After a stellar comeback run in 2016, Gucci Mane is continuing where he left off. On Friday (May 26), he released his Metro Boomin’ produced-project Droptopwop. In light of his latest offering, he spoke to Beats 1‘s Zane Lowe about how the mixtape came to be and his chemistry with the heavyweight beat-maker.
“This has been the best year of my life, it was a hell of an experience. And I just feel like the best way for me to celebrate was to celebrate with my fans,” Gucci told Lowe regarding the release of Droptopwop. “You know they supported me all while I was gone, they supported me the whole year I’ve been back. I wanted to drop this tape like the day that I came out man so I can always — I’ll never forget it.”
May 26 holds a special place in the heart of Gucci, as it marks the day he was released from prison last year. After living a turbulent life anchored by violence and drugs, Gucci revamped his mindset.
“You know, when you sit down in a prison for three years, it gives you time to think and just reflect on your whole life. And I feel like my life had got so out of control because everything that I was doing to lead up to it lead to that ultimate collapse,” he admitted to Lowe. “So now I feel like when I got in there I started kinda like making an effort to say ‘listen, my life is going in a better direction’. I started doing the things that I make — that you see now come to fruition.”
In order for Gucci to masterfully craft his new mixtape, he needed help on the production front. Enter Metro Boomin’.
“I was just proud of Metro, to be honest,” recalls Gucci. “It is almost kind of like the same thing as with Mike WiLL [Made It]. When I first met Mike WiLL even though I rocked on some of his beats a lot of the times – he was my partner, he was my lil homie. He wasn’t a full-polished producer, and even with Metro. Metro used to always come by my studio. Like from when he was just still going to school. He was just like 18, 19 years old. But a lot of the times he would come to the studio and I would kick it with him, but I would never rap on his beats. He’d be like ‘Gucci why you never rap on my beats?’ So to see what he’s doing now. His beats, every time he pulls something up it makes me want to rap, it makes me want to record. We did 12 songs in 2 days. The only reason we didn’t do more songs is because Metro fell asleep.”
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Mane has has documented his life events in a new autobiography slated to drop September 19. “My book comes out September the 19th. The Autobiography of Gucci Mane,” he says. “I wrote the book while I was in prison so it’s like everything that happened up to the day I walked out of prison. That was one of my most vulnerable times in my life. So I’ve never felt in a place where I could just even deal with all this stuff that I feel. A lot of stuff I was embarrassed and ashamed to communicate to the world. Like what was going on behind the scenes of what was going on in my mind at that time. So even when I read it now it scares me. It scares me to even read that book. I done read it two or three times and every time I read it, it gives me goosebumps.”
As for his upcoming nuptials to longtime girlfriend, Keyshia Ka’oir, Guwop adds, “I have my wedding October the 17th, so I’m getting married. So that’s the dream come true. I couldn’t wait to get out of prison and get married. We are trying to like throw the biggest wedding of the year. It’s like whatever my wife wants I want to give it to her, and she wants a big wedding. I’m just glad I’m fortunate enough to make it happen for her. I feel like she deserves it.”
Listen to his full interview with Lowe below.