Gucci Mane

As one of the biggest names in 21st century hip-hop, Gucci Mane helped popularize trap music with his woozy, syrupy style and relentless output. Born Radric Davis on February 12, 1980, in Bessemer, Alabama, he later moved to East Atlanta, where began rapping at the age of 14. Years later, his 2005 debut album Trap House introduced his trademark mix of gangsta grit, dance floor synths, and slowed-down, psychedelic beats. Just as things appeared to be taking off, a vicious dispute with Young Jeezy led to the shooting of a man who had broken into his house. Although a murder charge was eventually dropped, Gucci Mane's lifestyle was embedded in a culture that involved crime and heavy drug use. Despite regular stints in jail, his prolific work ethic saw him crack the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 with 2009's The State Vs Radric Davis and 2010's The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted. Following a three-year jail sentence, he reached number 2 on the US charts with 2016's Everybody Looking, which sparked the most successful period of his career. The Return of East Atlanta Santa was released later that same year and went gold, as did follow-up releases like 2017's Mr. Davis and 2018's Evil Genius. Now embracing a cleaner lifestyle, Gucci Mane maintained his productive output throughout the decade's final stretch, releasing two Top 10 albums in 2019 -- Delusions of Grandeur and Woptober II -- before kickstarting a new decade with 2021's Ice Daddy. He returned in 2022 with So Icy Gang: The Reup, a deluxe version of 2020's So Icy Gang Vol 1., featuring artists signed to his label, 1017 Records. Partly inspired by the recent arrests of fellow rappers Pooh Shiesty and Foogiano, his sixteenth studio effort Breath of Fresh Air arrived in 2023 and showed a more vulnerable side of Gucci Mane, taking a temporary detour from his usual subjects to focus on family life. In 2024, he got back on track with the self-proclaimed The Greatest of All Rappers, an album that featured only one collaboration, with rapper JT from the group City Girls.