‘Episodes’ Delivers Signature Trap Production, But Not the Mature Content

There is no denying that Gucci Mane sits as a prominent member on the Mount Rushmore of Trap music. After a whirlwind of releases following his initial prison release some years ago, the trap legend has recently slowed his work rate. “Episodes” is Gucci’s first major release in almost two years (dropping alongside a biography of the same name in which he details his struggle with mental health), and I can say that the anticipation sadly doesn’t fully live up to the actual product. Aside from a few bars, those expecting an introspective, knowledge-dropping, mature Gucci might be in for a bit of a letdown.

One thing that can always be said about a Gucci project is that the man definitely has an ear for beats, and this go-around is no exception. Right off the bat, the production—headed by Go Grizzley, Pooh Beatz, London Jae, and others—definitely fits in line with the patented trap flow. If for nothing else, you can definitely test the integrity of your subwoofers with the majority of the tracks. However, running at 23 tracks, the album does seem to run a bit long given the limited subject matter presented. Despite the aforementioned tie to Gucci’s biography, there is little to connect this release to the accompanying book. Those looking for Gucci to expand on the book’s themes or provide some insight into the life of the trapper-turned-CEO and family man will likely leave disappointed.

While most people familiar with Gucci aren’t going into his projects expecting high-level lyricism, the 1017 honcho definitely knows how to appease his core fanbase. That being said, there seems to be an abundance of “lover boy” type tracks on this album (complete with some auto-tune crooning on “Savages”), which feels unnecessary. While there are a good number of tracks on this project, surprisingly there are only three features, with Gucci tapping Bossman Dlow and Sexyy Red for two tracks. The resurgence of OJ Da Juiceman continues on “BackCooking,” which is one of the best songs on the project. However, the “sequel” to a popular classic Gucci track, “You Dont LoveMe” featuring Sexyy Red, did little justice to the original. Still crossing my fingers for a Waka Flocka collab (probably a long shot at this point), but it was still good hearing a partial So Icy reunion.

Overall, I think most fans of Wop will be satisfied with this current drop. However, I think there was a missed opportunity for Gucci to drop a classic and showcase the mature CEO/family man while staying true to form.

Standout Tracks: “Voices” “Rich Nigga Problems” “Real” “Back Cooking” “Preference”

Album Rating: 👑👑👑👑👑👑 (6/10)