Revisiting: "Trap House III" by Gucci Mane

In May 2013, trap legend Gucci Mane dropped off his eighth studio album, Trap House III. It served as the third installment in his successful Trap House series, and today, the album is considered by many to be one of Gucci's best. The tracklist is stacked with features from Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Young Thug, and many more. But how well does the album hold up today? That is what I am finding out.

1. Traphouse 3 (ft. Rick Ross)

I really like the whole vibe of this song. First off, the beat is absolutely insane. TM88 and Southside did magic, like usual, and created an instrumental that allowed Gucci to deliver some of the most menacing bars I've ever heard from him. The hook is catchy, and Rick Ross matches Wop's energy with a brash verse. This is a dope intro to start off this album. I'll give it a high 8.5/10.

2. Mama (ft. SickPen)

I've never heard of this SickPen dude before, but I may need to check out more of his music after that hook. Wow, is his voice angelic. It felt like a hook you would hear on a song in a Nike commercial, but it was thrown into this rap song to make it sound better. Plus, Gucci's three verses are a nice touch to the track, though he really only needed two, even though the third verse was dope. I give this track a 7.5/10.

3. Use Me (ft. 2 Chainz)

This is a pretty triumphant song from Gucci and 2 Chainz. The latter starts out the track with an extremely fire verse, before Wop comes with a decent hook that elevates into a dope second verse. The production from Honorable C-Note is also top-notch, and I think this track helps the album have a good three-track opening. I'm excited to see where it goes from here. I give this track a high 8/10.

4. Nuthin On Ya (ft. Wiz Khalifa)

This is yet another good track on the album from Gucci, and Wiz's addition to the track is also pretty fire. Wop's hook and his two verses are what this track needed to be great, however. DJ Spinz and C4Bombs also deliver some dope production, which tailors to Wop well. I give this track yet another 8/10.

5. Hell Yes

Although the autotune on Gucci's verse isn't working that well for me, I still like the beat, and Wop's hook is still pretty decent. This is a love ballad to Keyshia Ka'Oir, Wop's then-girlfriend who later turned into his wife, and although the emotion is appreciated, this track could've worked better without the autotune. Still, I give this track a 6.5/10.

6. I Heard (ft. Rich Homie Quan)

Gucci's verse is extremely dope, but Rich Homie Quan is the highlight of this track. From his absolutely fire first verse to his catchy hook, it's clear that this is one of the tracks that will stand out the most on the album. The beat is also super good, and it gets you in the mood to turn up whenever. I give this track a high 8.5/10.

7. F*ck With Me

This is a pretty strong track, with the menacing hook being the highlight. However, Gucci's two verses are also fire, and the instrumental from Drumma Boy hits the spot. I'm convinced that Drumma Boy is one of the best trap producers of all time. I mean, seriously, every beat I've heard from this man has slapped. Anyways, I give this track an 8/10.

8. Thirsty

I don't like this track as much as the previous ones on this album, but it's still good. The hook will get stuck in your heard, the instrumental from C4Bombs and DJ Spinz is dope, and Gucci's two verses are filled with his typical swagger. I give this track a strong 7.5/10.

9. Can't Trust Her (ft. Rich Homie Quan)

This is yet another solid collaboration between Gucci and Quan. The beat from Lex Luger is great, and Quan's hook is somewhat catchy. His verse is pretty good, also, and Wop also delivers on his end. This project is super consistent, which just proves that Gucci has had some of the best trap mixtapes and songs of all time. This track gets a 7.5/10 from me.

10. Darker (ft. Chief Keef)

We have yet another solid track on our hands, this time a collaboration between Gucci and young hip-hop pioneer Chief Keef (with whom Wop later made a collaboration tape with in October 2014). The TM88 and Southside production is welcomed, as usual, and Wop's hook, along with his two verses, matches the darkness of this album's title track. However, Keef also does his part, delivering a verse filled with his usual brash and brazen lines, along with his signature adlibs. I give this track a high 8.5/10.

11. D.I.G. (Dipped In Gold)

Drumma Boy and Gucci make magic yet again with this track, an ode to his girl being "dipped in gold." The hook is pretty catchy, and Wop flows smoothly over the hypnotizing beat (that beat switch, in the beginning, is golden). I can't believe how many bangers this album has. This track gets a solid 8/10 from me.

12. Tell Em That (ft. Shawty Lo and Peewee Longway)

Wow, another strong track. First off, Gucci delivers one of the hardest hooks on the album so far, and his verse is pretty fire. However, Peewee Longway and Shawty Lo also do their part, with both delivering dope verses. The instrumental from C4Bombs and DJ Spinz is also hard, and I think these two work well as a production duo. I give this track a 7.5/10.

13. Muddy (ft. Young Dolph and Young Scooter)

Well, Gucci and Zaytoven. I already expected this track to be good the second I heard Zay's producer tag at the beginning, but it was actually kind of... underwhelming. The hook is a bit lazy, and Wop's verse isn't his best. However, Scooter and Dolph deliver two hard-hitting verses, which were refreshing, especially since I'm a big fan of Dolph's music. Still, Gucci did okay, just not great. I'll give this track a 7/10.

14. Point In My Life

Although the autotune still doesn't work all that well for Gucci, I still fairly enjoy this track. The Dun Deal production is nicely crafted, and the hook is catchy. Wop's two verses are also pretty fire, making this an improvement over "Hell Yes," a previous autotuned love ballad on the album. I give this track a 7/10.

15. Chasen Paper (ft. Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug)

It's nice to see a Thugger feature on here, and this is basically his song. He commands the first verse and does the hook, which is extremely catchy. That isn't to say that Gucci and Quan didn't deliver, either. Both of them had dope verses. However, Thugger was the clear standout of the track. I give this track a 7.5/10.

16. Off The Leash (ft. Peewee Longway and Young Thug)

This is an extremely dope track. From the extremely catchy hook (off the LEASH!) to Thugger's top-notch verse to Gucci and Longway's similarly dope verses, everything about this track slaps. I didn't know we would get a hit this late in the album, but I'll take it any day of the week. I give this track a strong 8.5/10.

17. Nobody

This is definitely a fitting closer to the album, with Drumma Boy and Gucci teaming up yet again for a trap banger. From the menacing beat to Wop's dark hook to his two dope verses, I can't find a reason not to like an outro like this. It's amazing how good Wop was back before he went to jail. I give this track a solid 8/10.

FINAL RATING: 7.7/10

BEST TRACK: Off The Leash (ft. Peewee Longway and Young Thug)

WORST TRACK: Hell Yes

SUMMARY:

Trap House III is possibly Gucci's best project before he went to jail. From the classic trap production choices to the dope guest features to Wop's own menacing performance, this album shows how gritty Wop can really get. It's not hard to see why this is remembered as one of Gucci's classics, and this remains one of Wop's best albums to date. Trap House III is one of the essential Gucci Mane projects.