Gunna may be a household name in hip hop, but he’s recently been plagued by snitch allegations following his December 2022 release from prison. He pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate Georgia’s RICO Act in the YSL gang case.

He addresses it all — his arrest, the fallout from his plea and the snitching accusations that have dogged him since — in his first major project following his discharge.

Dropped on Friday to measurable fanfare across social media that has him trending on Twitter, his fourth studio album follows 2022’s DS4EVER. It somewhat proves the snitch allegations may not be sticking, likely intentional on his part.

As promised, the “Pushin P” hitmaker first teased the project on Wednesday, which also fell upon his 30th birthday, sharing the cover art with followers.

a Gift & a Curse clocks in at 45 minutes, with the 15-track surprise project an entirely solo affair featuring no guest appearances, a rarity in the current climate.

It also includes multiple Young Thug shout-outs and the previously-released, well-received comeback single “bread & butter,” where Gunna also refutes claims that he snitched in exchange for his freedom.

“Never gave no statement or agreed to take no stand on ’em,” he raps, countering the snitching rumors.

In May 2022, the Atlanta rapper, Young Thug and 26 others were arrested as part of a sweeping indictment involving Thug’s Young Stoner Life label that alleged the collective of conspiracy to violate the RICO Act. In a statement following his arrest, Gunna vehemently maintained his innocence, claiming he was “falsely accused.”

Gunna was then released in December after striking an Alford plea, meaning he maintained his innocence while accepting a plea and the repercussions of a guilty verdict as a form of self-preservation. Young Thug remains incarcerated and awaits trial on the charges against him.

Upon his return home, Gunna found that many of his friends, colleagues and peers believed he had evaded jail time by snitching on his label head, Young Thug, despite neither cooperating with the prosecution nor testifying against any co-defendants. The YSL rapper further doubles down on those rumors in various tracks off his new album.

On the introductory track “back at it,” he comments on being outside again after he missed out on “millions and millions.”

Gunna — whose real name is Sergio Giavanni Kitchens — addresses those who turned on him, emphasizing that he didn’t snitch in songs “back to the moon,” “rodeo dr” and “i was just thinking.”

In “i was just thinking,” Gunna salutes and sympathizes with Young Thug while talking about his prison time and the ensuing emotional distress from the experience.

“There’s four walls talking to you, telling you you gone / Only I done cried causе this feeling for my bro (King Slime) / And you know my mind, you done watched that n*gga grow / Know you hearing the lies that your lil’ brother might fold / Yeah, I had popped out, but don’t let ‘em say I told,” Gunna raps.

In one song, “rodeo dr,” he raps about confronting those who’ve been “claiming I ratted,” before boasting about being “on the yacht with my muthaf***ing shirt off / look at it, my whole body tatted.”

On the track “ca$h $**t,” Gunna spews at his haters and shouts out Thug by his government name.

“You n*gga broke, energy low I don’t really care though / Out the barrel, man, free my bro Jeffro / Back to business, it’s way more dinero,” he raps.

Other records like “turned your back” and “paybach” aim at those who abandoned him following his release.

Fans’ reactions varied but mostly supported the drop for what it is: hit after hit.

“No features and didn’t need Wheezy’s production, just Gunna rapping with a chip on his shoulder. This sh*t means something to me,” one user tweeted.

“Durk dissed Gunna just for Gunna to drop a better album,” another user pointed out.

“Whole industry distanced themselves from Gunna, and he still delivered,” another person wrote.

Even while behind bars, the “Sold Out Dates” artist’s musical genius is unmistakable, having earned two nominations for the 2023 Grammy Awards in the Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance categories for his hit, “Pushin P.”

With the hype surrounding the YSL case, the debate ensuing over whether to label Gunna a snitch or not and people flocking to the new music just to hear what he has to say — could this be the album that tops Billboard for Hip-Hop this year? We’ll have to listen to find out.

A Gift and a CurseBlavity-UBlavity-U-EntertainmentGunnaprison releaseRapper GunnaYoung ThugYSL RICO Trial