Review
Gucci’s materialistic lyrics paint a life of luxury
April 23, 2010
Despite the minor fact that rapper Gucci Mane is currently incarcerated, he’s still releasing densely-packed mixtapes at a prodigious rate, the latest entitled “The Burrprint (2)”. After serving six months in 2009 for violating parole, Gucci was back behind bars less than eight months later for the same offense. However, not only has his imprisonment not stopped his music flow, he appears to still be living life to the fullest -- he’s seen on the cover of the mixtape looking relaxed in his prison cell with a full plate of lobster, filet mignon and an HD television. As he states in the intro, which was recorded over the phone in jail, “My jewelry game is at an all-time high right now.” He may be in prison, but the first thing he wants to discuss is his shining Lamborghini.
Gucci certainly isn’t for everyone; in addition to being somewhat hard to understand, his preferred lyrical includes his jewelry, his cars and... well, not much else. In addition, he motors through his songs and albums at a steady clip, never pausing for inflection or any sort of emphasis. The result is that his hooks and punch lines sort of all melt into a single long ramble that doesn’t really fluctuate or evolve in any way from beginning to end.
However, upon closer inspection, there are notable inventive and memorably funny moments on almost every track; although Gucci constantly reminds us that he never went to college, his words betray a clever mind and quick wit. Paired with the heavy synth beats he unfailingly implements, the result is a southern hip-hop cocktail that is never disappointing. The final product is never very intellectually sophisticated, but intoxicatingly catchy nonetheless.
The second installment of Gucci’s Burrprint series immediately perfectly conveys this carefree vibe, as it takes him only about 30 seconds into the first track to mention, “Birds, in the living room it’s like Atlanta Zoo / lions, tigers minks crocs and gators for my shoes / Monkey niggas in my hood I’m living in the zoo.” He also can’t resist name-dropping his favorite expensive champagnes with flawless cadence: “Cases of Ace of Spade bitch getcha wasted / The waitress -- I made her reload it like the Matrix.”
The 24-track Burrprint features an impressive roll call of guests: ludacris, dJ Khaled, Trey Songz and Nicky Minaj, among others. Even though Gucci isn’t a free man, the music paints a lifestyle in which the alcohol is still flowing, his ice is still shining, and the party goes on: simple rhymes for simple times.
The track “Shining for no Apparent Reason” is perhaps the best track on the album. “Walking graveyard, it’s a murder scene / dead people falling out my jeans / dead guys, we’re talking presidents / Rookie to the game busting like a veteran,” he brags. And honestly... a hook simply consisting of “shining on these hoes for no apparent reason?” Only Gucci could be so bold.
Andrew Phelps is an alumnus of UW-River Falls.