This is why I don’t fully understand musicians.
People — particularly Black men and women — don’t really receive a lot of second chances in life. It’s why, over the last several months, I’ve become a bigger fan of Gucci Mane than I ever was in the prior 10 years, and it’s not because of his music.
Every picture Radric has taken since he was released from jail shortly before Memorial Day 2016 clearly shows a man who, after his second, third, and fourth chances, finally got his life together and is living it to the fullest. He’s the healthiest he’s ever been physically, he’s financially set for life, his career is back on track, and he’s plans to marry his longtime girlfriend. Gucci Mane, quite simply, looks like a man who’s appreciative of those chances he’s received and is determined to not make the same mistakes again, and you can’t help but root for him at this point.
On the other hand, there’s Kodak Black. Already facing a sexual assault charge in South Carolina, Black — née Dieuson Octave — was found guilty of five counts of violating his probation in Fort Lauderdale, FL on April 26th. However, he avoided more serious battery charges, after the court found him not guilty of assaulting a bartender at a local strip club in February.
Today (May 4th), a judge sentenced Black to 364 days in county jail. Interestingly, there is a bit of a silver lining: the Sun Sentinel reports that Kodak could be out in as early as a month if he completes a “life skills course” while in jail, plus he will get credit for time served.
All of this comes after Kodak’s own music career had hit its stride: His debut album, Painting Pictures, landed at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, and he has a multitude of singles — “Lockjaw,” “Tunnel Vision” and “Too Many Years” — that have reached either Gold or Platinum status. However, his jail time has since resulted in him being removed from Future’s Nobody Safe Tour and replaced by A$AP Ferg.
Hopefully, when he gets out, Kodak will grip his own new lease on life too.
