Gucci Mane is a 43 year old rapper, record executive & entrepreneur from Atlanta, Georgia emerging in the mid-2000s becoming one of the Big 3 pioneers in trap music alongside T.I. & Jeezy as well as having one of if not the largest discography throughout the entire subgenre that continues to grow today. He spent a good bulk of this decade signing acts to 1017 Global putting out a number of showcase compilations that successfully gave these newer cats more exposure. Wop’s last solo effort Ice Daddy in 2021 was a solid commemoration to fatherhood & he’s looking to return in the form of his 16th album following former 5-time NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion, former PWG World Champion & WWE’s Director of Live Events Adam Pearce’s first night as the GM of the Monday Night RAW brand on USA Network.
“Must Be Me” is a soulful, jazzy trap opener talking about how he’s seeing something that everyone else doesn’t whereas “Bluffin’” featuring Lil Baby hooks up these synthesizers & hi-hats together so both of them can call for some of these people out here to throw their hand in & stop all that cap. “Thank Me” featuring the late Young Dolph gives off a manic atmosphere musically boasting they got blue cheese in their pockets leading into “Trap Money” with underwhelming features from Li Rye & Sett hopping over a classy sample & more hi-hats flexing that they still got paper from their hustling days.
Dolph returns for the rubbery “Pretty Girls” produced by Mike WiLL Made-It showing off all the baddies that they have surrounding them just before “Glizock & Wizop” featuring Key Glock happens to be a decent introduction to the titular trio of the same name from the synth-woven trap beat to the boastfully icy lyrics. “Internet Chatter” makes it known that he isn’t phased by all the things they say about him online accompanied by a minimal trap sound that Dez Wright & Murda Beatz cooked up just before the shimmery “Talkin to the Streets” featuring Mac Critter drops off decent braggadocio.
“There I Go” featuring J. Cole has these cavernous undertones to the beat that Mike WiLL brings to the table here knowing that the hoes jump out the gym for both of them while “Mr. & Ms. Perfect” feels like a spiritual successor to a highlight off Wop’s 8th mixtape Mr. Perfect over 15 years ago. “I Know” vigorously produced by Tay Keith declares his awareness off how much it hurts people knowing he’s doing well while the piano-driven “Stomach Grumbling” ends the first half of the LP explaining that they want to be him despite the difficulty of doing so.
To start the 2nd leg, “Business Not Personal” gives off a theatrical edge instrumentally advising not to get emotional over any business matters as it has nothing to do with you personally while the cloudy “King Snipe”featuring Kodak Black & Richie Souf talks about being real from the jump. “06 Gucci” featuring DaBaby & 21 Savage finds the trio paying homage to Chicken Talk/Hard to Kill-era Gucci delving into the gangsta lifestyle accompanied by strings & hi-hats while the spacious “Pissy” featuring Nardo Wick & Roddy Ricch shows off their yellow gold.
The organ/trap hybrid that Zaytoven gives “Say No Mo” is interestingly distinct talking about not wanting to hear another word from anyone that doesn’t want to talk money while the fittingly lavish “Married with Millions” details the life of having a family as a millionaire. “Woppenheimer” goes for a suspenseful vibe pointing out that people like bringin’ up the past talkin’ recently while “Now It’s Real” talks about life being as beautiful as Pharrell & WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg over keys & hi-hats.
“Broken Hearted” airily asks if anyone can cure the heartbreak that he’s experiencing while “Hurt People” remains in trillwave turf once more uniquely examining why everyone likes to cause harm to one another in our daily lives. “By the Water” sees Zaytoven lacing Wop with a synth-trap beat expressing for his desire to cop a house that has an ocean view & the closer “Big Boy Diamonds” is taken from WOPTOBER II. Better than “King Snipe” but much like “Mr. & Mrs. Perfect”, it’s an older cut that has no purpose of reappearing here.
I was interested in hearing that Breath of Fresh Air was going to be a double-disc LP considering the World War 3 mixtape that celebrated it’s 10-year anniversary over the summer happens to be one of my favorite projects from the trap pioneer. With that said: It’s not as solid as Ice Daddy was over 2 & a half years ago. Although I like that he took a different direction with it after the deaths & incarcerations of some of his friends, the production is a mixed bag & a few features punch under their weight other than a couple older tracks being rehashed.
Score: 3/5
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