The colossal new album by Gucci Mane, The State vs. Radric Davis, rips it in a hood meets the regal court sort of way, with hard-core rhyming accompanied by ostentatious, orchestral strings and clubby beats. Gucci’s style has always included an excessive use of drawling, lazy-jaw rapping and pre-school four bar rhymes; this album is no different. With twenty tracks, there is a lot to chew on, as the tone undulates between gangsta styles and super house partying. Always playful, always humorous, Gucci is never dramatic or indignant. There is an almost relentless basking in getting messed up and Stupid Wild, “keepin it chill” among the hostile brothers, and getting the respect from the ladies. The wide-ranging variety of this album can be disorienting or refreshing, depending on one’s sensibilities. For instance, Spotlight with Usher is very… well… Usher, making the single a bit like the red herring of the album. Bad Bad Bad, with Keyshia Cole, is also a bit out of left field, but is such a great hip-hop number that it fits well (I don’t understand why it wasn’t one of the singles of this record). However the true odd-ball of this motley collection is the single, Heavy. Raw and rhythmically jolting, it’s hard to tell whether this track is awesome or a bruiser, but it’s definitely one you can’t listen to for very long as it’s simply over the top. Gucci fans should love this one.
David Rozon
Key Tracks: Wasted, Bad Bad Bad, Heavy, Lemonade, Spotlight
Moods: Playful, Humorous, Confident, Indulgent, Thuggish, Gritty
Buy: The State vs. Radric Davis
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