“I changed a lot in there,” Davis recently told the Los Angeles Times. “I know this is serious now and I have a lot to get off my chest. This record is painful and gothic and epic, but it’s the soundtrack of my past.”
Although Gucci is no stranger to a government-issued jumpsuit, having served time in 2006 and 2009, the MC said he had to adjust to certain aspects of life outside the prison walls.
“It’s strange to go from being locked up to a month later everyone saying, ‘Gucci, let’s party!’ ” he said. “But I lost so much in there that I came out with a much sharper focus.”
HipHopDX | Rap & Hip Hop News | Ad Placeholder
AD

AD LOADING...

AD
As one of many high-profile lyricists entangled in the U.S. penal system, Gucci also reflected that bringing street elements into the music game is an issue for MCs.
“(Prison) is a real problem in hip-hop — it’s a struggle to let that culture go. You can’t let the ideology of the street get you in trouble,” he said, adding, “I just wish I didn’t have to go to jail to learn that. But sometimes we have to sacrifice and be responsible.”

After a six month stint in Fulton County Jail and a top 5 album on the Billboard Top 200, Gucci Mane reflected on how his latest bid affected him. “I changed a lot in there,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “I know this is serious now and I have a lot to get off my chest. This record is painful and gothic and epic, but it’s the soundtrack of my past.”

The Georgia-bred rapper was sentenced to a year after violating his probation, which he received after a 2005 assault charge. It was not his first jail stint, but it was his first since becoming so successful. “It’s strange to go from being locked up to a month later everyone saying, ‘Gucci, let’s party!’ ” he said. “But I lost so much in there that I came out with a much sharper focus.”

HipHopDX | Rap & Hip Hop News | Ad Placeholder
AD

AD LOADING...

AD

Gucci, real name Radric Davis, also sees the bigger picture, “(Prison) is a real problem in hip-hop — it’s a struggle to let that culture go. You can’t let the ideology of the street get you in trouble. I just wish I didn’t have to go to jail to learn that. But sometimes we have to sacrifice and be responsible.”