One of the first great rappers of the trap era, Gucci-born Radric Davis in 1980-helped bring the sound of Atlanta street rap into the mainstream, turning out tough, funny records that examined his hustle with equal parts ruthlessness and glee, not to mention showcasing a string of producers that became superstars in their own right: Zaytoven (“Pillz,” “Bricks”), Southside (“Trap House 3”), Mike WiLL Made-It (“1st Day Out Tha Feds”), and so on. Really? That’s it? “I was selling dope!” But doesn’t money change things? Like, make life more complicated? “Life shouldn’t get tough when you got a bunch of money in the bank,” he said. Gucci Mane? “Man, I started rapping for money,” he told Apple Music in 2018. Some do it because they need to quote-unquote express themselves.
