The song appears to be the Grammy-nominated rapper’s first public response to the federal case against rapper Pooh Shiesty and eight other men.
A new song by rap star Gucci Mane appears to reference how he was allegedly robbed at a Dallas recording studio earlier this year by a Memphis rapper signed to his label.
The song, titled “Crash Dummy,” was released late Thursday. It seems to be the Grammy-nominated rapper’s clearest public response yet to the federal case against the nine men accused of robbing him and two other music industry figures in January.
Prosecutors allege that Lontrell Williams Jr., who performs as Pooh Shiesty, acted as the “ringleader” in a plot to lure Gucci Mane to the studio under the guise of a business meeting, then kidnap and rob the group at gunpoint. They also accuse Williams of forcing Gucci Mane, whose legal name is Radric Davis, to sign paperwork releasing him from their recording contract.
The song portrays a business relationship that curdled into betrayal, with Davis accusing an artist he once backed of setting him up, turning on him and underestimating his power.
“I thought it was a business meeting, but it was a setup,” Davis raps in the song, which does not explicitly name Williams or Dallas.
An attorney representing Williams did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday. A publicist for Davis has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
Williams and the other men are charged with kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, offenses punishable by any term of years or life in prison.
During a court hearing in Dallas on Wednesday, a judge ordered Williams, 26, to remain in custody pending trial and found that investigators had established probable cause in the case.
Williams’ legal team signaled they planned to challenge both the government’s version of events and the investigation, including the three-month gap between the Jan. 10 episode and the arrests of Williams and the other men last week.
During a cross-examination at the hearing, FBI Special Agent Pamela Hanson, the only witness called to the stand, acknowledged that investigators had not recovered the contract release Williams is accused of forcing Davis to sign, a video allegedly taken that showed him signing it, any guns in Williams’ possession or the jewelry authorities say was taken from Davis.
Hanson said the investigation was ongoing, with upcoming interviews scheduled with Davis and the two other music industry figures.
Lyrics in Davis’ new song appear to reference the contract release: “Pressure on my chest, but I still ain’t pressed. Pen to the paper, but it’s under duress.”
Under Texas law, a contract signed under duress is generally voidable if it was obtained through an improper or unlawful threat that overrode the signer’s free will.
Williams rose to national prominence in 2021 with the hit “Back in Blood” and his breakout project Shiesty Season. Williams also has made songs with Rodney Wright Jr., a Memphis rapper known as Big30, who was also arrested in the roundup by authorities.
Davis signed Williams to his label, 1017 Records, years earlier. The song suggests their agreement is still in place, with Davis rapping, “And after all that, boy, you still signed to me.”
