The Return of East Atlanta Santa
{{Infobox album
| name = The Return of East Atlanta Santa
| type = studio
| artist = Gucci Mane
| cover = The Return of East Atlanta Santa cover.jpg
| released = {{Start date|2016|12|16}}
| recorded =
| genre =
| length = {{Duration|m=42|s=54}}
| label =
| producer =
- Bangladesh
- Cubeatz
- Honorable C.N.O.T.E.
- Marz
- Metro Boomin
- Mike Will Made It
- Murda Beatz
- Noor Shabazz
- OZ
- Ricky Racks
- Southside
- TM88
- Tony Trouble
- Trabeats
- Zaytoven
| prev_title = 1017 vs. the World
| prev_year = 2016
| next_title = Droptopwop
| next_year = 2017
| misc = {{Singles
| name = The Return of East Atlanta Santa
| type = studio
| single1 = Last Time
| single1date = September 2, 2016
| single2 = Drove U Crazy
| single2date = December 2, 2016
| single3 = Both
| single3date = January 31, 2017
}}
}}
The Return of East Atlanta Santa is the tenth studio album by American rapper Gucci Mane. It was released on December 16, 2016, by GUWOP Enterprises, RBC Records and Atlantic Records. The record serves as Gucci Mane's third commercial release of the year, following his release from prison, after Everybody Looking (2016) and Woptober (2016). The album features guest appearances from rappers Drake and Travis Scott, alongside singer Bryson Tiller, while the production was handled by Metro Boomin, Southside, Bangladesh, Zaytoven, Mike Will Made It and Murda Beatz, among others.
The Return of East Atlanta Santa was supported by three singles: "Last Time", "Drove U Crazy" and "Both", along with two promotional singles, "St. Brick Intro" and "Stutter".
Background
In October 2016, The Return of East Atlanta Santa was announced after the release of Mane's commercial mixtape Woptober, along with its release date.{{cite web |url= https://twitter.com/gucci1017/status/788058031045111808 |title= Gucci Mane on Twitter: "#Woptober in the streets right now. Coming right back with #TheReturnOfEastAtlantaSanta on 12/16! RT that!!" |publisher= Twitter |accessdate= December 16, 2016 |url-status= bot: unknown |archiveurl= https://archive.today/20171021013746/https://twitter.com/gucci1017/status/788058031045111808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw |archivedate= October 21, 2017 }} The album title is a continuation of Gucci Mane's Christmas-themed East Atlanta Santa mixtape series. It is the third installment of the series, succeeding East Atlanta Santa (2014) and East Atlanta Santa 2: The Night GuWop Stole X-Mas (2015).{{cite web |url= https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/east-atlanta-santa-2/id1070990733 |title= East Atlanta Santa 2 by Gucci Mane on Apple Music |publisher= iTunes Store |accessdate= December 16, 2016 |date= December 25, 2015 |url-status= bot: unknown |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20160204012351/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/east-atlanta-santa-2/id1070990733 |archivedate= February 4, 2016 }}
Singles
The album's lead single, "Last Time", was released on September 2, 2016.{{cite web |url= https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/last-time-feat.-travis-scott/id1149598343 |title= Last Time (feat. Travis Scott) – Single by Gucci Mane on Apple Music |publisher= iTunes Store |accessdate= December 16, 2016 |url-status= bot: unknown |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20160927032356/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/last-time-feat.-travis-scott/id1149598343 |archivedate= September 27, 2016 }} The song features a guest appearance from American rapper Travis Scott, while the production was provided by Zaytoven.
The album's second single, "Drove U Crazy", was released as the album's third single on December 2, 2016.{{cite web|url= https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/drove-u-crazy-feat.-bryson/id1178831964?i=1178831971|title= Drove U Crazy (feat. Bryson Tiller) – Single by Gucci Mane on Apple Music |publisher= iTunes Store|accessdate= December 16, 2016|url-status= bot: unknown|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20161220192008/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/drove-u-crazy-feat.-bryson/id1178831964?i=1178831971|archivedate= December 20, 2016}} The song features a guest appearance from American singer Bryson Tiller, while the production was provided by OZ.
"Both" was released as a promotional single on December 15, 2016.{{cite web|last=Goddard|first=Kevin|url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/gucci-mane-both-feat-drake-new-song.1972259.html|title=Gucci Mane – Both Feat. Drake|work=HotNewHipHop|date=December 15, 2016|accessdate=February 22, 2018}} It was later sent to urban contemporary radio on January 31, 2017, as the album's third official single.{{cite web|url=http://www.allaccess.com/alternative/future-releases |title=Urban/UAC future releases |publisher=All Access Music Group |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20170127112254/http://www.allaccess.com/urban/future-releases |archivedate=January 27, 2017|accessdate=January 27, 2017 |url-status=dead }} The song features a guest appearance from Canadian rapper Drake, while the production was provided by Southside and Metro Boomin.
=Promotional singles=
The album's first promotional single, "St. Brick Intro", was released on November 25, 2016.{{cite web|url= https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/st.-brick-intro/id1178696148?i=1178696336|title= St. Brick Intro – Single by Gucci Mane on Apple Music |publisher= iTunes Store|accessdate= December 16, 2016|url-status= bot: unknown|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20161220191825/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/st.-brick-intro/id1178696148?i=1178696336|archivedate= December 20, 2016}} The song was produced by Zaytoven.
The album's second promotional single, "Stutter", was released on December 9, 2016.{{cite web|url= https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/stutter/id1184102127?i=1184102198|title= Stutter – Single by Gucci Mane on Apple Music |publisher= iTunes Store|accessdate= December 16, 2016|url-status= bot: unknown|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20161220192105/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/stutter/id1184102127?i=1184102198|archivedate= December 20, 2016}} The song was produced by Murda Beatz.
Critical reception
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-return-of-east-atlanta-santa-mw0003006076|title=The Return of East Atlanta Santa Review – Gucci Mane|last=Yeung|first=Neil Z.|publisher=AllMusic|accessdate=February 14, 2022}}
| rev2 = Exclaim!
| rev3 = The Guardian
| rev4 = HipHopDX
| rev5 = The Irish Times
| rev5Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite news|last=Carroll|first=Jim|author-link=Jim Carroll (journalist)|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/album-reviews/gucci-mane-the-return-of-the-east-atlanta-santa-album-review-hip-hop-and-ho-ho-ho-1.2898204|title=Gucci Mane – The Return of the East Atlanta Santa album review: Hip-hop and ho-ho-ho|newspaper=The Irish Times|accessdate=December 22, 2016}}
| rev6 = Pitchfork
| rev6Score = 7.6/10{{cite web|last=Pagnani|first=Renato|url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22692-the-return-of-east-atlanta-santa/|title=Gucci Mane: The Return of East Atlanta Santa|work=Pitchfork|accessdate=December 22, 2016}}
}}
The Return of East Atlanta Santa was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 70, based on four reviews.
Renato Pagnani of Pitchfork commented on the improvement of Gucci Mane's performance and vocals, and that the album shows a "more playful side of Gucci's personality, proving along the way that back to business doesn't have to mean an absence of fun". Narsimha Chintaluri of HipHopDX said, "The flows are slicker, and the hooks more engaging. His writing is still standard fare for Gucci, but he doesn't hesitate to play with his delivery".
In a mixed review, The Guardian{{'}}s Lanre Bakare stated: "These [guest appearances] are mostly successful, with Gucci's one-note delivery providing ballast for the crooning of Tiller, the emo-rap of Drake and the Auto-Tuned oddness of Scott. But Gucci is at his best when solo." The Irish Times stated that "Mane gets on with the gig he's had all year long of celebrating the fact that he currently has his freedom back". Chris Dart of Exclaim! said, "It comes in flashes, and then it's back to a sort of dull, flat affect".
Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline = The Return of East Atlanta Santa track listing
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| total_length = 42:54
| title1 = St. Brick Intro
| writer1 = {{hlist|Radric Davis|Xavier Dotson}}
| extra1 = {{hlist|Zaytoven}}
| length1 = 2:25
| title2 = I Can't
| writer2 = {{hlist|Davis|Leland Wayne|Joshua Luellen}}
| extra2 = {{hlist|Metro Boomin|Southside}}
| length2 = 3:28
| title3 = Walk on Water
| writer3 = {{hlist|Davis|Ricky Harrell, Jr.}}
| extra3 = Ricky Racks
| length3 = 3:35
| title4 = Both
| note4 = featuring Drake
| writer4 = {{hlist|Davis|Aubrey Graham|Luellen|Wayne}}
| extra4 = {{hlist|Metro Boomin|Southside}}
| length4 = 3:10
| title5 = Stutter
| writer5 = {{hlist|Davis|Shane Lindstrom|Kevin Gomringer|Tim Gomringer}}
| extra5 = {{hlist|Murda Beatz|Cubeatz}}
| length5 = 3:11
| title6 = Drove U Crazy
| note6 = featuring Bryson Tiller
| writer6 = {{hlist|Davis|Bryson Tiller|Ozan Yildirim}}
| extra6 = OZ
| length6 = 3:09
| title7 = Crash
| writer7 = {{hlist|Davis|Bryan Simmons}}
| extra7 = TM88
| length7 = 3:03
| title8 = Yet
| writer8 = {{hlist|Davis|Lindstrom|K. Gomringer|T. Gomringer|}}
| extra8 = {{hlist|Murda Beatz|Cubeatz}}
| length8 = 3:08
| title9 = Nonchalant
| writer9 = {{hlist|Davis|Michael Williams II|Marquel Middlebrooks}}
| extra9 = {{hlist|Mike Will Made It|Marz}}
| length9 = 3:32
| title10 = Last Time
| note10 = featuring Travis Scott
| writer10 = {{hlist|Davis|Jacques Webster II|Dotson}}
| extra10 = Zaytoven
| length10 = 4:08
| title11 = Bales
| writer11 = {{hlist|Davis|Shondrae Crawford|Tranell Sims}}
| extra11 = {{hlist|Bangladesh|Trabeats}}
| length11 = 3:40
| title12 = No Smoke
| writer12 = {{hlist|Davis|Carlton Mays, Jr.|Louis Jean|Anthony Frank}}
| extra12 = {{hlist|Honorable C.N.O.T.E.|Noor Shabazz|Tony Trouble}}
| length12 = 3:48
| title13 = Greatest Show on Earth
| writer13 = {{hlist|Davis|Williams II}}
| extra13 = Mike Will Made It
| length13 = 2:37
}}
Charts
{{col-start}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Chart performance for The Return of East Atlanta Santa |
| scope="col"| Chart (2017)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| {{album chart|BillboardCanada|44|artist=Gucci Mane|rowheader=true|accessdate=December 28, 2016}} |
| {{album chart|Billboard200|16|artist=Gucci Mane|rowheader=true|accessdate=December 28, 2016}} |
| {{album chart|BillboardRandBHipHop|7|artist=Gucci Mane|rowheader=true|accessdate=December 28, 2016}} |
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+2017 year-end chart performance for The Return of East Atlanta Santa |
| scope="col"| Chart (2017)
! scope="col"| Position |
|---|
| scope="row"| US Billboard 200{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2017/top-billboard-200-albums|title=Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2017|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=May 6, 2020}}
| 145 |
| scope="row"| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2017/top-r-and-b-hip-hop-albums|title=Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2017|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=June 28, 2020}}
| 77 |
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|artist=Gucci Mane|title=The Return of East Atlanta Santa|award=Gold|relyear=2016|certyear=2019|access-date=July 22, 2022}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Gucci Mane}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Return of East Atlanta Santa}}
Category:Atlantic Records albums
Category:Albums produced by Bangladesh (record producer)
Category:Albums produced by Cubeatz
Category:Albums produced by Honorable C.N.O.T.E.
Category:Albums produced by Metro Boomin
Category:Albums produced by Mike Will Made It
Category:Albums produced by Murda Beatz
Category:Albums produced by Southside (record producer)