It was a big week for fans of prolific Southern trap king Gucci Mane. The newly-svelte rapper surprised his loyal following by dropping Woptober, his second post-prison release, early. The LP also marks Gucci’s first project since the end of his house arrest. Though it was originally slated for October 17, in true East Atlanta Santa fashion, he brought Decem-burr early. Prior to the album going live, Gucci took to Twitter to announce the early release. He chalked up the decision to drop the project to his desire to show fans how much he appreciated them.
It was a big week for fans of prolific Southern trap king Gucci Mane. The newly-svelte rapper surprised his loyal following by dropping Woptober, his second post-prison release, early. The LP also marks Gucci’s first project since the end of his house arrest. Though it was originally slated for October 17, in true East Atlanta Santa fashion, he brought Decem-burr early. Prior to the album going live, Gucci took to Twitter to announce the early release. He chalked up the decision to drop the project to his desire to show fans how much he appreciated them.
"I still don’t give a fuck how a fuckboy feel"
Song: "Intro: Fuck 12"
Producer: London on da Track
This is a perfect Instagram caption, the kind of line we can only assume will generate petty memes for days. It's also super relatable, if we're keeping it 100.
"I ain’t never been embarrassed, I ain’t never felt fear/I got post traumatic skresses like I can’t shed tears"
Song: "Intro: Fuck 12"
Producer: London on da Track
Coming from a man with an ice cream cone tattooed on his face, this is believable. It’s also strangely resonant in that while, at first, the mentions of PTSD feel like typical rap bravado with a healthy dash of machismo, Gucci’s acknowledgment of his own trauma points to a level of introspection that goes far below the surface.
"Boy you just a chameleon/And you blend in good, but I’ll hurt more than your feelings"
Song: "Aggressive"
Producer: Zaytoven
The full line reads: "You’se a sheep in a wolf outfit boy you just a chameleon / And you blend in good, but I’ll hurt more than your feelings." Only Guwop could make a nursery rhyme allusion seem so sinister.
"I’m laundering money but where the washing machines/They know my trap house pump out quarters like a slot machine"
Song: "Money Machine" f/ Rick Ross
Producer: Da Honorable C.N.O.T.E.
The beauty of Gucci is that his lyrics can seem quite elementary at first glance, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are. Money laundering and a washing machine reference seems intuitive enough, yet there’s more than simple metaphor at play. Money laundering boomed in the United States in the 1920s. At that time, organized crime syndicates would often purchase laundromats because they were cash-only businesses; doing so allowed them to clean dirty money while maintaining the front of a legitimate business. Similarly, the allusion to quarters both speaks to moving quarter ounces while also tying in gambling.
"Streets don’t kill him then the law gon’ get him/Better listen to me kid, it’s a fucked up system"
Song: "Dirty Lil Nigga"
Producer: Metro Boomin & Southside
Gucci follows up this line with "Y'all might not feel him but I damn sure feel him / 'Cause I was just in a jail cell fucked up with him." On the surface this song can feel like an indictment against wild and reckless youth, but in reality, it’s a narrative of the journey to becoming a product of an unforgiving environment. It’s also a testament to living within a system that criminalizes the young and unguided rather than seeking to help them.
"They commit a crime then they drop a dime/If you a man why don’t you bitch ass niggas stand up and do your time?"
Song: "Right On Time"
Producer: Zaytoven
Just another one of the many shots fired throughout the album; there are quotables for days.
"Think I’m a clone but if they cut me this sauce gon’ ooze out"
Song: Bling Blaww Burr
Producer: Metro Boomin
Gucci brings together clone conspiracies and getting lost in the sauce—the ultimate viral meme waiting to be made.
"When your rap sheet look like mine no one will hire ya/But when you sign yourself like I did, they can’t fire ya"
Song: "Hi-Five"
Producer: CuBeatz & Metro Boomin
Lest we forget who founded 1017 Brick Squad.
"I progress then regress and this shit is getting depressing/But I count my stash ‘fore I count my blessings"
Song: "Out The Zoo"
Producer: Drumma Boy
The full line is: "I progress then regress and this shit is getting depressing / But I count my stash ‘fore I count my blessings. / And I load my weapon ‘fore I eat my breakfast the streets keep talking and the snitches keep telling / Your whole life can change in a motherfucking second."
This entire song feels like one of the deepest glimpses into Gucci’s psyche outside of “Addicted.” From mentions of plunging into manic states to references to voices in his head, the verses waver between a deep sense of nihilism and a desire to rise above it.
"Hi my name is Gucci Mane, I’m addicted to everything/Bad bitch, fast cars, weed and promethazine"
Song: "Addicted" Producer: Will-A-Fool
This wins purely because one can’t help but automatically picture Gucci introducing himself during an AA meeting in just this manner. It’s good to see him better and even better that he’s talking about his addictions.