Gucci Mane | Success Story of the Influential Rapper

Radric Delantic Davis, famous by his stage name Gucci Mane, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record executive. Davis is considered one of the most influential rappers of the 2000s. He has been a part of the music industry for over two decades. In his long and successful career, Davis has released over 71 mixtapes. He is considered the founding father of trap music. Gucci Mane’s music has inspired top artists like Young Thug, Future, Migos, 21 Savage, and Zaytoven. 

About

Gucci Mane began his musical journey in 2001 with the music album La Flare. He rose to prominence during the mid-2000s after releasing several successful mixtapes. Davis gained worldwide recognition in 2016 after collaborating with Rae Sremmurd on the hip-hop song Black Beatles. The single became one of the year’s biggest hits. In his two-decade-long career, Gucci Mane has collaborated with iconic stars like Selena Gomez, Usher, Mariah Carey, Bruno Mars, Drake, The Weeknd, Chris Brown, and Rick Ross. Davis is also the founder of the renowned music label 1071 Records. 

Early Life & Struggles

On the 12th of February 1980, Radric Delantic Davis was born in Bessemer, Alabama, USA. His father, Ralph Everett Dudley, worked in a power plant. In contrast, his mother, Vicky Jean Davis, was a social worker and teacher. Radric’s father and grandfather both served in the US military during wartime. Radric’s parents met in 1978. At the time, Vicky already had a son. When Vicky was pregnant with Radric, police arrested Ralph in a drug case. As a result, Ralph was not present at the time of Radric’s birth. Because of Ralph’s absence, Vicky had to sign Radric’s birth certificate. Consequently, Radric was born with his mother’s last name. 

Radric grew up with his paternal grandmother and stepbrother in a small house in Bessemer. Radric’s mother pursued her college degree after Radric was born. During her free time, she taught Radric how to read. Later, Vicky often read the scriptures from the Bible with him. Radric’s older stepbrother introduced him to music at age six. Growing up, Radric’s father rarely contacted him. Gradually, he broke all ties with his son after having two other children with a woman in Atlanta. At age nine, Radric and his family moved to Atlanta after facing trouble in Bessemer. Radric’s grandfather spent a long time in and out of jail. In Atlanta, the family was going to move in with Vicky’s boyfriend. However, the man didn’t show up. Consequently, Radric, his stepbrother Victor, and Vicky had to survive independently. 

Beginning of Career

In Atlanta, Radric’s mother met a man in the church. Soon, they became friends, and the man offered Vicky and his children to move in. However, things were not easy for the family after moving. They lived in an area with a high crime rate and little money. Violence, drugs, and aggression surrounded young Radric and Victor. Throughout their childhood, the brothers dealt with financial instability. Every month, Vicky was running low on money. As a result, the boys got under bad influences. During their teenage years, the brother started drug dealing. However, Radric never took drugs himself. Throughout his high school years, he continued the drug-selling business. 

After graduation, Radric took a computer programming course. However, he rarely attended classes. In 2001, an undercover police officer arrested him after catching him with drugs. As a result, Radric spent three months in jail. During his time in prison, he started inclining toward music. After the arrest, he released a music album called La Flare. Simultaneously, Radric adopted the stage name Gucci Mane, inspired by his grandmother. The album was distributed across the East Atlantic region. The same year, Mane decided to start a music label. Through a friend, he met rapper Lil buddy and began a career as a music manager. 

Initial Years

From 2001-2005, Gucci Mane continued to work as a music manager. He worked with several rising stars. Simultaneously, Mane prepared for his official debut music album. Finally, in 2005, he released Trap House under Big Cat Records. The album achieved moderate success on the Billboard charts. Later, in 2007, Mane released Back to the Trap House. It failed to garner critical acclaim. But 27-year-old Radric was confident about his music. He began working on several mixtapes and released five of them in 2007. However, it was in 2009 that he earned a significant opportunity. In May 2009, Warner Bros. Records signed Mane after the success of his mixtapes.

Worldwide Recognition 

There was no looking back for Mane after signing WB Records. In 2009, he collaborated with top artists in the music industry. Mane worked with The Black Eyed Peas, Mariah Carey, and Yo Gotti. The same year, Mane released The State vs. Radric Davis. Unlike his previous albums, it achieved critical and commercial acclaim. The album featured musicians like Usher, Soulja Boy, and Lil Wayne. Throughout the 2010s, Mane released various successful singles. In 2016, he gained wider recognition after collaborating with Rae Sremmurd on the song Black Beatles. The song became a global hit. As a result, Gucci Mane became one of the industry’s most reputed rappers.

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