Excerpt from imaginary Lab review from 2005: “Word is bond, Young Jeezy really killed Gucci Mane on this dope southern rap song, B! Gucci’s finished, there’s no way he’s coming out of this beef ahead! That’s like Donald Trump being elected President! Nah fam I don’t need that 12-inch. Serato 4ever! Come to my gig tonight!” Fast forward to 2018, and this album is - for reasons unknown - being released on vinyl for the first time ever. It’s a perfect excuse to revisit some gems from Radric Davis’ pre-“Lemonade” catalog. The big joint off this of course was “Icy,” which simultaneously introduced most of the radio-listening public to both Gucci and Jeezy. It was sort of a false start for both artists, and didn’t really come to symbolize the type of (t)rap music either of them would be known for, although Jeezy massively outshined La Flare at the time, igniting a long, drawn-out beef that almost spelled certain doom for our hero. But Lear Jet Gucci’s singular style and one-of-a-kind personality really shine throughout the rest of the album, and you can hear the seeds of today’s sound which Gucci has influenced perhaps more than anyone else; check out “Two Thangs,” “Pyrex Pot,” “That’s My Hood,” “Damn Shawty,” “Go Head” and the title track. 18 tracks altogether spread across four sides of vinyl, housed in pic sleeve.

• double vinyl pressing
• first time on vinyl
• originally released in 2005
• music label: Big Cat Records 2018

reviewed by tom violence 12/2018