Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), better known as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper originally from Bessemer, Alabama but most known for his association with the trap scene in Atlanta, Georgia. He is known for being one of the main innovators of modern trap music.
Gucci got his start in 2001 after his first arrest, putting out the album La Flare on Str8 Drop Records, although the record was not widely released. He would go on to drop the songs "Black Tee" (a response to Dem Franchise Boyz's "White Tee") and "Icy" with Young Jeezy, which would lead to trouble between the two down the road. That road would start with Gucci's debut album Trap House. As the lead single for Trap House was "Icy", problems arose over the rights to the song which would culminate in the two releasing some of the most scathing diss tracks in hip-hop history, including a track where Jeezy put out a bounty on Gucci Mane's So Icy chain for $10,000.
Gucci's most infamous moment ended up being related to Jeezy's $10,000 line, as he was charged for murder in 2005 when a group of men, believed to be associated with Young Jeezy, attempted to set up Gucci with a woman to make it easy to rob him during the liaison. Gucci and his crew ended up shooting back at the assailants, killing one. He was subsequently arrested and charged for murder until the charges were dropped citing insufficient evidence.
This event, along with a relentless work ethic, would help Gucci earn a degree of notoriety not just in the Southern rap scene, but in hip-hop in general. He would sign to Warner Bros. Records in 2009, appearing on numerous remixes and releasing hit singles including "Lemonade" and "Wasted" that would assist in him crossing over. Around this time was when his mixtape output began to increase; come the 2010s, his musical output only increased from there. He would go on to mentor upcoming Atlanta rap talent/future rap superstars like Migos, Peewee Longway, Future and Young Thug, being one of the first major artists in the city to give them a shot on a mainstream level.
Unfortunately, years of reckless living and mental health issues would catch up to Gucci in 2013. The legal problems culminated with a now-infamous Twitter rant while high on promethazine and codeine in which he accused his management of stealing from him and his 1017 Brick Squad label, along with disses and slander aimed at rappers including Nicki Minaj, Drake and 2 Chainz. Perhaps worst of all was when he dissed management at his distribution label, Atlantic Records, and claimed they were stealing from Brick Squad, which led to Atlantic releasing Gucci and his label. He was subsequently arrested after a friend called the police out of concern for his well-being.
On May 13, 2014, Gucci pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and agreed to a plea deal to help reduce his sentence to late 2016. On May 26, 2016, he was released from prison; the next day, he released a new single under his new deal with Atlantic Records titled "First Day Out the Feds". Albums such as Everybody Looking, Mr. Davis and DropTopWop followed in the months after. This, along with a rehabilitated image, a lore surrounding his past exploits, and his music being embraced by the new generation of hip-hop stars, helped push Gucci into the mainstream. He featured on Rae Sremmurd's #1 Billboard hit single "Black Beatles", and would go on to get married to his longtime girlfriend, Keyshia Ka'Oir, in 2017 as well as release his autobiography in the same year.
Gucci Mane provides examples of:
- Album Title Drop: One doesn't need to look far for this as his first official studio album Trap House's first song after the intro is titled...Trap House.
- Auto-Tune: When Gucci sings, expect to hear this.
- Boastful Rap: The majority of Gucci's lyrical content.
- Catchphrase: He likes to say “burr” a lot in his songs.
- Darker and Edgier: 2011-2013 proved to be this for Gucci's music and personal life. As his personal life seemed to be careening out of control in ways including questionable life decisions, increased drug use and getting into constant legal trouble, his music took a noticeably darker turn.
- Diary of a Trap God, a mixtape released around the time of his arrest in 2013, features some of the darkest and most personal music in his discography, with themes of isolation, paranoia and betrayal at the forefront. There's even an uncredited cameo from Marilyn Manson, of all people.
- Deep South: Gucci Mane was born in Bessemer, Alabama and moved to Atlanta, Georgia at the age of nine. This slight change from a backwater, country town in Alabama to the busy city of Atlanta can be heard in his drawl which has considerably more rural elements than the average ATL native.
- Gem-Encrusted: His collection is legendary
, including a Gold and Yellow Diamond Bart Simpson. - Happily Married: To Keyshia Ka'oir.
- I Have Many Names: Trap God, Guwop, Big Guwop, Wop, Wizzop, Gucci Mane La Flare, Mr. Zone 6, East Atlanta Santa
- Intercourse with You: A popular theme in his work.
- Lyrical Dissonance: Particularly in the beginning of his career when the majority of his production was handled by Zaytoven and occasionally Shawty Redd and Nitti. Trap Music had not found it's footing at the beginning of Gucci's career in the early 2000's and the "trap" sound was still blended in with elements of crunk's simple yet brutal style and snap music's goofiness. The lyrical content has remained the same however - guns, drugs, women and violence - which can make listening to early Gucci somewhat disorienting for an unprepared listener.
- Lyrical Tic:
- "BURR!"
- Starting off or ending verses with "It's Gucci!"
- Making Love in All the Wrong Places: "Sex in Crazy Places".
- The Mentor: To a lot of hip-hop artists, including Future, Young Thug and Migos. To Nicki Minaj to an extent at the start of her career too.
- Odd Friendship: While filming Spring Breakers (in which he plays the villainous Archie), he befriended both Harmony Korine and Selena Gomez, and has worked with them both since.
- Ode to Intoxication: "Pillz (Bitch I Might Be)", "Gas & Mud", and a many more of his pre-2016 songs.
- Scary Black Man: Prior from being released from his 2014 incarceration.
- Tattooed Crook: beyond the ice cream cone face tattoo, Guwop is heavily covered.
- Versus Title: The State vs. Radric Davis
- A Wild Rapper Appears!: Whenever he's featured on a pop song, with examples including "Down" by Fifth Harmony, "Fetish" by Selena Gomez, "Party" by Chris Brown and "Exactly How I Feel" by Lizzo.
