The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted
Encyclopedia
The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted is the third studio album
by American
rapper Gucci Mane
. The album was released September 28, 2010 on 1017 Brick Squad Records, Warner Bros. Records
and Asylum Records
. The album is the follow-up of 2009's The State vs. Radric Davis
, released just after the Atlanta rapper's incarceration. The album debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200
chart with 61,450 sold in its first week and has sold an estimated 100,000 copies as of the week ending October 24, 2010.
After being released from jail, Gucci Mane stated that he would start or change the label name from So Icey Entertainment to 1017 Brick Squad Records. He also announced that his next album would be titled The State vs. Radric Davis, The Appeal and would be released in late 2010, although the latest journalistic reports gave the title as The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted, with a release date of August 31. Gucci Mane has since then announced on his via Twitter that the album has a release date for Septemburrr 28, 2010 .
In addition to longtime producers Zaytoven
, Shawty Redd
, Drumma Boy
and FATBOI
, Gucci Mane has expanded his circle of producers as well for the album. The Appeal will include first time collaborations between Gucci Mane, Swizz Beatz
, former Haitian Presidential candidate Wyclef Jean
and Pharrell Williams
.
Now, that Gucci Mane has finally wrapped up his follow-up album and said that this is his best chance to capitalize on his underground allure. Gucci Mane told MTV that his new album The Appeal has been completed and the ATL transplant rapper considers this album to be a masterpiece.
, Swizz Beatz
, DJ B-Do
, Joey French, Drumma Boy
, Zaytoven
, Schife, OhZee, The Individualz, FATBOI
, Lex Luger, BWheezy, G-Luck, Rob Holladay, The Inkredibles, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League
and Jim Jonsin
.
, Swizz Beatz
, Ray J
, Nicki Minaj
, Pharrell Williams
, Wyclef Jean
and Estelle
, since, of course, everyone wants to be in a song with him. So far it looks like there will be no appearances by Gucci Mane's 1017 Brick Squad
members Waka Flocka Flame
and OJ Da Juiceman
; however, an inside source did confirm that Gucci Mane has rekindled his relationship with Auntie Deb, Waka Flocka Flame's mother, and has returned to Mizay Entertainment.
Gucci Mane, along with 1017 Brick Squad Records, Asylum Records
and Warner Bros. Records
, announced plans to release the first installment in a series of commercial mixtapes, the Burrrprint (2) HD
, a follow-up to the biggest mixtape release of 2009. Burrrprint (2) HD
was released April 12, 2010 on the iTunes Store
and in stores on April 13, 2010. The 24-track mixtape is hosted by DJ Holiday and is a mix of all new songs and interludes featuring some of the biggest names in popular music today. Features include Trey Songz
, Ludacris
, Nicki Minaj
, Rick Ross
, DJ Khaled
, Lil' Kim
, Yo Gotti
, Jim Jones
and Gucci Mane's 1017 Brick Squad Records label mates Waka Flocka Flame
, OJ da Juiceman
and others.
This collection is the last piece of music Gucci Mane had recorded before his recent incarceration in 2009, as well as the opening track, "Live From Fulton County Jail", which was recorded over the phone from behind bars.
The mixtape series will preface Gucci Mane's follow-up album, The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted, originally scheduled for a Summer 2010, release but later changed to August 31, 2010 and now to September 28, 2010. The Burrrprint (2) HD
comes on the heels of DJ and producer Diplo's Free Gucci mixtape, a re-working of previous material from Gucci Mane's The Cold War mixtape series, and Gucci Mane's second major full-length LP The State vs. Radric Davis
that included the hit singles "Wasted
" feat. Plies
, "Spotlight
" feat. Usher
and "Lemonade" which cracked the Top 10 at urban mainstream radio.
Gucci Mane has been busy since he was released from prison in May. The rapper appeared at Atlanta radio station Hot 107.9's Birthday Bash, he filmed a video for Lil Wayne
's "Steady Mobbin, he planned a collaboration with Drake
, and he's released another set of mixtapes, including Mr. Zone 6, which he told Mixtape Daily would be the "Mixtape of the Year".
Gucci Mane's first post-prison mixtape of 2010, Mr. Zone 6, was another successful outing for one of rap's most divisive artists. With Gucci Mane's focus on nimble rap acrobatics over an almost flat-line production style, the record was a victory for lyrical density at the expense of the colorful songwriting and stylistic affects that characterized his 2007-2009 output. The multi-dimensional pop approach that congealed memorably on 2008's The Movie mixtape had taken a backseat, a possible by-product of his court-enforced sobriety.
Mr. Zone 6 came out the same day as Gucci's headlining appearance at Hot 107.9's Birthday Bash concert somewhere around late of June, 2010.
Jewelry Selection was released August 17, 2010, the mixtape is a more musically dynamic record than Mr. Zone 6, and its production, much of it from longstanding collaborator Drumma Boy, again pops from the speakers.
On September 9, 2010 Gucci Mane released yet another DJ Drama assisted mixtape called Ferrari Music, and a DJ Holiday assisted mixtape called Buy My Album on September 23, 2010 five days before The Appeal was officially released.
went live on UStream to announce they both would be featured on each others’ new albums. Gucci Mane’s "Too Hood" featuring Ciara was the rumored first official single from The Appeal but it didn't make the final cut to appear on the album.
The first single from the album "Gucci Time
" is produced by and features Swizz Beatz
. The song premiered on Gucci Mane's official MySpace page on August 6, 2010 and was released as a single on August 30, 2010. It reached number 23 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart and number 12 on Billboard's Rap Songs chart.
A promotional single form the album was "Remember When" featuring R&B singer Ray J
A song called "Beat It Up", featuring Trey Songz
, a deluxe edition track which also appears on Gucci Mane's Burrrprint 2 (HD) mixtape, debuted on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at #36 and #22 on the Rap Songs chart.
album chart at number four, where as the last album entered at number ten. The Appeal also entered at number two in both the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums and Rap charts. The album as sold 166,500 copies in the U.S. to date.
's Jonah Weiner commended "This Atlanta mush mouth serves up hip-hop comfort food: rich synth beats; laid-back cadences; songs that find a gloriously low concept and stick to it ("Making Love to the Money," about all the different ways Gucci tries to impregnate his Benjamins, is a goofy standout here). But The Appeal, his third official album, suggests that Gucci's menu could use an update. Besides the distortion-laced "Gucci Time," the biggest change-ups here are drab gangsta ballads: "Haterade" features Pharrell at his most insufferably croon-y, and "O'Dog" makes you actually wish guest singer Wyclef would stick to politics."
Allmusic writer David Jeffries stated "The questionable consensus on mushed-mouth party rapper Gucci Mane is that his mixtapes beat his official albums by a mile, but The Appeal is another worthy, aboveground effort, holding more highlights than your everyday release while broadening the man’s horizons (something that certainly needed to happen). With ethereal production from the Neptunes and rapper Nicki Minaj delivering lines that are much more nimble than naughty (“I’m all that I can be/And I’ll admit, I’m appalled when you envy/Cause you can do it too/I just happen to be the girl that they threw it to”), “Haterade” is like nothing in Gucci’s earlier catalog, and when the closing “Grown Man” finds the usually sloth-like rapper rapidly explaining his family tree — and all the bad apples that fell from it — it’s downright shocking and solid. On the other hand, he’s lost none of his steadily stoned and constantly throwed appeal as he makes his somewhat slow guest Bun B sound like Twista on the opening “Little Friend.” Better still is when he confuses women and cash on the entirely Gucci “Making Love to the Money,” or gets ridiculous and between the beats on the decent roller “Gucci Time” (“White boy wasted, frat boy wasted/ Amazin’ like my bracelet I'm flossin/R.I.P. the mic, the ice got my chest moon walkin’"). If there’s a problem, it’s that mass appeal isn’t even considered and there are no grand singles for the radio heads to savor. This one is for those who would still love The State vs. Radric Davis even if the breakthrough hits “Lemonade” and “Wasted” weren’t included."
Giving it 3 out of 5 stars, HipHopDX's William E. Ketchum III commended "When he and his producers stay in their lanes, Mayor Gucci can serve his faithful constituents with the anthems that fuel their every day lives (or weekends). With last year's The State vs. Radric Davis proving that Gucci Mane could translate his street stardom into making a commercially viable release, the groundwork for the trilogy was set. Whereas Gucci was incarcerated during the 2009 release in one of Rap's more fitting album titles, this year, the Brick Squad 1017 leader is out and diversifying. Like his first installment, The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted is a big budget, guest-heavy release that distinguishes a Gucci Mane album from his endless supply of mixtapes. However, the Atlanta, Georgia mainstay still has yet to show the mainstream what the streets have been pointing out for the last five years.
Gucci Mane plays to his strengths: deceptively simple production, catchy hooks, and playful flows and adlibs. Aside from the brawny basslines of “Weirdo,” southern heavyweights Drumma Boy and Zaytoven disappoint with formulaic beats that seem to rely on Gucci Mane's charisma instead of being able to contribute to the song. Fortunately, lesser-known producer collaborators—DJ B-Do and Joey French, and Schife and OhZee—outshine their reputable counterparts on the on the Bun B-featured “Lil Friend” and “Making Love To The Money” with trunk-rattling percussion and busty horns and organs. Even Swizz Beatz uses “Gucci Time” to showcase a paced adrenaline shot that complements Gucci's simplicity without falling victim to it. As far as the rhymes go, Gucci's song concepts are trite at best: “Making Love To the Money” and “Brand New” are about exactly what their titles imply. But his fun, infectious hooks guarantee singalongs in clubs and whips nationwide; those leary of the repetitive subject matter may enjoy the songs in limited doses at parties or in “shuffle” mode with the rest of their music library.
But some may check The Appeal based on Gucci's comments during a press conference after leaving prison this past May, in which he claimed that the Rap game needed “substance” and that he would provide it. Only one song does this, but it does so brilliantly. On “Grown Man” Gucci closes the album by matching Jim Jonsin's synthy winner and Estelle's triumphant hook with honest verses that lament fallen or imprisoned loved ones, admit wrong and pushes to move on. But other attempted change-ups fall short. “ODog” shows promise with a layered, pensive Inkredibles backdrop and a defiant Wyclef Jean chorus that beams success despite prison setbacks and stereotypes, but Gucci's verses don't stray from the usual flossing and chick-snatching. And “Remember When” the trite Ray J-assisted attempt at female seduction, is weighed down with lines like, “We go together like hamburgers and french fries.”
The Appeal doesn't go too far left to make Gucci Mane's detractors change their minds, and it doesn't go too far right to make his fans love him anymore than they already do. When he stays in his lane and makes his producers stay with him, Mayor Gucci can serve his faithful constituents with the anthems that fuel their every day lives (or at least weekends). But when he doesn't have all his cylinders running, the results are disappointing at best and catastrophic at worst. Either way, he begins and ends the disc as Georgia's Most Wanted: for the career electric chair by his detractors, and for hood mayor by his disciples."
iHipHop gave the album 3.0 of 5 Mics stating It’s a daunting task to follow up a good album with another good album or something greater. Add to this task trying to please two different audiences and grow as an artist. Sometimes the results work together and gives birth to something incredible. Other times, its just another album. Unfortunately, this is just another album. Gucci Mane’s follow up to The State vs. Radric Davis just doesn’t have “The Appeal” of the first one. The total direction of the album is one that every Atlantic artist has traveled down - a road filled with cleaned-up southern artists that can make songs for the trap and for the radio. The formula has worked well for T.I.
, Plies
, and Trey Songz
even. But Gucci is in his best element on some gutter street music. It's the tale of two albums on this one - one with compromise and one without.
“The Appeal” lacked in both street and radio buzz because there was no clear cut hit on here. There are some good songs on here that have potential to gain momentum over time, but that may never happen. “Missing”, “What’s It Gonna Be” and “Making Love To the Money” are all great songs that play to Gucci’s best attributes as an MC and they have hit potential. The problem is that the leaked songs were “Gucci Time” and “Wierdo”, which both seemed like recycled themes (i.e. T.I.’s “Bring Em Out” = “Gucci Time”). My theory about his street music label-forced collabos is proven true strictly through the producers. Drumma Boy and Zaytoven fit Gucci the best while offering from others come of as either a hit (like Pharrell’s “Haterade”) or miss (Swizz Beatz “It’s Alive”).
Overall, the album seems forced to fit into a category that might be able to sell everyone, but isn’t narrow enough to fit into a category that people will consider as good. The formula of making good music in your genre will give any artist more longevity was actually pioneered by Gucci. He showed artists that he could drop relevant music without an album, tour and make money and get big checks for features. It’s a shame that they’re pushing him away from what worked for him so well the past couple of years.
Eye Weekly
writer Dave Morris gave the album a 4 out of 5 stating "Gucci Mane’s ill-timed prison stint had the same effect on the Atlanta rapper’s major label debut that turning the sprinklers on at a nightclub might have on a bachelorette party. Now, the mush-mouthed MC is back doing hoodrat stuff in the same ludicrous way as before. Bragging about money? “Gucci Mane call Obama, wanna buy the dollar sign / feels like first day of school, my swag killed ’em like Columbine.” Weed? “Roll a bag of cannabis / they got this shit from Canada.” Um… money again? “Making love to the money, I swear the sex great / I kick them hoes out but let the money stay.” Really, Gucci kicking ridonkulous rhymes over beats from southern royalty Drumma Boy and Zaytoven is enough to make your weekend. But if it’s insight you’re looking for, consider the album’s opener, “Little Friend.” Scarface is a played-out reference, but Gucci transforms the story, casting himself as the outsider-by-birth (a black man in America) whose rise and fall was preordained (US incarceration rates for black men are nearly six times what they are for whites); all that’s left is to have as much fun as possible before the cell clangs shut for good."
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rapper Gucci Mane
Gucci Mane
Radric Davis , better known by his stage name Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He debuted in 2005 with Trap House and followed with albums such as Hard to Kill in 2006, Trap-A-Thon and Back to the Trap House in 2007. In 2009, his second studio album The State vs. Radric Davis was released...
. The album was released September 28, 2010 on 1017 Brick Squad Records, Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
and Asylum Records
Asylum Records
Asylum Records is an American record label founded in 1971 by David Geffen, and partner Elliot Roberts, who had previously worked as agents at the William Morris Agency. Founded specifically to provide a record contract for Jackson Browne, the label signed Tom Waits, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell...
. The album is the follow-up of 2009's The State vs. Radric Davis
The State vs. Radric Davis
The State vs. Radric Davis is the second studio album by rapper Gucci Mane. It was released on December 8, 2009. The State vs. Radric Davis comes after a slew of independent releases, mixtapes and features over the past few years. It brings together production from Polow da Don, Drumma Boy, Mannie...
, released just after the Atlanta rapper's incarceration. The album debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart with 61,450 sold in its first week and has sold an estimated 100,000 copies as of the week ending October 24, 2010.
Background
In November 2009, Gucci Mane was sentenced to 12-months in Georgia's Fulton County Jail. Released in May 2010, the rapper emerged hungrier and more focused than ever, releasing a slew of mixtapes (including the Diplo-helmed Free Gucci, The Burrrprint 2, Mr. Zone 6, Jewelry Selection, Ferrari Music and Buy My Album) while recording dozens of tracks and viral videos.After being released from jail, Gucci Mane stated that he would start or change the label name from So Icey Entertainment to 1017 Brick Squad Records. He also announced that his next album would be titled The State vs. Radric Davis, The Appeal and would be released in late 2010, although the latest journalistic reports gave the title as The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted, with a release date of August 31. Gucci Mane has since then announced on his via Twitter that the album has a release date for Septemburrr 28, 2010 .
Recording
During an interview with Atlanta’s veteran DJ Greg Street, Gucci Mane stated the album was good representation of where he is at "musically and mentally."In addition to longtime producers Zaytoven
Zaytoven
Xavier Dotson, better known as Zaytoven, is an American record producer out of San Francisco, California and was born in Germany on an Army base. He was raised in San Francisco but later moved to Atlanta, Georgia. Since then, he has worked with Gucci Mane extensively, contributing at least one...
, Shawty Redd
Shawty Redd
Shawty Redd is an Atlanta-based, Grammy nominated record producer, rapper, and songwriter. In November 2007, producer Shawty Redd gained fame when he produced "Sensual Seduction", the first single from multi-platinum rapper Snoop Dogg's Ego Trippin...
, Drumma Boy
Drumma Boy
Christopher James Gholson, better known by his stage name Drumma Boy, is a multi-platinum award winning record producer and rapper from Memphis, Tennessee.-Early life:...
and FATBOI
FATBOI
Fatboi is a hip hop producer from Savannah, Georgia who has produced beats for artists including Gucci Mane, Young Jeezy, Rocko, Shawty Redd, Flo Rida, Bow Wow, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Juvenile, Yung Joc, Gorilla Zoe, Camoflauge, Daron Jones, OJ Da Juiceman and 8Ball & MJG.-Early life:Fatboi was...
, Gucci Mane has expanded his circle of producers as well for the album. The Appeal will include first time collaborations between Gucci Mane, Swizz Beatz
Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...
, former Haitian Presidential candidate Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
and Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams , commonly known simply as Pharrell, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, composer, and fashion designer. Williams and Chad Hugo make up the record production duo The Neptunes, producing hip hop and R&B music...
.
Now, that Gucci Mane has finally wrapped up his follow-up album and said that this is his best chance to capitalize on his underground allure. Gucci Mane told MTV that his new album The Appeal has been completed and the ATL transplant rapper considers this album to be a masterpiece.
Production
Gucci Mane confirmed that Production for the album would be contributed by The NeptunesThe Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
, Swizz Beatz
Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...
, DJ B-Do
DJ B-Do
-Biography:Bradley Davis, better known as DJ B-Do or B-Do, is a producer and songwriter who was born and raised in Port Arthur, Texas. B-DO has played instruments since he was 2 years of age. Although he is known more for his production, he's in a group called Da Underdawgz that the late Pimp C...
, Joey French, Drumma Boy
Drumma Boy
Christopher James Gholson, better known by his stage name Drumma Boy, is a multi-platinum award winning record producer and rapper from Memphis, Tennessee.-Early life:...
, Zaytoven
Zaytoven
Xavier Dotson, better known as Zaytoven, is an American record producer out of San Francisco, California and was born in Germany on an Army base. He was raised in San Francisco but later moved to Atlanta, Georgia. Since then, he has worked with Gucci Mane extensively, contributing at least one...
, Schife, OhZee, The Individualz, FATBOI
FATBOI
Fatboi is a hip hop producer from Savannah, Georgia who has produced beats for artists including Gucci Mane, Young Jeezy, Rocko, Shawty Redd, Flo Rida, Bow Wow, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Juvenile, Yung Joc, Gorilla Zoe, Camoflauge, Daron Jones, OJ Da Juiceman and 8Ball & MJG.-Early life:Fatboi was...
, Lex Luger, BWheezy, G-Luck, Rob Holladay, The Inkredibles, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League
J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League
J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, which stands for Just Undeniably Some of The Illest Composers Ever, are a Grammy winning group of producers and instrumentalists from Tampa, Florida. The group consists of members Rook, Colione, and Kenny "Barto" Bartolomei. Most recently, they have been producing for Drake,...
and Jim Jonsin
Jim Jonsin
James Scheffer, better known by his professional name, Jim Jonsin, is an American Grammy award winning record producer, songwriter, record executive, and entrepreneur...
.
Guests
Gucci Mane confirmed that guests on the album would include Bun BBun B
Bernard Freeman better known by his stage name Bun B, is an American rapper and was one half of the southern hip hop duo UGK . He is also a guest lecturer at Rice University located in Houston, Texas...
, Swizz Beatz
Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...
, Ray J
Ray J
William Ray Norwood Jr. , better known by his stage name Ray J, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actor.-Early life:...
, Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist...
, Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams , commonly known simply as Pharrell, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, composer, and fashion designer. Williams and Chad Hugo make up the record production duo The Neptunes, producing hip hop and R&B music...
, Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
and Estelle
Estelle (musician)
Estelle Fanta Swaray commonly known as Estelle, and formerly as Est'elle, is an English R&B singer-songwriter, rapper and record producer.-Early Life:Estelle was born 18 January 1980 in Hammersmith, London, England...
, since, of course, everyone wants to be in a song with him. So far it looks like there will be no appearances by Gucci Mane's 1017 Brick Squad
1017 Brick Squad
1017 Brick Squad is an American hip hop group led by Gucci Mane that also includes Waka Flocka Flame, OJ Da Juiceman, Frenchie, Wooh Da Kid, and Slim Dunkin. Producers for 1017 Brick Squad are Lex Luger, Nunie, Southside, Prince, Metro, Drumma Boy, and Zaytoven. Gucci Mane is now the official CEO...
members Waka Flocka Flame
Waka Flocka Flame
Juaquin Malphurs , better known by his stage name Waka Flocka Flame, is an American rapper signed to 1017 Brick Squad and Warner Bros. He is a Southern hip hop artist best known for his singles "O Let's Do It", "Hard in da Paint" & "No Hands", along with his debut album, Flockaveli...
and OJ Da Juiceman
OJ da Juiceman
Otis Williams, Jr. ,better known as OJ Da Juiceman, is an American Southern Rapper and a member of 1017 Brick Squad. OJ Da Juiceman is also founder of vanity label 32 Entertainment.-Early life:Otis Williams, Jr...
; however, an inside source did confirm that Gucci Mane has rekindled his relationship with Auntie Deb, Waka Flocka Flame's mother, and has returned to Mizay Entertainment.
National Promo Tour
Somewhere around September 2010 Gucci Mane announced a promotional tour for The Appeal and since his release from jail, Gucci Mane has maintained a whirlwind travelling schedule, reconnecting with fans and embracing new ones. This fall, he plans to continue his life on the road with appearances throughout the country.Promotional Mixtapes
On March 17, 2010 in Burbank, CaliforniaBurbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
Gucci Mane, along with 1017 Brick Squad Records, Asylum Records
Asylum Records
Asylum Records is an American record label founded in 1971 by David Geffen, and partner Elliot Roberts, who had previously worked as agents at the William Morris Agency. Founded specifically to provide a record contract for Jackson Browne, the label signed Tom Waits, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell...
and Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
, announced plans to release the first installment in a series of commercial mixtapes, the Burrrprint (2) HD
Burrrprint (2) HD
Burrrprint HD is a mixtape by rapper Gucci Mane. It was released three months after the release of his second studio album The State vs. Radric Davis on March 13, 2010. Drumma Boy produced all but five songs on the mixtape. These songs were previously recorded before Gucci Mane was sent to jail...
, a follow-up to the biggest mixtape release of 2009. Burrrprint (2) HD
Burrrprint (2) HD
Burrrprint HD is a mixtape by rapper Gucci Mane. It was released three months after the release of his second studio album The State vs. Radric Davis on March 13, 2010. Drumma Boy produced all but five songs on the mixtape. These songs were previously recorded before Gucci Mane was sent to jail...
was released April 12, 2010 on the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
and in stores on April 13, 2010. The 24-track mixtape is hosted by DJ Holiday and is a mix of all new songs and interludes featuring some of the biggest names in popular music today. Features include Trey Songz
Trey Songz
Tremaine "Trey" Aldon Neverson , better known by his stage name Trey Songz, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. His debut album, I Gotta Make It, was released in 2005, while his second album, Trey Day, was released in 2007...
, Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
, Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj , better known by her stage name Nicki Minaj; ), is a Trinidadian-born American recording artist...
, Rick Ross
Rick Ross (rapper)
William Leonard Roberts II , better known by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper. He derived his stage name from the drug trafficker "Freeway" Ricky Ross, to whom he has no connection...
, DJ Khaled
DJ Khaled
Khaled bin Abdul Khaled , better known by his stage name DJ Khaled, is an American record producer, radio personality, DJ, and record label executive. He is a radio host for the Miami-based urban music radio station WEDR and the DJ for the hip hop group Terror Squad. In 2006, Khaled released his...
, Lil' Kim
Lil' Kim
Kimberly Denise Jones , better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and actress who was a member of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A.....
, Yo Gotti
Yo Gotti
Mario Mims better known by his stage name Yo Gotti, is a southern rapper from the northern side of Memphis, Tennessee who was previously known as Lil Yo.-Independent Albums:Yo Gotti released a string of independent albums...
, Jim Jones
Jim Jones (rapper)
Joseph Guillermo Jones II , better known by his stage name Jim Jones, is an American rapper and original member of The Diplomats, also known as Dipset. He is Co-CEO of Diplomat Records...
and Gucci Mane's 1017 Brick Squad Records label mates Waka Flocka Flame
Waka Flocka Flame
Juaquin Malphurs , better known by his stage name Waka Flocka Flame, is an American rapper signed to 1017 Brick Squad and Warner Bros. He is a Southern hip hop artist best known for his singles "O Let's Do It", "Hard in da Paint" & "No Hands", along with his debut album, Flockaveli...
, OJ da Juiceman
OJ da Juiceman
Otis Williams, Jr. ,better known as OJ Da Juiceman, is an American Southern Rapper and a member of 1017 Brick Squad. OJ Da Juiceman is also founder of vanity label 32 Entertainment.-Early life:Otis Williams, Jr...
and others.
This collection is the last piece of music Gucci Mane had recorded before his recent incarceration in 2009, as well as the opening track, "Live From Fulton County Jail", which was recorded over the phone from behind bars.
The mixtape series will preface Gucci Mane's follow-up album, The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted, originally scheduled for a Summer 2010, release but later changed to August 31, 2010 and now to September 28, 2010. The Burrrprint (2) HD
Burrrprint (2) HD
Burrrprint HD is a mixtape by rapper Gucci Mane. It was released three months after the release of his second studio album The State vs. Radric Davis on March 13, 2010. Drumma Boy produced all but five songs on the mixtape. These songs were previously recorded before Gucci Mane was sent to jail...
comes on the heels of DJ and producer Diplo's Free Gucci mixtape, a re-working of previous material from Gucci Mane's The Cold War mixtape series, and Gucci Mane's second major full-length LP The State vs. Radric Davis
The State vs. Radric Davis
The State vs. Radric Davis is the second studio album by rapper Gucci Mane. It was released on December 8, 2009. The State vs. Radric Davis comes after a slew of independent releases, mixtapes and features over the past few years. It brings together production from Polow da Don, Drumma Boy, Mannie...
that included the hit singles "Wasted
Wasted (Gucci Mane song)
"Wasted" is the official first single from Gucci Mane's second studio album The State vs. Radric Davis. The song features rapper Plies. The song was originally from Gucci Mane's 2009 mixtape, Writing on the Wall.-Remixes & Freestyles:...
" feat. Plies
Plies (rapper)
Algernod Lanier Washington , better known by his stage name Plies, is an American rapper and founder of Big Gates Records. Born in Fort Myers, Florida, Washington was a wide receiver on the football team of Miami University in Ohio in 1996 and 1997 before he became a rapper. After dropping out of...
, "Spotlight
Spotlight (Gucci Mane song)
"Spotlight" is the second official single by rapper, Gucci Mane from his studio album The State vs. Radric Davis, the single also features singer, Usher. The single was released on October 19, 2009 and was produced by Polow Da Don.-Music video:...
" feat. Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
and "Lemonade" which cracked the Top 10 at urban mainstream radio.
Gucci Mane has been busy since he was released from prison in May. The rapper appeared at Atlanta radio station Hot 107.9's Birthday Bash, he filmed a video for Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
's "Steady Mobbin, he planned a collaboration with Drake
Drake (entertainer)
Aubrey Drake Graham , who records under the mononym Drake, is a Canadian recording artist and actor. He originally became known for playing Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation....
, and he's released another set of mixtapes, including Mr. Zone 6, which he told Mixtape Daily would be the "Mixtape of the Year".
Gucci Mane's first post-prison mixtape of 2010, Mr. Zone 6, was another successful outing for one of rap's most divisive artists. With Gucci Mane's focus on nimble rap acrobatics over an almost flat-line production style, the record was a victory for lyrical density at the expense of the colorful songwriting and stylistic affects that characterized his 2007-2009 output. The multi-dimensional pop approach that congealed memorably on 2008's The Movie mixtape had taken a backseat, a possible by-product of his court-enforced sobriety.
Mr. Zone 6 came out the same day as Gucci's headlining appearance at Hot 107.9's Birthday Bash concert somewhere around late of June, 2010.
Jewelry Selection was released August 17, 2010, the mixtape is a more musically dynamic record than Mr. Zone 6, and its production, much of it from longstanding collaborator Drumma Boy, again pops from the speakers.
On September 9, 2010 Gucci Mane released yet another DJ Drama assisted mixtape called Ferrari Music, and a DJ Holiday assisted mixtape called Buy My Album on September 23, 2010 five days before The Appeal was officially released.
Singles
On June 16, 2010 Gucci Mane and R&B singer CiaraCiara
Ciara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...
went live on UStream to announce they both would be featured on each others’ new albums. Gucci Mane’s "Too Hood" featuring Ciara was the rumored first official single from The Appeal but it didn't make the final cut to appear on the album.
The first single from the album "Gucci Time
Gucci Time
"Gucci Time" is the official first single from Gucci Mane's third studio album The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted. The song features vocals and production from rapper/producer Swizz Beatz. The song premiered on Gucci Mane's official MySpace page on August 6, 2010 and was released on August 30, 2010....
" is produced by and features Swizz Beatz
Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Dean , better known by his stage name, Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, DJ, rapper and painter. At the age of 17, he gained attention in the hip-hop world through his friendship with rapper DMX. Grady Spivey and rapper Cassidy helped launch his label Full Surface Records...
. The song premiered on Gucci Mane's official MySpace page on August 6, 2010 and was released as a single on August 30, 2010. It reached number 23 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart and number 12 on Billboard's Rap Songs chart.
A promotional single form the album was "Remember When" featuring R&B singer Ray J
Ray J
William Ray Norwood Jr. , better known by his stage name Ray J, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actor.-Early life:...
Other songs
In partnership with iTunes, several of the tracks from the new album were included in their prerelease program "Complete My Album" in the weeks leading up to the album's release date. The first offering of the program was "Making Love to the Money" and could be obtained on September 7, 2010. The song did peak at #36 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and on the Rap Songs chart at #21. Then "Trap Talk" was available on September 14, 2010. And the final offering, "Weirdo" was available on September 21, 2010.A song called "Beat It Up", featuring Trey Songz
Trey Songz
Tremaine "Trey" Aldon Neverson , better known by his stage name Trey Songz, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. His debut album, I Gotta Make It, was released in 2005, while his second album, Trey Day, was released in 2007...
, a deluxe edition track which also appears on Gucci Mane's Burrrprint 2 (HD) mixtape, debuted on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at #36 and #22 on the Rap Songs chart.
Commercial performance
The album sold 61,450 units in its first week, which is less than Gucci Mane's previous effort that sold 89,000 copies in the first week of release. However, The Appeal had more chart success entering the US Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album chart at number four, where as the last album entered at number ten. The Appeal also entered at number two in both the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums and Rap charts. The album as sold 166,500 copies in the U.S. to date.
Critical response
Upon its release, The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted received generally positive reviews from most music critics. Giving it 3 out of 5 stars, Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
's Jonah Weiner commended "This Atlanta mush mouth serves up hip-hop comfort food: rich synth beats; laid-back cadences; songs that find a gloriously low concept and stick to it ("Making Love to the Money," about all the different ways Gucci tries to impregnate his Benjamins, is a goofy standout here). But The Appeal, his third official album, suggests that Gucci's menu could use an update. Besides the distortion-laced "Gucci Time," the biggest change-ups here are drab gangsta ballads: "Haterade" features Pharrell at his most insufferably croon-y, and "O'Dog" makes you actually wish guest singer Wyclef would stick to politics."
Allmusic writer David Jeffries stated "The questionable consensus on mushed-mouth party rapper Gucci Mane is that his mixtapes beat his official albums by a mile, but The Appeal is another worthy, aboveground effort, holding more highlights than your everyday release while broadening the man’s horizons (something that certainly needed to happen). With ethereal production from the Neptunes and rapper Nicki Minaj delivering lines that are much more nimble than naughty (“I’m all that I can be/And I’ll admit, I’m appalled when you envy/Cause you can do it too/I just happen to be the girl that they threw it to”), “Haterade” is like nothing in Gucci’s earlier catalog, and when the closing “Grown Man” finds the usually sloth-like rapper rapidly explaining his family tree — and all the bad apples that fell from it — it’s downright shocking and solid. On the other hand, he’s lost none of his steadily stoned and constantly throwed appeal as he makes his somewhat slow guest Bun B sound like Twista on the opening “Little Friend.” Better still is when he confuses women and cash on the entirely Gucci “Making Love to the Money,” or gets ridiculous and between the beats on the decent roller “Gucci Time” (“White boy wasted, frat boy wasted/ Amazin’ like my bracelet I'm flossin/R.I.P. the mic, the ice got my chest moon walkin’"). If there’s a problem, it’s that mass appeal isn’t even considered and there are no grand singles for the radio heads to savor. This one is for those who would still love The State vs. Radric Davis even if the breakthrough hits “Lemonade” and “Wasted” weren’t included."
Giving it 3 out of 5 stars, HipHopDX's William E. Ketchum III commended "When he and his producers stay in their lanes, Mayor Gucci can serve his faithful constituents with the anthems that fuel their every day lives (or weekends). With last year's The State vs. Radric Davis proving that Gucci Mane could translate his street stardom into making a commercially viable release, the groundwork for the trilogy was set. Whereas Gucci was incarcerated during the 2009 release in one of Rap's more fitting album titles, this year, the Brick Squad 1017 leader is out and diversifying. Like his first installment, The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted is a big budget, guest-heavy release that distinguishes a Gucci Mane album from his endless supply of mixtapes. However, the Atlanta, Georgia mainstay still has yet to show the mainstream what the streets have been pointing out for the last five years.
Gucci Mane plays to his strengths: deceptively simple production, catchy hooks, and playful flows and adlibs. Aside from the brawny basslines of “Weirdo,” southern heavyweights Drumma Boy and Zaytoven disappoint with formulaic beats that seem to rely on Gucci Mane's charisma instead of being able to contribute to the song. Fortunately, lesser-known producer collaborators—DJ B-Do and Joey French, and Schife and OhZee—outshine their reputable counterparts on the on the Bun B-featured “Lil Friend” and “Making Love To The Money” with trunk-rattling percussion and busty horns and organs. Even Swizz Beatz uses “Gucci Time” to showcase a paced adrenaline shot that complements Gucci's simplicity without falling victim to it. As far as the rhymes go, Gucci's song concepts are trite at best: “Making Love To the Money” and “Brand New” are about exactly what their titles imply. But his fun, infectious hooks guarantee singalongs in clubs and whips nationwide; those leary of the repetitive subject matter may enjoy the songs in limited doses at parties or in “shuffle” mode with the rest of their music library.
But some may check The Appeal based on Gucci's comments during a press conference after leaving prison this past May, in which he claimed that the Rap game needed “substance” and that he would provide it. Only one song does this, but it does so brilliantly. On “Grown Man” Gucci closes the album by matching Jim Jonsin's synthy winner and Estelle's triumphant hook with honest verses that lament fallen or imprisoned loved ones, admit wrong and pushes to move on. But other attempted change-ups fall short. “ODog” shows promise with a layered, pensive Inkredibles backdrop and a defiant Wyclef Jean chorus that beams success despite prison setbacks and stereotypes, but Gucci's verses don't stray from the usual flossing and chick-snatching. And “Remember When” the trite Ray J-assisted attempt at female seduction, is weighed down with lines like, “We go together like hamburgers and french fries.”
The Appeal doesn't go too far left to make Gucci Mane's detractors change their minds, and it doesn't go too far right to make his fans love him anymore than they already do. When he stays in his lane and makes his producers stay with him, Mayor Gucci can serve his faithful constituents with the anthems that fuel their every day lives (or at least weekends). But when he doesn't have all his cylinders running, the results are disappointing at best and catastrophic at worst. Either way, he begins and ends the disc as Georgia's Most Wanted: for the career electric chair by his detractors, and for hood mayor by his disciples."
iHipHop gave the album 3.0 of 5 Mics stating It’s a daunting task to follow up a good album with another good album or something greater. Add to this task trying to please two different audiences and grow as an artist. Sometimes the results work together and gives birth to something incredible. Other times, its just another album. Unfortunately, this is just another album. Gucci Mane’s follow up to The State vs. Radric Davis just doesn’t have “The Appeal” of the first one. The total direction of the album is one that every Atlantic artist has traveled down - a road filled with cleaned-up southern artists that can make songs for the trap and for the radio. The formula has worked well for T.I.
T.I.
Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I., is an American rap artist, film and music producer, actor and author. He is also the founder and co-chief executive officer of Grand Hustle Records....
, Plies
Plies (rapper)
Algernod Lanier Washington , better known by his stage name Plies, is an American rapper and founder of Big Gates Records. Born in Fort Myers, Florida, Washington was a wide receiver on the football team of Miami University in Ohio in 1996 and 1997 before he became a rapper. After dropping out of...
, and Trey Songz
Trey Songz
Tremaine "Trey" Aldon Neverson , better known by his stage name Trey Songz, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer and actor. His debut album, I Gotta Make It, was released in 2005, while his second album, Trey Day, was released in 2007...
even. But Gucci is in his best element on some gutter street music. It's the tale of two albums on this one - one with compromise and one without.
“The Appeal” lacked in both street and radio buzz because there was no clear cut hit on here. There are some good songs on here that have potential to gain momentum over time, but that may never happen. “Missing”, “What’s It Gonna Be” and “Making Love To the Money” are all great songs that play to Gucci’s best attributes as an MC and they have hit potential. The problem is that the leaked songs were “Gucci Time” and “Wierdo”, which both seemed like recycled themes (i.e. T.I.’s “Bring Em Out” = “Gucci Time”). My theory about his street music label-forced collabos is proven true strictly through the producers. Drumma Boy and Zaytoven fit Gucci the best while offering from others come of as either a hit (like Pharrell’s “Haterade”) or miss (Swizz Beatz “It’s Alive”).
Overall, the album seems forced to fit into a category that might be able to sell everyone, but isn’t narrow enough to fit into a category that people will consider as good. The formula of making good music in your genre will give any artist more longevity was actually pioneered by Gucci. He showed artists that he could drop relevant music without an album, tour and make money and get big checks for features. It’s a shame that they’re pushing him away from what worked for him so well the past couple of years.
Eye Weekly
Eye Weekly
Eye Weekly was a free weekly newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was owned by Torstar, the parent company of the Toronto Star, and was published by their Star Media Group until its final issue on May 5, 2011. The following week, Torstar launched a successor publication, The Grid.-...
writer Dave Morris gave the album a 4 out of 5 stating "Gucci Mane’s ill-timed prison stint had the same effect on the Atlanta rapper’s major label debut that turning the sprinklers on at a nightclub might have on a bachelorette party. Now, the mush-mouthed MC is back doing hoodrat stuff in the same ludicrous way as before. Bragging about money? “Gucci Mane call Obama, wanna buy the dollar sign / feels like first day of school, my swag killed ’em like Columbine.” Weed? “Roll a bag of cannabis / they got this shit from Canada.” Um… money again? “Making love to the money, I swear the sex great / I kick them hoes out but let the money stay.” Really, Gucci kicking ridonkulous rhymes over beats from southern royalty Drumma Boy and Zaytoven is enough to make your weekend. But if it’s insight you’re looking for, consider the album’s opener, “Little Friend.” Scarface is a played-out reference, but Gucci transforms the story, casting himself as the outsider-by-birth (a black man in America) whose rise and fall was preordained (US incarceration rates for black men are nearly six times what they are for whites); all that’s left is to have as much fun as possible before the cell clangs shut for good."
Track listing
Notes- "Gucci Time" contains a sample from JusticeJustice (French band)Justice is a French electronic music duo consisting of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay . The duo is one of the most successful groups on Ed Banger Records and is managed by the label's head, Pedro Winter...
's "PhantomPhantom (song)"Phantom" is the fourth single by Justice. It was released on CD and as a download with remixes by Boys Noize and Soulwax. The song contains a sample of Goblin's "Tenebre ".- Track listing :*CD # "Phantom"# "Phantom Pt. II"...
, Pt. II".