Gucci Mane Pays Tribute to Fallen Hip-Hop Stars in Upcoming Album
In recent years, the rap community has mourned the loss of several talented artists due to various causes.
Gucci Mane, the acclaimed rapper, will apparently reflect on these tragic losses in his highly anticipated upcoming album.
Titled “Breath Of Fresh Air,” Gucci Mane’s album is set to release on October 13, and fans can expect a taste of it with the release of his new single, “Bluffin,” featuring fellow Atlanta native Lil Baby, which dropped today (June 16).
In a conversation with Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1’s New Music Daily Radio, Gucci Mane discussed his latest track and opened up about how the untimely deaths of his peers in the hip-hop industry inspired his forthcoming album, “Breath Of Fresh Air.”
“The loss of some of my close friends and peers has been a hundred percent inspiration for me to keep putting out music and staying engaged because I know that’s what they would really want me to do,” Gucci Mane shared with Zane Lowe. “But at the same time, I want to make sure I have Dolph on the album.”
He added, “I want Takeoff on my album. I want Scarr on my album. I want Pooh on my album. Even though they’re not physically here right now, I want to let them know, ‘Hey, I’m thinking about you if nobody else is, in my own way because that’s what I’m going through.'”
Among the fallen stars Gucci Mane mentioned, Adolph “Young Dolph” Thornton Jr. was tragically killed by a gunman in 2021, Kirsnick “Takeoff” Ball lost his life to gun violence in 2022, and Gucci Mane’s signed artist, Alexander “Big Scarr” Woods, reportedly passed away from an accidental drug overdose in the same year. Additionally, Shandler “Wavy Navy Pooh” Beaubien fell victim to an ambush shooting last year.
“Ever since November when Dolph passed away and my artist Scarr passing away, and Takeoff passing away, and [Pooh Shiesty] locked up, and [Foogiano] locked up, that’s why I named my album ‘A Breath of Fresh Air,'” Gucci Mane explained.
Continuing, the 43-year-old rapper, who is married to Keyshia Ka’oir, expressed his desire to shift the narrative in his music. “Right now, I’m just not in the mood to hear a whole bunch of drilling and killing and this and that. Not saying that I haven’t done that before, but let me just lead by example and show people that there is more to rap about than my adversaries and all that.”
