a Gift & a Curse
Eighteen months before *a Gift & a Curse*, Gunna was in a very different position. The Georgia native ushered in 2022 with the chart-topping success of *DRIP SEASON 4EVER* and its lexicon-altering hit “pushin P” with Young Thug. In May of that year, both he and his YSL label boss found themselves under indictment in a sweeping RICO case. By December, he was free, only to be faced with wild speculation over the terms of his release. Caught up in the fallout, he clapped back over the rumors and narratives that formed about and around him with the single “bread & butter.” Scarred and singed by some of the most damaging accusations one could face in the rap game or the streets, he unloads his lyrical clip in spectacular fashion on his first album since his arrest. Throughout *a Gift & a Curse*, Gunna makes it a point to address his predicament head-on, offering a perspective as unique as the circumstances. A defiant superstar, he reintroduces himself to his fans and haters alike on the simmering “back at it,” following it swiftly with the confident and confrontational “back to the moon.” He shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders over what’s changed with “idk nomore” while returning to the lavish normalcy of his pre-arrest lifestyle via “rodeo dr” and “p angels.” For the grand finale, “alright,” he sees the path forward clearer than ever, shouting out YSL amid a hopeful chorus.
The Atlanta rapper tries to testify to the emotional burdens of the YSL case while staying lighthearted, resulting in an album that both lacks depth and is too absorbed in real-life drama.
After seven months in jail for racketeering, Gunna entered a guilty plea on one charge -- while maintaining his innocence -- and was granted his release.
These are hard times for Gunna. The Georgia rapper rose to fame as a key part of YSL, before police pressure essentially shattered the label. Rumours that
Gunna's ‘A Gift & a Curse’ is filled with rhetorical mini-masterclasses in verbal self-defense. Read our review.