Gucci Mane is one of Atlanta’s most pioneering MCs. As one of the first trap artists of all time, he made a massive impact on hip-hop and was among a handful of artists who put Atlanta on the map.
The rapper (real name Radric Davis) was one of the first figures to embrace the Migos publicly, and his label 1017 Records was the launchpad for a slew of incredible Southern rhymers including, Young Thug, Waka Flocka Flame, Pooh Shiesty and OJ da Juiceman.
With critically acclaimed albums such as Trap House, Hard To Kill, Trap-A-Thon and Back to the Trap House, he laid a blueprint for young Southern artists who now dominate the hip-hop culture.
In 2014, Davis was sentenced to three years in prison for firearm charges. While he was incarcerated, he decided to write a book, which was published upon his release in 2017, entitled The Autobiography of Gucci Mane.
Following its release, Davis sat down with journalist Malcolm Gladwell to discuss the book. Opening up about the book, he stated, “The book chronicles my life until the day I got out of prison. I have been locked up several times, but this time was different. I said I’m going to change my life; I’m going to do better.”
The interview was released in instalments. In one instalment, he spoke about the book, and in another, he unveiled why he believes tarp music has become so popular. However, in the final video, Gladwell began asking Gucci about his music taste.
In a similar format to the BBC’s Desert Island Discs, Gladwell questioned Davis, asking, “If Gucci Mane was marooned on a desert island, what five records would he take?” To which Davis responded, listing 50 Cent’s ‘Many Men,’ UGK’s ‘Pocket Full of Stones,’ 8 Ball & MJG’s ‘Lay It Down,’ and Kilo Ali’s ‘Cocaine’ and his own track ‘First Day Out Tha Feds.’
However, Gladwell asked him how he would have answered the question at 14 years old, to which Davis replied, ‘I’m Bad’ by LL Cool J, ‘Children’s Story’ by Slick Rick, anything released by Luke and 2 Live Crew, Eazy-E’s ‘Eazy Does It,’ and ‘Cocktales’ by Too $hort.
You can listen to Gucci Mane’s interview with Gladwell in the video below.
Gucci Mane’s favourite songs:
- ‘Many Men’ – 50 Cent
- ‘Pocket Full of Stones’ – UGK
- ‘Lay It Down’ – 8 Ball & MJG’s
- ‘Cocaine’ – Kilo Ali
- ‘First Day Out Tha Feds’ – Gucci Mane
- ‘I’m Bad’ – LL Cool J
- ‘Children’s Story’ – Slick Rick
- ‘Eazy Does It’ – Eazy E
- ‘Cocktales’ – Too $hort
