on a corner (it's Gucci) (yeah)
Wop, wop, wop, wop (huh)
VVS the wrist (VVS the wrist)
Wop, wop, wop, wop (huh)
Might steal your bitch (might steal your bitch)
Wop, wop, wop, wop (yeah, yeah) (huh)
VVS the wrist (VVS the wrist, oh, yeah)
Wop, wop, wop, wop (huh)
Might steal your bitch (huh, go)
Tone that shit down, ooh, yeah
You ain't never ball like this
Tone that shit down (oh why?)
Tell me who can ball like this
Tone that shit down
Who you know can ball like this?
Tone that shit down
Tell me who can ball like this (huh, go)
Gucci Mane and CB, jewelry lookin' 3D
Tryna be like me ain't easy (wow)
Niggas hate me, women wanna date me
'Cause I got on all these VVS's (yeah)
In that grape thing
2018 Rolls Royce truck, no reason (huh)
Water on my time piece wetter than a Fiji
Parked in front of the St. Regis (burr)
Artists wanna meet me
Ballin' like an athlete, but I ball all four seasons (ooh)
Diamonds dancin' just like Breezy (damn)
Take it easy Breezy, go easy (ha)
Big stones in all my pieces (ha)
Gucci Mane stunt like Meechie (Meechie)
Jewelry so cold, I'm sneezin' (achoo)
Pull up South Beach, no ceilin'
Tone that shit down, ooh, yeah
You ain't never ball like this
Tone that shit down (oh why?)
Tell me who can ball like this
Tone that shit down
Who you know can ball like this?
Tone that shit down
Tell me who can ball like this
Yeah, four, four tippin', I be on a hunnid spokes
Fire weed, hit it, have a nigga seein' ghosts
Tell me what it do 'cause I'm tryna get to know you
Champagne, takin' shots, won't have a hangover (yeah)
Wop, wop, wop, wop (huh)
VVS the wrist (VVS the wrist)
Wop, wop, wop, wop (huh)
Might steal your bitch (might steal your bitch)
Wop, wop, wop, wop (yeah, yeah) (huh)
VVS the wrist (VVS the wrist, oh, yeah)
Wop, wop, wop, wop (huh)
Might steal your bitch
Tone that shit down, ooh, yeah
You ain't never ball like this
Tone that shit down (oh why?)
Tell me who can ball like this
Tone that shit down
Who you know can ball like this?
Tone that shit down
Tell me who can ball like this
Tone that shit down (down)
Tone that shit down (down)
Tone that shit down (down)
Who you know can ball like this?
Tone that shit down (down)
Tell me who can ball like this
The song "Tone it Down" by Gucci Mane and Chris Brown is an upbeat track about their lavish lifestyles and their unparalleled style of living. It features the flashy and materialistic rap that Gucci Mane is known for, as he flaunts expensive jewelry and an opulent lifestyle that other rappers and people cannot attain. The chorus of the song asks why anyone would want to tone down this kind of lifestyle, as no one can ball like them. Gucci verses also make references to his Rolls Royce, courtside seats, and big gold boulders. Chris Brown's part emphasizes the "VV' diamond jewelry pieces that he wears and his reputation as a desired man by both men and women.
The song is an anthem for the wealthy and powerful, designed to encourage others to mimic their behavior and lifestyles, as the chorus repeats the phrase "tell me who can ball like this" as an invitation to everyone. The song advises that people admire and aspire to be like them by not toning down their luxurious lifestyles. Both Gucci Mane and Chris Brown use their lyrical talents to brag about their wealth, success, and lavishness, drawing upon their experiences of fame to show that they are a class apart.
Line by Line Meaning
Hah, it's Gucci
Gucci Mane begins the song with an exclamation expressing his energy and enthusiasm.
Droptop
Gucci Mane refers to driving a car with the top down. This is a classic symbol of living a lavish lifestyle.
Right now
Gucci Mane emphasizes the present moment, implying that he is living in the now and enjoying his success.
Wizop, hah, wop
Gucci Mane refers to himself as 'Wizop' or 'Wop', a nickname that he has become known for.
Hitmaka! go
Gucci Mane shouts out the producer of the song, Hitmaka, giving him credit for the beat.
Wop, wop, wop, wop
Gucci Mane repeats the sound 'wop' four times, emphasizing his unique style and identity.
VVS the wrist (wrist)
Gucci Mane boasts about his expensive diamond wristwatch, which is studded with VVS diamonds.
Might steal your bitch (bitch)
Gucci Mane brags that his wealth and status may attract other people's romantic partners.
Yeah, VVS the wrist (wrist)
Gucci Mane repeats his earlier boast, emphasizing his luxurious lifestyle and high-end taste.
Tone that shit down
Gucci Mane commands others to be more humble and modest in their behavior and self-presentation.
Y'ain't neva ball like this
Gucci Mane challenges others to try and achieve the same level of material success and flamboyance as he has.
Tell me who can ball like this
Gucci Mane demands an answer to his challenge, suggesting that he is confident that nobody else can compare to his level of success.
Weak nigga, ball like this
Gucci Mane insults those who cannot achieve his level of success, calling them weak in comparison to him.
Huh, pull up, froze up, with the door up
Gucci Mane describes how he pulls up in style with his car doors that open upwards, emphasizing the extravagance and impressiveness of his arrival.
Chopper in the club, I don't care who show up
Gucci Mane indicates that he feels confident and secure, even bringing a weapon with him to a public place without worry.
Watch lookin' like a glow up, when I throw up
Gucci Mane compares his watch to a bright and shining light, hoping to stand out and draw attention to himself when he wears it.
East Side pour the Cris', wrote why I grow up
Gucci Mane reminisces about drinking Cristal champagne in his early days, suggesting that his current success is a testament to his hard work and perseverance in his hometown of East Atlanta.
Hold up, li'l homie tone it down
Gucci Mane tries to bring someone he views as younger and less experienced back to reality and away from getting caught up in the flashy lifestyle that he leads.
'Cause the jewelry that you rockin' is for kids, I'm a grown up
Gucci Mane implies that the person he is addressing has less expensive jewelry than him and that he himself has a more refined taste that comes with age and experience.
Sat courtside right next to the owner
Gucci Mane describes his privileged seating position at a basketball game, emphasizing his status and access to exclusive events.
Lookin' so good, make his wife pick her phone up
Gucci Mane suggests that his appearance is so impressive that the wife of the owner of the seats he's sitting in would take note and feel compelled to tell others.
Big gold boulders, in my Rollie
Gucci Mane brags about the large, expensive gold stones in his wristwatch.
Look like real flesh, make you wanna pick a stone up
Gucci Mane describes the stones on his watch as having such brilliant shine and appearance that they appear lifelike and entice others to try to touch or pick them up.
If everybody got a watch like that
Gucci Mane suggests that everyone else has jewelry just like his, which makes it hard for him to stand out or be impressed by others' possessions.
Then why would I want that watch? I'm a loner
Gucci Mane emphasizes his individuality and independence, suggesting that he does not need to conform to the standards of others to achieve happiness or contentment.
Damn near had a temper tantrum 'cause he
Gucci Mane describes his potential for outbursts when he is not able to get something he wants or when someone outdoes him. This implies a certain childishness that conflicts with his earlier images of being a grown-up and independent.
Got that car 'fore I got it, now I really don't wanna
Gucci Mane seems to be pouting over the fact that someone got a nice car before he did which now makes him feel better about not wanting the car after all.
You never seen a nigga glow up like this
Gucci Mane declares himself unique and one-of-a-kind in his transformation from being a mere street hustler to a huge star.
Not a nigga that was trappin' on a corner
Gucci Mane notes his status as a former drug dealer, suggesting that his success now is a long way from where he came from.
Go, Gucci Mane and CB, jewelry lookin' 3D
Gucci Mane shouts out his collaborator, Chris Brown, and describes their jewelry as looking so stunning and vivid that it appears to pop out in a three-dimensional way.
Tryna be like me, ain't easy
Gucci Mane notes that imitating his style and success is not something that comes easily, emphasizing his uniqueness and rare talent.
Niggas hate me, women wanna date me
Gucci Mane acknowledges the polarizing nature of his celebrity, with some people expressing extreme dislike and others being attracted to him.
'Cause I got on all these VV pieces
Gucci Mane suggests that his assortment of expensive, diamond-encrusted jewelry is what causes him to attract attention and envy.
In that grape thing
Gucci Mane describes driving a grape-colored car, suggesting that even his choice of vehicle is an expression of his eccentricity and individuality.
2018 Rolls Royce chose, no reason (huh)
Gucci Mane describes owning a new 2018 Rolls Royce, even though he seemingly has no particular purpose or reasoning for it.
Water all my time, bitch wetter than a Fiji
Gucci Mane uses wordplay to describe being successful and desirable, noting that he is surrounded by fame and attention like water and can easily woo women with his wealth and style.
Parked front of the St. Regis
Gucci Mane describes parking his car directly in front of the St. Regis hotel, emphasizing his confidence and status.
Artists wanna meet me
Gucci Mane suggests that his success has allowed him to become a sought-after personality and that he is constantly being approached by other famous people.
Ballin' like an athlete, but I ball all four seasons
Gucci Mane compares his success to that of an athlete but points out that he does not have an off-season, as his success and wealth continue to grow year-round.
Diamonds, that's just like Breezy
Gucci Mane compares his diamonds to those of Chris Brown, suggesting that they are both unmatchable in their styles and tastes.
Take it easy, Breezy go easy
Gucci Mane tells Chris Brown to relax and not take things too seriously, as he is already at the top of his game.
Big stones in all my pieces
Gucci Mane boasts about the large and expensive stones in all of his jewelry, further emphasizing his wealth and taste.
Gucci Mane stunt like Meechy
Gucci Mane refers to another successful figure, Meechy Darko, in comparing his own flamboyance and confidence.
Jewelery so cold, I'm sneezin'
Gucci Mane uses humor to describe how his jewelry is so cold and icy that he feels like he is catching a cold.
Pull up South Beach, no ceiling
Gucci Mane describes driving in South Beach with no car roof, further emphasizing his lavish lifestyle and willingness to take risks.
Tone that shit down
Gucci Mane repeats his earlier command to others, calling for people to be more modest and less extravagant.
Weak nigga ball like this
Gucci Mane taunts those who can't achieve his level of success and indicates that he believes those people are inherently weaker and less capable than he is.
Tell me who can ball like this
Gucci Mane repeats his earlier challenge to others, demanding to know who can match his accomplishments.
Oh why
Gucci Mane asks for a reason or explanation for why others cannot achieve his level of success.
Yeah, four, four, drippin'
Gucci Mane uses more wordplay, suggesting that his jewelry is so expensive that it is 'dripping' like liquid gold.
I be on a hunnids rolls
Gucci Mane notes that he lives his life on a daily basis with at least one hundred thousand dollars in his pocket (hundred rolls of one thousand dollar bills).
Fire weed, hit it
Gucci Mane talks about smoking very high-quality marijuana, further emphasizing his glamorous lifestyle and tastes.
Have a nigga seeing ghost
Gucci Mane alludes to the fact that he is so successful and impressive that it can make others feel faint or confused as to what is real or not.
Tell me what to do, 'cause I'm tryna get to know you
Gucci Mane expresses interest in someone and asks what he should do to get to know them better.
Champagne, takin' shots
Gucci Mane describes partying with champagne and taking shots, demonstrating his carefree and hedonistic lifestyle.
Won't have a hangover
Gucci Mane implies that his wealth and success enable him to avoid negative consequences or side effects, even after partying excessively.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Christopher Brown, Radric Delantic Davis, Carl Mccormick, Christian Ward, Floyd Bentley, Christopher Dotson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Chigs Smooth
CLICK THE LIKE BUTTON FOR ME!!
Chief Sosa
You miss 100% of shots you don’t take…. At least he tried 👏🏾
Lil Mexico
Hn, i miss 100 of the shots i do take!! I don’t miss 100% of the shots i don’t take.
RedReigns Here
Had he came in there and literally shot somebody the mfka woulda listened
DreamTeamMayneEvent
Right. Respect.
Geno Smith
Never understood that dumb saying 😂😂
Cities talk
Being successful dont mean other people entitled to what you got
You not obligated to put nobody on
Serdie Vhambles
Gotta respect his courage he bold
THE Joyner
Yep, but it's a thin line between being bold and being stupid
Bee Irving
He didn't judge him on his ability, he simply said "not right now" as in this isn't the time or place. I feel Gucci because he's in album mode, he's not trying to critique someone's talent. Bruh could've been the best freestyler in the world, but he just chose the wrong time to try to display his talent.