JAY-Z couldn’t even co-sign for me
I do what I want, ’cause I’m signed to me
I get the, I get the, I get the bag
They get the bag, had to cut it in half
Stop the comparin’, y’all makin’ me laugh
Need the rehab, I’m addicted to cash…
-Gucci Mane, “I Get The Bag” (2017)
It’s easy, even for fans of hip-hop, to dismiss trap music as little more than the glorification of drug dealing. But the range and reach of trap music shows just how influential it is in today’s culture. You know the song “Dark Horse” by Katy Perry? That’s a trap beat bouncing under her vocals. Who is that appearing with Cher in the new Gap ad? It’s trap artist Future.
The godfather of the genre, Gucci Mane, made his debut in 2005 and is now one of the most sought-after musicians for collaboration by hip-hop and R&B artists. Gucci’s stories of selling crack and lavish wealth, set over catchy, synth-heavy beats, created a style that almost immediately caught fire. But it’s his work ethic that powers his music’s popularity.
Gucci first hit the Billboard charts as an independent artist. And while he was incarcerated from 2014 to 2016 for firearms possession, he released several albums and mixtapes and even wrote a screenplay (which he later starred in).
With the release of “The Autobiography of Gucci Mane,” the rapper adds author to his resume. The book details his childhood, how he successfully straddled the line between the drug trade and the music industry and his dedication to leaving a legacy he can be proud of.
For more, visit http://the1a.org.
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Copyright 2017 WAMU 88.5