Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane is almost as known for his run-ins with the law as he is for his raw, Southern-fried lyrics. He was recently released from prison after serving almost three years, but incarceration didn’t do much to curb his creative drive. From behind bars, he released more than a dozen new albums, a movie, and an autobiography is in the works. 

We speak with Atlanta hip-hop artist Makonnen and hip-hop scholar Regina Bradley about Gucci Mane’s influence on hip-hop in the South.