In 2012, life for Gucci Mane seems to be going well. He’s no longer incarcerated, he’s out of his local psych ward, and has vowed to keep it that way.
His new mixtape Trap Back couldn’t have come at a better time. Things move quickly in the music world, and a slew of weirdo-rappers instantly emerged following Gucci’s absence. After a couple of mixtape follies, Mr. Mane needed a hit. Well, Gucci lovers everywhere can safely rejoice, because this eighteen track (nineteen with the bonus track!) DJ Holiday-hosted mixtape is it.
Young Jeezy-affiliate Big Meech opens the album up with a Shyne-like jail phone call (who, I might add, is still serving thirty years for running the 250 million ‘Black Mafia Family’ dollar drug empire. He’s also considered the real Big Meech, Mr. Rozay). I guess we can all thank Jay-Z and Nas for cutting the rap-beef milieu short, and allowing for jail phone call intros from one-time foes.
The album is littered with substantial, solid production from the likes of Drumma Boy, Mike Will, Lex Luger and others. Mike Will takes the crown for best track production with the drippingly slow space jam “Plain Jane,” with Rocko flowing an A$AP-worthy guest verse.
“Brick Fair” is an obvious highlight, with an album-best guest verse by Future. Longtime production collaborator, Zaytoven, manages to carry along Future’s auto-tuned cadence perfectly, while Gucci adds his catchy-as-hell hook talent to the cut.
Gucci also calls on 2 Chainz to do his 2 Chainz thing, nailing it with his second of two guest-verses, on the syrup-y “Okay With Me.” Jadakiss’s cackle even makes a guest appearance (okay, he spits a nice sixteen, too) on the Lux Luger-produced “Blessing.” I think Jada has single handily proven that even if you were at one time signed to Bad Boy, you can still have a lucrative rap career.
Trap Back is Gucci getting close to his 2008-2009 prime. His flair for writing infallible hooks, along with his return-to-form drone-flow, is proof enough that Radric Davis (yeah, that’s his real name) is ready to be back at the top of everyone’s go-to rappers list. But, fingers crossed that he keeps all passengers on the inside of his car. Burrrrrr Burrrrrr.
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Andrew Stanley has a tattoo of an ice cream cone somewhere silly. Follow him on Twitter at @ASTANIEL.
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