It’s no secret that Gucci Mane and Young Dolph were close. Beyond their collaborative effort, East Atlanta Memphis, they collaborated numerous times over the years, becoming more than rap allies; they were close friends.
It’s only fitting that Gucci offer up a tribute to the fallen Memphis legend, and he doesn’t mince his words: “Same n***as wanna be ya be the ones that come to kill ya,” hits hard, as does his plea for change in hip hop, all the more sobering in the wake of Drakeo the Ruler’s recent murder: “So this is how it is, gotta die to get your props? / Never get your flowers while you’re here, and damn, that says a lot / All this senseless violence that I’m seein’, I swear it needs to stop.”
We can only hope. Nonetheless, it’s one of Gucci’s grimmer observations that rings the truest in our current moment: “Tryna find the positive, but it’s only negative.” With all the loss the hip hop community has suffered in a depressingly short amount of time, it’s hard not to feel a bit lost. Still, there’s a bit of solace to be found in Gucci’s earnest tribute.
You can watch the video (itself a tribute to their friendship) for “Long Live Dolph” below.
