Gucci Mane: The Return of the East Atlanta Santa
The trials and tribulations of Atlanta’s own trap star
It is the feeling of independence every kid, every adult, every person trapped by the restraints of their environment craves; that is the fuel that burns Gucci Mane’s fire. Born Radric Davis in Alabama, it was a move to Zone 6, Atlanta, that enabled this self-proclaimed country boy to establish his name in the streets, the hood character much of America has become to idolize as the originator of the Atlanta trap music scene. It’s the hero’s journey, the infinite circle of trial and triumph that follows every “hero” in their own personal hell and heaven, that allows us to properly delve into Gucci’s life of crime and fame.
Gucci grew up in the severely impoverished ghettos of East Atlanta, distributing his earliest mixtape at the age of 14 while simultaneously living a life of vice to support himself. Following his early life, his struggles to sign with a label, his never-ending beef with anyone that got in his way, it was his sheer talent and commitment to writing new music that allowed him to rise above other rappers in the scene.
It was particularly his irreplaceable thirst for independence in his lyrics and persona that allowed him to rise above the rest of the competition, singling his character and his music as something worth witnessing. Intertwining his country roots with lyrics as dark as their socio-economic statuses, his unique mixtapes took over Atlanta. Rising in fame, it was the release of his debut album Trap House that put him on the map, and ultimately took him off it briefly as well. Disputes over the rights and the credits of multiple songs on the album created a rift between Gucci and his now ex-partner in rhyme Young Jeezy, another rapper on the come up at the time.
It was a combination of the fame of his Billboard placing albums and his beef with other rappers that resulted in the continuance of his street habits into his new, financially rich life. Drug fueled rants, the murder of a member of Jeezy’s gang, and gun/narcotic possession landed him as jail bait, like many rappers before him, placing him in a situation where he was forced to determine what he wants to do with his life. He embodied the life of a criminal, yet it was his southern flows and his homage to Atlanta that turned him into the symbol of the gangsta’ south, raising his popularity to heights he’s never reached before. His music was simply fun to listen to… he was able to connect with everyone’s bad side, showing that anyone can be their own bad ass.
Yet his past kept haunting him as promethazine and weapons kept reappearing in his life. Gucci found himself drifting in and out of prison, unable to shake the demons of his days selling dope and his arguments with anyone who isn’t him. Yet, even in prison he remained active, writing beats and lyrics expressing his frustration with the system and himself, releasing a multitude of semi-popular albums such as the collection known as World War 3D and Trap House 4.
It isn’t just the quality of music that propels his stardom, it’s the character behind the music. It’s the young man who faced the devil on the streets of Atlanta and put a leash on him. In reality, his music so far has just been half of Gucci. The other half has been the infamous man that can strike fear into the hearts of millions of his fans with a single verse. The assault-rifle toting thug that represents every struggle young black americans face growing up in the ghettos of Atlanta. But things were set to change. His life of crime was taking its toll as his money began to deplete almost as fast as his patience. Something had to change.
Having experienced the trials and tribulations of prison, on May 26, 2016 Gucci emerged from rock bottom and prison, claiming a life free of the drugs that ruled his life and that prison truly had changed, or sobered, him. Releasing the albums, Everybody Looking, The Return of East Atlanta Santa, and singles such as Black Beatles propelled him to incredible stardom and celebrity. Gucci proved that crime doesn’t run his life, that the coldest man in the game was dedicated to the one skill that sets him apart from others, his flow.
“I’m my own therapist,” he said. “I been changed from before I even got out. People seeing now the effect of how I started thinking from maybe early 2014.”
Rolling into 2017, his music inevitably found its way to top charts across the globe, especially with the release of his most popular album to date: Droptopwop. The man that got a tattoo of an ice cream cone on his face showed that his ice cold nature extends past jail, and that he can channel his menace into music just as successfully as he had done to crime. Etching a name for himself, Gucci is returning to his throne of king of trap. Only time will tell if his life of sin has truly finished and what the future beholds for the infamous Gucci Mane.
Works Cited
Corder, Cyril. “Gucci Mane.” AllMusic
Sanneh, Kelefa. “The Reinvention of Gucci Mane.” The New Yorker. The New Yorker, 18 June 2017
