Radric Delantic Davis, known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper and music executive. He is credited, along with fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Jeezy, with pioneering the hip-hop subgenre trap music for mainstream audiences during the 2000s. His debut studio album, Trap House (2005), was released by the independent label Big Cat Records and entered the Billboard 200; it was followed by Hard to Kill (2006), which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100 entry with its single "Freaky Gurl". That same year, he released his third album, Trap-A-Thon, before signing with Atlantic Records to release his fourth album, Back to the Trap House (2007).
During this time, Davis continued self-releasing releasing mixtapes and collaborative projects. He signed with Atlantic's sister label, Warner Bros. Records to release his sixth album and mainstream breakthrough, The State vs. Radric Davis (2009). Preceded by the double platinum-certified single "Lemonade", it peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200, while the album's sequel, The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted (2010), peaked at number four.