Childhood & Early Life
Radric Delantic Davis with stage name Gucci Mane was born in Bessemer, Alabama, on 12 February 1980. His parents separated and he was raised by his mother. At the age of nine, he moved to Atlanta with his mother.
He demonstrated a flair for penning verses as a child but took to rapping when he was 14 years old.
Gucci released an album ‘La Flare’ under the record label ‘Str8 Drop Records’ in 2001 when he was 22. Approximately 1000 CDs of this album were distributed publicly.
In 2002, he, as an associate member of ‘Sign Yourself Click’, signed a deal with SYS Records and also established his recording label ‘LaFlare Entertainment’ by teaming up with Zaytoven, record producer and DJ. Thereafter, he shifted base to New York with the objective of clinching a distribution contract but came back home empty handed.
Following his introduction to Big Cat, the head honcho of Big Cat Records, he recorded and unveiled a track “Black Tee” after finalizing a deal. He also joined forces with Young Jeezy, a budding local rapper and together they released a song “So Icy”.
Gucci carried on working secretly, signing an album distribution contract with Tommy Boy Records while getting ready to launch, ‘Trap House’ his first indie album.
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Career
Gucci’s first indie record ‘Trap House’ was released in 2006 which included the track ‘So Icy’ which he had sung with Jeezy. Though the LP was not released with fanfare and flourish, the album went on to secure a position in the top 20 hits of Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop charts.
'Trap House’ climbed to the top of the Billboard Heartseekers Chart which was remarkably laudable for an indie album. However, there was a bitter wrangle between Jeezy and Gucci with regards to acquiring the rights for the track resulting in their parting ways.
Gucci’s second independent album, ‘Hard to Kill’ was up for sale in 2006; the album included the popular single “Freaky Gurl” which eventually claimed the 12th spot on Hot Rap Tracks.
His first commercial label release was ‘Back to the Trap House’ unveiled in 2007 that included a remix of “Freaky Gurl”.
In May 2009, Gucci Mane secured a recording deal with Warner Bros. Records. Gucci featured as a guest singer on several tracks and song remixes including Maria Carey’s “Obsessed”. Warner Bros Records released his second studio record ‘The State vs. Radric Davis’ on 8 December 2009.
Gucci, after serving a jail sentence for violating probation, announced a name change of his record label. His label which was originally known as ‘So Icey Entertainment’ came to be known as ‘1017 Brick Squad Records’.
His third studio record ‘The Appeal: Georgia’s Most Wanted’ came out in 2010 on 28 September 2010. “Gucci Time” the opening track from the album debuted on his MySpace profile on 6 August 2010.
In 2011, Gucci released his 10th EP ‘The Return of Mr. Zone 6’; the EP debuted at number 18 on Billboard 200 and till date it is his topmost charting album. ‘The Return of Mr. Zone 6’ secured the 2nd and 8th spots on Rap and R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts respectively.
Gucci recorded and released albums like ‘Ferrari Boyz’ and ‘BAYTL’ by collaborating with ‘Waka Flocka Flame’ and ‘V-Nasty’ correspondingly in 2011.
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A mixed tape ‘Trap Back’ followed in 2012 featuring rap bands and rappers including ‘Future’, ‘2 Chainz’, ‘Jadakiss, ‘Waka Flocka Flame’, ‘Rocko’ and ‘Yo Gotti’.
In 2012, Gucci also came up with the mixed tapes titled ‘I’m Up’ and ‘Trap God’. ‘Trap God’ featured prominent rappers ‘Birdman’, ‘Meek Mill’, ‘Future’, ‘Rick Ross’, and ‘Waka Flocka Flame’ with whom he collaborated recurrently.
In 2013, after releasing another 4 mixtapes, Gucci proclaimed that he’d soon be unveiling a brand new studio album named ‘Trap House III’ which incidentally would be the ultimate in the ‘Trap House’ series. He also declared the unveiling of another album named ‘Mr GuWop’ featuring his close friend and industrial rock artist, Marilyn Manson.
On 5 June 2013, Gucci declared that an album named ‘Big Money Talk’ comprising an anthology of tracks composed by a group of rappers would be released under his record label ‘1017 Brick Squad’. That 1017 Brick Squad’s distribution pact with Atlanta Records was on the rocks also somehow leaked out.
The commercial release of his collaborative album ‘Mr. GuWop’ was postponed ad infinitum owing to Gucci’s imprisonment and his subsequent admission in a rehab. Gucci proceeded to release ‘The State vs. Radric Davis II: The Caged Bird Sings’, on 25th December 2013 which was his tenth successive studio record.
The years 2014 to 2016 saw Gucci at his prolific best as he released closed to 30 mixtapes, apart from unveiling digital records, and collaborative albums. Prominent amongst his mixtapes include ‘Young Thugga Mane La Flare’, ‘Big Gucci Sosa’, East Atlanta Santa’, and ‘1017 Mafia: Incarcerated’.
On July 22, 2016, Gucci released his 9th studio album, ‘Everybody Looking’, after serving a prison sentence that kept him in confinement for nearly 3 years. He partnered with Rae Sremmurd to collaborate on a single “Black Beatles” that charted to the top of Billboard Hot 100 in November 2016.
”Black Beatles” was Gucci’s first single that attained the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100. He released his 10th indie album ‘Woptober’ on 14 October 2016 and ended the year on a high note by coming up with his 10th studio record ‘The Return of East Atlanta Santa’.
Gucci Mane has also made his presence felt on the big screen, featuring in numerous movies, notable amongst these being ‘Birds of a Feather’ ‘Spring Breakers’, and ‘Gucci Mane-The Lost Footage’.
Major Works
Gucci in his professional career, starting from 2004 till date, has composed, recorded, and released a comprehensive array of single tracks, indie, studio, and collaborative albums as well as mixtapes. His noteworthy releases include ‘Trap House’, ‘Hard to Kill’, ‘Trap-A-Thon’, ‘Murder was the Case’, ‘Ferrari Boyz’, and ‘Black Beatles’.
