‘Grown Man’: The song Gucci Mane labelled “special”
Gucci Mane has released a lot of songs, and in 2009, the Atlanta star was forced to reflect on his life after getting sentenced to 12 months in federal prison. The emcee violated the conditions of his parole, but when he was released in 2010, he had a lot of material to release based on his experiences in prison.
In 2010, Gucci Mane released The Appeal: Georgia’s Most Wanted, a 15-track album featuring Pharrell, Nicki Minaj, and Bun B. Following the success of The State vs. Radric Davis, the lyricist wanted to do a world tour. However, that dream was quickly taken away from him.
In an interview with Frank Ski and Wanda on Atlanta’s V103 radio station, the ‘Wasted’ rhymer explained why things in 2009 didn’t pan out the way he wanted them, stating, “Their was little behind the scenes things going on that people didn’t know like, [concerning] my probation, I actually had a warrant for my arrest about four or five months before I went in!”
“I feel like I got a whole new beginning like my career just started again.” When asked about the various features on The Appeal: Georgia’s Most Wanted, Gucci revealed that he had a great time recording it and requested special artists that he felt would musically bond with him.
Detailing his experience working with figures like Estelle, he added, “I like working with people. I like collaborating. I like just being creative and getting somebody else’s ideas and just trying to catch that speed and catch it running, so that’s something I like that’s challenging to me!”
Estelle, most known for her 2008 single ‘American Boy’ featuring Kanye West, appeared on the song ‘Grown Man’, which closed out The Appeal: Georgia’s Most Wanted. In an interview with MTV News following the release of the 2010 project. Gucci Mane expressed his love for that collaboration.
Speaking about the song’s meaning and place in his heart, Gucci explained, “That’s a special song on the album,” he added, “It talks about the transition from getting out of jail, then making mistakes in your life, sharpening your focus, taking responsibility for what happened in your life.”
The track produced by Jim Jonsin and Wayne Wilkins wasn’t released as a single but became a classic for fans. Some of the artists that appeared n the iTunes deluxe edition of the 2010 body of work include the Trey Songz and Florida female rapper Trina.
In a true Southern fashion the buzz surrounding the album was created after Gucci Mane released a special series of mixtapes, tracks and viral videos that shook the culture.