Whether you are referencing his overwhelming catalog of music, the countless artists that he’s introduced to the world, or the remarkable transformation he made following his release from prison, Gucci Mane is undoubtedly one of the most polarizing artists of our time. Prior to his arrest, Gucci Mane was suffering from a brutal addiction to lean, appearing as a lost cause as he slowly transitioned from a top artist and talent recruiter to a media spectacle that could be set off and led into disaster at any minute.
Following his conviction for illegal possession of a firearm, Gucci Mane took personal inventory and decided to use his time away from the free world to better prepare himself for a bright future. During his bid he was able to kick his drug/alcohol habit, became a model of physical health, and re-focused his energy on his music and his family. When he was released from prison in 2016, Gucci Mane re-positioned himself at the top of the hip-hop world and proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Keyshia Ka’Oir, while sitting courtside at an Atlanta Hawks game.
Monday night, Gucci Mane appeared as a guest on Trevor Noah’s Comedy Central talk show, “The Daily Show,” and shed some light on his mindset during this period of transition and self-reflection. According to Gucci Mane, his addiction to codeine-syrup, more commonly known in Hip-Hop as lean, proved to be one of the more problematic and scary facets of his life that led him down a dark road. While in prison, Gucci Mane explained to Noah that he realized his addiction could be a matter of life and death if not acted on quickly.
“I could’ve been one of the artists that don’t wake up the next day,” explained Gucci Mane. “I don’t want that in my future.”
Artists such as Pimp C and culture shifting personalities like ASAP Yams are just two of the many people in hip-hop that have passed away due to addiction to lean, making it a scary reality for artists due to its harmful mainstream image.
Going forward, Gucci explained to Noah that his upcoming album “Mr. Davis,” would be pushed back to October 17th instead of his originally scheduled September time-frame. Longtime fans of Gucci Mane are familiar with the date 10/17, an ode to his 1017 label that propelled him and others such as Waka Flocka Flame to superstardom, however this time the date holds more significance as it is also the date he will be getting married to his fiancé Keyshia Ka’Oir. It is blatantly clear that a healthy and focused Gucci Mane is very important not only for him and his new family but also for Hip-Hop music in general.