ATLANTA, GA. (Top40 Charts/ Big Cat Records) - On
September 25, 2007, Big Cat Records - the Atlanta-based independent label behind rapper Gucci Mane's rise to prominence - will release TRAP-A-THON, their third album from
Gucci Mane at his grimiest. The hit song, "Freaky Gurl" (released by Big Cat Records in 2006) is currently at No 20 and No 40 on the Urban
Radio and Rhythmic
Radio Charts and is included on TRAP-A-THON. The album features the Original and Remix of "Freaky Gurl" and a bonus DVD entitled "The Glockumentary," all of which were written and recorded in 2006 following Gucci's exoneration from murder charges.
It's been a long road - Gucci Mane joined forces with indie hip-hop heavyweight, Big Cat Records in 2005, the same year Billboard Magazine placed the company at No 13 on their list of Top Rap Labels. Big Cat's national assault with Gucci's now-infamous beef track, "So Icy," propelled his debut album Trap House to enter the Billboard Independent Album Chart at No 5 and remain in the Top 20 for eight weeks. Success came again in 2006 when Big Cat released Gucci's sophomore album, Hard To Kill. The album featured the street anthems "Go Head," "My Chain," and of course, "Freaky Gurl," which the label furiously promoted. This hit single now re-appears on Gucci Mane's third album, TRAP-A-THON, among previously unreleased tracks in the artist's signature, flamboyant hood-style.
"Gucci's trials and tribulations served to elevate his game," says label CEO, Marlon "Big Cat" Rowe. "He hit the studio with a vengeance, with something to prove. Once his name was cleared, Gucci Mane got to work."
With an Intro shouting out the label that introduced him, TRAP-A-THON begins, "Who the click that you roll with, the label that you sign with..." In addition to "Freaky Gurl" and the underground hit "Pillz", radio is already circling around the next single, "What They Do" which features Young Snead and Khia. Meanwhile, the bonus DVD "Glockumentary" gives the inside on the 2006 murder trial and the Young Jeezy beef.
ABOUT BIG CAT RECORDS: Big Cat Records was named the No 13 on Billboard Magazine's 2005 Top Rap Label chart behind major-label powerhouses such as Interscope, Island Def Jam, Universal Motown, Sony Urban, etc. Mel "Mel Man" Breeden and Marlon "Big Cat" Rowe formed the label in 1999 and have since turned the venture into one of the South's most flourishing independent labels. Mel Breeden is a hip hop heavyweight who had a break-through hit in 1997 by producing the 1.5 million-selling "Da Dip" for Freak Nasty - the song reached No 15 on Billboard's Hot 100. Big Cat's success is due to their hands-on approach with their artists. While other labels spend massive amounts on inferior artists, Big Cat notices talent that commits to the hustle. From Gucci Mane and Black Magic to Maceo, Big Cat spots an artist on the rise. Breeden says, "We want to see the grind. Big Cat Records is a street label, we believe in guerilla marketing. We want artists who'll go there, in the street, in the club, in the station. There are plenty of talented people out there, too many demos out there, we want to sign the artists that are hungry, then we help promote them."
