"When the rapper, Gucci Mane, was on the heat, or run, that launched his career about 15 years ago, he was putting out songs built for good times. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WASTED") GUCCI MANE: (Rapping) Party, party, party. Let's all get wasted. Shake it for me, baby girl. Do it butt-naked. Let's party right here. LIMBONG: But he was not having a good time. In his new book, "Episodes," he talks about his depression, his bouts of mania and anxiety, his drug abuse."
"So Gucci had been conceptualizing this book for a while. Originally, I think he wanted to do some sort of a mental health handbook to give to artists, right? And then gradually, through conversations, we started to realize that it was much bigger than a how-to, I guess you could say - and then a few things that happened in his life that he was like, you know what? I'm being called to do this."
Gucci Mane produced upbeat, party-focused songs while privately struggling with depression, mania, anxiety, and substance abuse. He experienced manic and depressive episodes alongside career momentum and a public persona of celebration. The project evolved from an initial concept as a mental-health handbook for artists into a much broader, urgent undertaking after significant life events prompted action. Kathy Iandoli collaborated on the project and has worked with Prodigy, T-Pain, Eve, and Lil' Kim. Conversations between Gucci Mane and Kathy revealed deeper themes beyond practical guidance, shaping a narrative that balances industry life with personal recovery.
Read at www.npr.org
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