After a two-month break, Verzuz kicks off its second season with a battle between two Atlanta rap titans: Gucci Mane and Jeezy.
The match-up initially pitted T.I. against Jeezy, but the new configuration adds extra intrigue as Gucci Mane and Jeezy have engaged in a long-standing feud filled with multiple diss tracks, physical altercations and even a murder charge against Gucci Mane in the 2005 shooting death of Jeezy’s friend and former labelmate Henry “Pookie Loc” Clark III. (The rapper was later acquitted of the charges.) Adding to the intrigue, the rappers will conduct the battle live from the same room.
Ahead of Verzuz’s return Thursday night (Nov. 19), Billboard recaps the rapper’s biggest songs on our charts, many of which are likely to show up during the showdown.
Curiously, both Gucci and Jeezy trace the start of their Billboard résumés to the same date: March 12, 2005. Then, the pair arrived on their first major chart — the R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay list — with “Icy,” billed as Gucci Mane featuring Young Jeezy and Boo, which debuted at No. 74, on its way to a No. 42 peak that June.
“Icy,” too, became each rapper’s first hit on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, with a No. 75 bow on March 12, and a No. 45 high later that year. The single jumpstarted Gucci Mane’s run of 55 charted singles on the chart, while Jeezy has edged slightly ahead in that category, with 57 credits.
After “Icy,” Jeezy found success on the Billboard Hot 100 with his subsequent single, “And Then What,” featuring Mannie Fresh, which entered the flagship songs chart in July 2005 and peaked at No. 67 the next month. He followed with the Akon-featured “Soul Survivor,” his first of three top 10s, which attained its No. 4 peak that November. Of the three top 10s, he’s claimed one visit to the summit thanks to a featured turn on Usher’s “Love in This Club.” The 2008 release logged three weeks at the top that March.
Gucci Mane, meanwhile, endured a two-year stretch between “Icy” and his first Hot 100 appearance, which he secured in October 2007 when “Freaky Gurl” rose to a No. 62 best that December. He hit his stride, however, beginning in 2009, with five charted tracks in the year, including top 40 runs for “Wasted” (No. 36) and a supporting role on Mario’s “Break Up” (No. 14), which also featured Sean Garrett. Like Jeezy, Gucci Mane also boasts a Hot 100 No. 1 through his guest spot on Rae Sremmurd’s “Black Beatles,” which reigned for seven weeks in 2016-17.
Here’s a look at both Gucci Mane and Jeezy’s top 10 performing hits on the Hot 100. As with many rappers in the past two decades, many of their hits exemplify the collaborative explosion of hip-hop, with guest spots on other artists’ tracks or their own recruitment of fellow rappers or singers to join their creations.
Gucci Mane:
Rank, Song Title, Artist, Peak Position, Peak Date
1. “Black Beatles,” Rae Sremmurd featuring Gucci Mane, No. 1 (seven weeks), Nov. 26, 2016
2. “Wake up in the Sky,” Gucci Mane x Bruno Mars x Kodak Black, No. 11, Dec. 22, 2018
3. “I Get The Bag,” Gucci Mane featuring Migos, No. 11, Nov. 4, 2017
4. “Break Up,” Mario featuring Gucci Mane & Sean Garrett, No. 14, Sept. 19, 2009
5. “Both,” Gucci Mane featuring Drake, No. 41, Jan. 7, 2017
6. “Slippery,” Migos featuring Gucci Mane, No. 29, July 22, 2017
7. “Wasted,” Gucci Mane featuring Plies or OJ Da Juiceman, No. 36, Nov. 21, 2009
8. “Party,” Chris Brown featuring Usher & Gucci Mane, No. 40, Feb. 11, 2017
9. “Like That,” Doja Cat featuring Gucci Mane, No. 50, Sept. 19, 2020
10. “Steady Mobbin’” Young Money featuring Gucci Mane, No. 48, Jan. 9, 2010
Jeezy:
Rank, Song Title, Artist, Peak Position, Peak Date
1. “Love in This Club,” Usher featuring Jeezy, No. 1 (three weeks), March 15, 2008
2. “Soul Survivor,” featuring Akon, No. 4, Nov. 12, 2005
3. “Hard,” featuring Jeezy, No. 8, Jan. 30, 2010
4. “My Hitta,” YG featuring Jeezy & Rich Homie Quan, No. 19, Nov. 30, 2013
5. “Put On,” featuring Kanye West, No. 12, Sept. 6, 2008
6. “Go Getta,” featuring R. Kelly, No. 18, April 7, 2007
7. “I’m So Paid,” Akon featuring Lil Wayne & Jeezy, No. 31, Dec. 27, 2008
8. “I Luv It,” No. 14, Dec. 30, 2006
9. “Say I,” Christina Milian featuring Jeezy, No. 21, May 27, 2006
10. “Lose My Mind,” featuring Plies, No. 35, May 22, 2010
Gucci Mane and Jeezy’s Biggest Billboard Hits are based on actual performance on the weekly Hot 100 chart, through Nov. 21, 2020. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower ranks earning lesser values. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, certain eras are weighted to account for different chart turnover rates over various periods.
