Gucci Mane thinks there needs to be better representation of women in hip hop, which is why he's committed to signing more female rappers to his rebranded record label, The New 1017. The prolific rapper spoke to XXL about his newest ventures, including the Atlanta-based artists he's already signed to The New 1017, all of whom make appearances on the label's compilation album, Gucci Mane Presents: So Icy Summer. While he's got a few dudes on the roster, including Pooh Shiesty, Big Scarr and Foogiano, he's also got a few ladies joining the ranks, as well. Gucci revealed that he's excited to bring K Shiday and Enchanting, whom he refers to as his So Icy Girlz, into the spotlight.
"We need more female rappers in the game," he insists. "I had a female artist one time, right. My whole thing is I'm not gonna just replace no artist. I'm gonna give female artists a chance, you get what I'm saying? I'm embracing the female artist, like, she hard? I'm f*ckin' with it. It ain't gonna be like, I'm starting my label and this gonna be my token female artist. No." While he may call K Shiday and Enchating his So Icy Girlz, that doesn't mean they operate as a duo.
“I want some So Icy Boyz," he explains, ‘cause whoever I sign naturally we gonna call ourselves the So Icy Boyz. That’s natural. So my whole thing was I’ma sign two dope females and just off the drip I’m naturally gonna call them the So Icy Girlz, but they’re solo artists, they’re not a group. It’s like me, Foogiano, Pooh and Scarr. We all solo artists but we’re the So Icy Boyz. So, I wanted to start that type of movement with females, you know what I’m saying? Empower them and boss them up.” More power to you, Gucci.