The Autobiography of Gucci Mane

September 25, 2017
East Atlanta hip-hop innovator Gucci Mane (né Radric Delantic Davis) delivers a tell-all of his checkered childhood and career. Born in rural Alabama to a drugâaddicted hustler father and single mother, Gucci Mane began selling drugs by the seventh grade and rapping by age 14. Over the next two decades, he cycled through jailâincluding a three-year stint in federal prisonâand rehabilitation facilities after numerous drug- and firearm-related offenses, and still released eight studio albums and dozens of mixtapes, formed his own record label, and worked with some of rap's top names. All the while, he groomed Atlanta's up-and-coming artists, as well as polishing his own free-associating lyrical style at "a pace that few could match." Gucci Mane is unflinching in his recounting of his life's lowest moments and refreshingly blunt about his relationships with rival Young Jeezy ("The vibe was fucked.... It was no longer a business situation to sort out. It had become personal") and erstwhile protégé Waka Flocka Flame ("Waka and I had been having problems on and off for three years. But we'd been able to keep it between us"); however, he tends to get, as he would put it, "lost in the sauce" when naming friends and enemies or describing his time as a "studio rat." Yet the story he spins is riveting, filled with music-world intrigue and inner-city shootouts and buoyed by a self-awareness not marred by ego.

May 1, 2018

Atlanta has always played a significant role in shaping the sound and culture of rap and hip-hop, and the influence of Gucci Mane (né Radric Davis) can't be overstated. But he almost didn't get to experience the success because of his frequent stints in jail. Most recently released in 2016, Gucci Mane has been on a tear since then, putting out albums and mixtapes and collaborating with others. This autobiography, written while he was serving time in a federal prison for possession of a firearm, paints a rich portrait. Gucci Mane was born in rural Alabama. As a young teen from very limited means, he began petty drug dealing and moved on to bigger deals to earn money fast. In 2001, he met record producer Zaytoven (with whom he still works) and music became his passion even as the drug dealing greatly funded it. Gucci Mane briefly discusses how he was accused of murder in 2005 (which was ruled an act of self-defense) but is very frank about his use of lean (a mix of prescription cough syrup, soft drinks, and fruit-flavored candy) and the tolls of addiction. Several full-color photographs enhance the stories. The book name drops frequently, as Gucci Mane has influenced and worked with almost every rapper out of Atlanta in the last decade. VERDICT An engaging addition for fans of the artist or music lovers in general.-Jamie Watson, Baltimore County Public Library

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