Gucci Mane – “Episodes” review

Atlanta, Georgia rapper, record executive & entrepreneur Gucci Mane celebrating 1017 Day with his 17th album. Notable for being one of the Big 3 pioneers in trap music alongside T.I. & Jeezy, of course you can’t forget to mention him having one of if not the largest discography throughout the entire subgenre that continues to grow today. Breath of Fresh Air exactly 2 years ago was a decent 2-disc offering & to coincide with his new memoir, the 1017 Global founder has recorded a companion soundtrack to Episodes: The Diary of a Recovering Madman.

The title track produced by Pooh Beatz works in some pianos, hi-hats & a 2 Chainz vocal sample to talk about going crazy until taking the soulful trap route instrumentally so he can reflect going from bad dreams to “Beautiful Nightmares”. We get some more pitched sampling during “Voices” talking about dropping all of his artists besides Pooh Shiesty & Foogiano leading into “Psycho” questioning if his mental health has been declining.

“Gucci Special” vibrantly talks about leaving the whole parking lot annoyed after pulling up to kill that bitch while “Only Time” cautions at the last time someone tried to fuck with him, he almost caught a murder case. “Still So Icy” playfully talks about feeling like WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson with 2 tigers in his crib just before “Rich N***a Problems” breaks down the cons that come with being wealthy from his own personal experiences.

The chipmunk soul/trap fusions from earlier carry their way onto “I Need You” throwing a hint of pop rap into the mix paying tribute to his wife Keyshia while “Cold” swaps out the soul elements in favor of acoustics talking about going from the bed to the floor with his wife. “In Common” discusses the similarities between him & women who don’t take shit from anyone while “Savages” flexes that your favorite actress is on her knees kissing his ring.

“Money” locks in with Murda Beatz to talk about his children loving to spend their bread & him falling asleep with stacks in bed while “Forest” with co-production from Bricks da Mane boasts of him moving invincibly because of the invulnerability he’s had throughout his whole career. “Record Deal” talks about his way of life being waking up while chasing bags while “Real” discusses his boss status & 2 decade plus longevity over synthesizers & hi-hats.

OJ da Juiceman appears for the nostalgic “Back Cooking” taking it back to the mid/late 2000s whipping work again while “Preference” talks about not having any kind of favorite hoes over Honorable C.N.O.T.E. incorporating some pianos. “You Don’t Love Me” featuring Sexyy Red samples “I Think I Love Her” playing off one another’s verses perfectly while “Hit” featuring Bossman DLow didn’t need to be included whatsoever since it originally appeared on DLow Curry.

“Heard” starts the final leg of Episodes by talking about hearing all kinds of crazy regarding a hoe he’s familiar with whether it be the sex causing men to break the law & not having a car as a result of low income while the soulful trap hybrid “Lust or Love” asks the woman he has in mind what her intentions with him. “Just Like Me” finishes it all of with 1 final trap song talking about spending money like it grows on trees.

I‘m still pretty in different towards Breath of Fresh Air, but Episodes surpasses what very few expectations I had going into it with the most enjoyable Gucci Mane album since Ice Daddy excluding the So Icy Boyz compilation. The production Pooh Beatz primarily handles is significantly more interesting than it was 104 weeks previously & thematically, he’s basically giving the world a look at his own struggles with mental health.

Score: 3.5/5

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Gucci Mane – “G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Trappers)” review

I believe this is the 56th mixtape from Atlanta, Georgia rapper as well as record executive & entrepreneur Gucci Mane. Emerging in the mid-2000s becoming one of the Big 3 pioneers in trap music alongside T.I. & Jeezy, he also has 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 previous solo effort Breath of Fresh Air last fall was just a middle-of-the-road double disc experience & is having DJ Drama host the long-awaited G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Trappers).

The title track gets us started by referring to himself as the Greatest Of All Trappers over a bouncy trap instrumental whereas “Rich Niggaz” has a more playful atmosphere to the beat from Zaytoven talking about starting to become rich 18 years ago. “Kicked In” produced by Honorable C.N.O.T.E. energetically explains that you can’t get high without these hoes because they’ll give you herpes leading into “Questions” grittily observing all these broke muhfuckas lookin’ sad out here.

“Leak” humorously talks about a hoe as fine as Kim Kardashian the night before & waking up the next morning lookin’ like Chief Keef without makeup while “Hypocrites” calling out those sayin’ it ain’t about the money on their bullshit knowing good & well that it really is. The sequel to “Making Love to the Money” picks up where The Appeal: Georgia’s Most Wanted highlight left off just before “4 Lifers” triumphantly gets his flowers since Wop gave life to the culture.

Starting the tape’s final leg, “I Told Myself” talks looking like $500M every time you see him over a suspenseful trap instrumental while “1 Thing About It” vibrantly pushes towards the conclusion by getting with some of that paper. “Chanel Bag” featuring JT formerly of the City Girls has an eerier beat looking to maintain each other’s statuses as fly & “TakeDat” ends the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Trappers) with a vicious diss aimed at Puff Daddy a.k.a. P. Diddy or Diddy.

Gucci’s discography is large enough to the point where it’s accepted that he’s gonna have some misses & G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Trappers) easily stands as the most I’ve enjoyed a project from him since Ice Daddy in the summer of 2021 commemorating him becoming a father. There’s obviously much less filler than there was on Breath of Fresh Air, the production has improved & the 1017 founder reassured his status in the trap subgenre.

Score: 3.5/5

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Gucci Mane – “Breath of Fresh Air” review

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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Gucci Mane – “Ice Daddy” review

This is the 15th full-length album from Atlanta, Georgia’s very own Gucci Mane. Emerging in the mid-2000s, he would go on to receive legend status for being 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 last year revamping 1017 Global, signing a bunch of acts (the most notable one being Pooh Shiesty) & putting out a couple showcase compilations that successfully gave these newer cats more exposure. But after having a kid with his wife Keyshia almost 6 months ago, Wizzop is officially returning by dropping Ice Daddy.

The opener “Poppin’” incorporates some piano & strings as Gucci is pretty much showcasing 1017’s newest signee BigWalkDog while the Mike WiLL Made-It produced “Posse on Bouldercrest” with Pooh Shiesty is a dope lil homage to the classic Sir Mix-a-Lot joint “Posse on Broadway”. I love the ominousness that 30 Roc provides for “Shit Crazy”, but the Big30 feature is so wack. Luckily we have Pooh Shiesty reappearing on “Like 34 & 8” to make up for it.

Richie Souf & Southside work in a flute for Wop to get in his drug dealer bag with “D-Boy Style” whereas the Lil Baby-assisted “Trap Shit” speaks on how everything they put on wax is official backed by a lavish Zaytoven instrumental. On “I Got It”, we have Lil Uzi Vert accompanying Gucci for a moody slow jam attempt & the energetic “Rich N***a Shit” needs no further explanation.

Meanwhile on the piano-inflicted “Top of Shit”, we have 2 Chainz tagging along to address their longevity just before E-40 fills in for the organ-laced paper anthem “Never Runnin’ Out of Money”. Then we have Project Pat helping Wop go back on the pusher tip for the synthy, bass-heavy “Fold Dat Money Up” leading up to the bloodthirsty “Gucci Coming for You” featuring these gun-cocking sounds in the production.

d.a. got that dope whips up a more somber sound for the boastful “Invoices” just before Gucci & PeeWee Longway start a bonfire on the rowdy “Live at the Red Carpet”. The song “Bust Down” is a nice throwback to dirty south strip club bangers while the penultimate track “Lately” is a spookily-produced confession about fake motherfuckers. The album then ends with “How I See It”, where Wop jumps on a rubbery instrumental to speak how he views things.

It’s been pretty clear that Father’s Day is approaching this weekend & Ice Daddy to me is a dope way for Gucci to celebrate. He sounds focused & charismatic on the mic once more with Mike WiLL, Zay & Southside helping to bring the best out of him as they usually do.

Score: 3.5/5

Smokepurpp – “Psycho (Legally Insane)” review

Smokepurpp is a 23 year old rapper from Miami, Florida who broke out in 2017 alongside his childhood friend Lil Pump. Shortly after the release of his debut EP Up Now Fuck Next, he caught the attention of Houston superstar Travis Scott & dropped his critically acclaimed debut mixtape Deadstar under Cactus Jack Records in a joint venture with the Interscope Records sub-label Alamo Records. This was followed up with a 3-Pack EP a couple months later as well as the Murda Beatz-produced Bless Yo Trap tape in 2018 & the Lost Planet EP in 2019, but then Purpp would leave Cactus Jack that same year to release the full-length debut Deadstar 2. Which was below average in comparison to that debut mixtape. His sophomore album Florida Jit from last summer turned out to be mediocre, as the only saving graces of it were Ronny J’s production & a couple of the features. But to move on from a tumultuous 2020 like almost all of us are doing at this point, Purpp is coming out of the woodwork by dropping his 3rd EP.

Things start off with “Prom Queen”, where Purpp talks about being trigger happy over a trap beat sampling “After Laughter (Comes Tears)” by Wendy Rene. The next song “We Outside” with Lil Mosey finds the duo talking about poppin’ out until the sun comes up over an instrumental that has a bit of a country flare to it while the track “200 Thou” produced by Ginseng talks about walkin’ through the mall with a bunch of cash on him over a comatose beat.

The song “Rockstar” talks about his new lifestyle over an instrumental that sounds like it was copied right out of the Pi’erre Bourne playbook while the penultimate track “What You Wanna Do?” gets on the murder tip over a fittingly grisly beat. The EP ends with “Tic Tac”, where Smokepurpp talks about fucking up the trap over a trap metal instrumental.

Coming from someone who enjoyed Deadstar & Bless Yo Trap quite a bit, I really didn’t care for this EP other than a couple joints. The production choices are very questionable for a good majority of it’s 13-minute runtime & lyrically, Smokepurpp is just painting himself into a corner at this point.

Score: 1.5/5

Gucci Mane – “D.O.G. (Delusions Of Grandeur)” review

Gucci Mane is a legendary rapper from Atlanta, Georgia known for being one of the 3 trap pioneers shaping the subgenre to what it is today. However, it wasn’t until 2016 when he finished serving his last prison sentence for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon that he would improve both musically & personally. The dude is known for dropping a couple projects a year & now just 6 months after Evil Genius (which was his only effort last year shockingly), he’s delivering his 14th full-length album.

The album kicks off with “Bussdown”, where Wop talks about not wanting to squash beef over a generically moody beat. The next song “Backwards” with Meek Mill see the 2 getting braggadocious over a lavish Zaytoven beat while the track “Special” with Anuel AA talks about their glow up over a bassy Murda Beatz instrumental with some twinkling piano keys. The song “ICE” sounds like a leftover from Gunna & Lil Baby’s collab tape Drip Harder while the track “Love Thru the Computer” is a painfully corny romance tune.

The song “Proud of You” is a celebration of his new self over a Kenny Beats instrumental with a prominent violin while the track “Bottom” talks about how fine this chick is over a haunting Tay Keith beat. The song “Hands Off” is another sappy love tune while the track “Blind” with A Boogie wit da Hoodie sees the 2 flexing & I really love how Zaytoven samples the classic Nelly cut “Dilemma”. The song “Superstar” is a horrifically delivered celeb anthem with a mellow beat while the track “Upgrade” is a bouncy tribute to his wife.

The song “Lame” with Rick Ross & Wiz Khalifa dissing the titular types of people over a monstrous Southside] beat while the track “Potential” with Lil Uzi Vert & Young Dolph see the 3 sounds like a bland leftover from 1017 vs. the World. The track “Human Chandelier” gets cocky over a nocturnal beat while the song “Us” continues to flaunt over a bass-heavy instrumental.

The song “Look at Me Now” talks yet again about his new life since 2016 over a flute-inflicted Tay Keith beat while the penultimate track “Making a Murderer” gets bloodthirsty over a druggy Murda Beatz instrumental. The outro is a bit of a surprise as well, especially since Wop reunites with PeeWee Longway over a hard hitting Honorable C.N.O.T.E. instrumental.

Yeah, this is yet another decent album from Gucci. There are some catchy bangers, but the buttery cuts like the ones with Justin Bieber & Jeremih weigh it down. Nothing wrong with romance songs but in Gucci’s case, it sounds forced.

Score: 3/5

Gucci Mane – “Evil Genius” review

Gucci Mane is a legendary rapper from Atlanta, Georgia known for being one of the 3 trap pioneers shaping the subgenre to what it is today. However, it wasn’t until 2016 when he released from prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon that he would improve both musically & personally. The dude is known for dropping a couple projects a year & as we approach the final month of 2018, he’s delivering his 13th full-length album.

The album kicks off with “Off the Boat”, where Woo recalls his drug dealing days over a nocturnal beat. The track “By Myself” is essentially trap’s answer to KiD CuDi’s “Solo Dolo” while the song “Bipolar” with Quavo sees the 2 talking about how they act with their paychecks over a spacious trap beat from OG Parker. The track “Just Like It” with 21 Savage sees the 2 talking about the drug game over an ominous beat from Honorable C.N.O.T.E. while the song “Cold Shoulder” with YoungBoy Never Broke Again sees the 2 brushing off their haters over a nondescript instrumental.

The track “On God” gets boastful over an apocalyptic beat from Southside while the song “Father’s Day” pretty much acknowledges his status as a trap pioneer over a dark instrumental from Metro Boomin’. The track “Outta Proportion” references WWE Hall of Famer, former 6-time WWE Champion, 2-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, 2-time WWE United States Champion, 5-time WWE Tag Team Champion & NWA World Tag Team Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin backed with prominent hi-hats & faint keyboards. The track “Lost Y’all Minds” with Quavo is a needless sequel to “Bipolar” while the song “I’m Not Goin’” with Kevin Gates sees the 2 going at those who pray on their downfall over a bass-heavy trap beat from Murda Beatz.

The track “Wake Up in the Sky” with Kodak Black is a celebratory anthem with a laidback instrumental from 808 Mafia members DY, Tarentino & Tre Pounds while the song “Solitaire” is a solid introduction to the Glacier Boyz with a video-gamey instrumental. The track “This the Night” charismatically boasts about his wife Keyshia Davis over an atmospheric Southside beat while the song “Mad Russian” with Lil Skies sees the 2 getting flirtatious over a moody Murda Beatz instrumental.

The track “Hard Feelings” addresses all of Wop’s exes over a bland beat while the song “Lord” gives thanks to the higher power over a vibrant beat. The penultimate track “Money Callin'” pretty much speaks for itself over a syrupy yet spacey beat & then the closer “Kept Back” with Lil Pump sees the 2 talking about wanting a boss bitch over a trap beat with some classy keys.

It’s been almost a year since Gucci dropped his last album El Gato: The Human Glacier & now that we finally got the finished product after teasing it since then, the end results are slightly mixed. He still sounds great, but almost half of these cuts sound either unfinished or very plain.

Score: 3/5