Gucci Mane follows up the release of Everybody Looking, which is on track to move between 69,000-74,000 copies opening week, with some more promotion. The mane has been everywhere since his prison release, whether it's collaborating with artists, getting into the Snapchat life, or doing press. He was recently profiled by The New York Times.
In his FADER cover story, GuWop touches on his time in his prison, his music, sobering up, Young Thug and much more. Peruse a few excerpts below or read the full story here.
Gucci on his work:
I never really made music to make people try to feel sad. I dont want people to feel sorry for me. I want them to feel powerful, I want them to feel aggressive, I want them to feel invincible. I want to hear the fuckery. I want to hear the shit that people probably think, This aint good to be played around kids.
On his time in prison:
It was a maximum security prison and it was a lot of violence. People were dying every week. [But] I think it helped me to get to the point Im at now, to drive me out from the drugs. It gave me time to reflect, it made a lot of relationships that were toxic in my life just fall away.
On his new lifestyle:
When I was on drugs so bad, I talked different. When I was smoking weed, a damn near pound of weed every day, I was congested. When I was drinking lean like crazy every day, I was out my mind. I was always sophisticated, but it aint even sophisticated now its just a sober, a more conscious Gucci. And people probably aint used to it. It took a minute for me to get used to it. But theyre gonna have to get used to it because its here to stay.
Young Thug on Gucci Mane:
He taught me everything, Thug says. Most definitely he taught me dont never stop. He was rapping every day, all day and all night. Hell be mad at me if Id leave the yo [the studio]. Hed be like, Man, you dead broke and you goddamn running around and Im up a whole lot of millions and Im working every day. How the hell that look?