Death, taxes and quality Gucci Mane projects — these are the only three things that are certain in this world. In all seriousness, though, there are few musicians in the modern hip-hop scene who even come close to matching the prolific consistency and sheer output of Gucci Mane.
Gucci’s discography features over 50 titles, ranging from major LPs and EPs to a flurry of mixtapes and Christmas-themed trap albums. Despite his extensive output, one would be hard-pressed to find a serious dud inside the Atlanta rapper’s discography. His music also appears all the more impressive when one considers more than 10 of said projects were recorded, mastered and released while he was serving a bid in prison.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the artist’s latest album, “Mr. Davis,” sounds off with nothing but exciting, well-produced, trap-rap energy. Clocking in at just a smidge over an hour, “Mr. Davis” runs a bit longer than some of Gucci’s other projects. The album never seems to drag on or dip in energy at any point — largely thanks to the polishing and energy Gucci contributes to his signature style of rap.
“Mr. Davis” sees all of the Atlanta rapper’s styles of delivery put on display, from the bouncing and light-on-its-feet spitting of “Enormous” to the hard-hitting, nonstop rush of bars seen in “Back On.” Definite highlights of the album include “Lil Story,” which showcases a Gucci hook of extremely punchy, short-stop bars — almost reminiscent of early Eazy-E verses — as well as the creeping and haggard mutterings from the verse on “Make Love.”
However, the biggest selling point of “Mr. Davis” may not come from Gucci himself, but instead from the absolutely star-studded features list it boasts. Of course, there’s the usual ensemble of trap-rap regulars seen on Gucci’s past projects like Slim Jxmmi, Young Dolph and Migos. But a new slew of major pop celebrities like The Weeknd, A$AP Rocky, Chris Brown and Ty Dolla $ign also delivers absolutely A-grade features and hooks. Perhaps the most notable performance from the features list comes from rhythm and blues artist Rico Love, who puts on a dangerously smooth R&B chorus for the soulful, organ-filled track “Miss My Woe.”
Ultimately, there is little more that can be said about “Mr. Davis” that hasn’t already been said for any of Gucci’s previous projects. Each one blends its own flavor of energetic and bass-heavy trap beats with Gucci’s own signature energy and flare, throwing in a set of features from major names in hip hop for better singles performance. Gucci has the formula for musical success down pat and shows no sign of deviating from it — and for good reason. “Mr. Davis” certainly isn’t revolutionary, nor will it win over any listeners who have disliked Gucci’s music in the past. But for long time fans, “Mr. Davis” is nothing but the same high quality work that’s come to be expected of Gucci Mane.