One thing is for certain: Gucci Mane has never been afraid to speak his mind. Now, amidst the growing protests and calls-to-actions for racial equality across every industry, Atlantic Records is the latest company to be called out.
The rapper announced last week that he’s leaving Atlantic Records on July 3 in a firestorm of tweets in which he got a few things off his chest. In a now-deleted tweet, Gucci wrote, “Leaving #AtlanticRecords July 3rd these crackers polite racist #SolcySummer.”
In another deleted tweet, Gucci Mane, whose birth name is Radric Davis, urged other Black artists to stand with him against “racist” music labels. “All artists let’s go on strike f-ck these racist ass labels burn them down too #BlackLivesMatter #BlackExecMatter f*ck these crackers.”
Ironically, Atlantic Records was one of many labels that felt compelled to go dark last week in support of #BlackOutTuesday, which was organized by two Black music executives “in observance of the long-standing racism and inequality that exists from the boardroom to the boulevard.”
Since then however, many deem Atlanta Record’s post, and many other companies’ posts, as “performative” and hollow.
This isn’t the first time Gucci Mane got into beef with his label, either. The rapper, who signed to Atlantic Records in 2007, was dropped for a period of time in 2013 after tweeting insults towards the label and its representatives. He later apologized for his tweets and claimed he was on codeine at the time. He rejoined Atlantic Records in 2016.
ESSENCE reached out to Atlantic Records, but hasn’t heard back just yet.