Keyshia Ka’Oir Defends Gucci Mane Following Backlash Over 1017 Records Rappers’ Demise
The untimely death of 1017 Records rapper, Enchanting, has brought label boss, Gucci Mane, much backlash.
Upon the tragic news, critics began recalling the multiple 1017 artists who have either passed away from drug overdoses or are in jail, and began pointing the finger at La Flare. In his defense, his wife Keyshia Ka’Oir told people to “leave her husband alone” as he has nothing to do with his signees’ personal decisions.
Under Gucci’s tribute post to the Love & Drugs artist, one person wrote, “At some point Gucci has to take some accountability because what type of leader are you if you can’t talk some sense into your artist. 1 or 2 artist crashing out is one thing but this is starting to become a pattern with @laflare1017 I hope he not the new Diddy.”
Ka’Oir, who shares two children with Guwop, commented, “Leave my husband alone! He signs these artists to help them & give them a better life! I wish it wasn’t like this! Chant we love you baby girl!”
Seemingly in agreement with Ka’Oir, another person wrote, “I can’t believe yall grown ppl under this man post blaming him ! Them ppl are grown and make their own decisions. Yall have to understand Gucci sign artist that’s still in the street , have street beef and pp selling dope and also for drugs rather it’s weed or percs . But don’t blame him for these ppl death.”
According to a spokesperson for the Texas star, Enchanting, neé Channing Nicole Larry, passed away on Tuesday (June 11) from an accidental overdose. The rep stated that she was reportedly “going through withdrawal from a drug addiction” in her final days.
“She came to my house the last four days to get clean. She tried her best, and I did everything I could to help her; she tried,” they said. Fellow Texas rapper, Lil CJ Kasino, echoed the swarming rumors of her death with an Instagram post stating that she had been taken off of life support.
“They Pulled The Plug Bro This Sh*t So F**ked Up I Just Knew You was Finna Pull Threw @luvenchanting You gone,” he wrote. “Forever Be Stop6 Princess & Kasino First Lady. They Don’t Know All Hours You Spent At The Kasino Studio Sleeping There Making Music Putting This Sh*t Together And You Went Way Further Than Us I Always Told You How Proud I Was Of You.”
Enchanting is the latest death from Gucci’s label, following Big Scarr in 2022, who died in his girlfriend’s home from overdosing on prescription pills. Additionally, rappers Pooh Shiesty, Foogiano, Hoodrich Pablo Juan, and Mac Critter are all currently incarcerated.
The “Lemonade” rapper spoke on the demise of his signed artists during an episode of his wife’s podcast All Things Keyshia Ka’Oir last month.
“I was one of those type of artists always going back and forth to jail, and I try help those artists I see a lot of myself in,” he said. “With that being said, you have to ride out through their little bumps and I feel if I’m not helping them, who else gonna help them? They come from the trenches, they come from poverty so I wanna help. I feel I can relate to them and what they got going on.”
Last year, Joe Budden shared his thoughts on Gucci Mane’s A&R skills and 1017 Records, claiming that he feels the label’s roster “is suffering” and he doesn’t “think it’s a coincidence anymore.”
“Who people are signing, how people are signing them, and why people are signing them needs to be under thorough examination I think from all parties involved in the music business,” he said on his self-titled podcast. “The same thing has happened in rap in the last decade where we have never seen this many people die. We have never seen this many shootings, stabbings, clique beef, arrests, RICOs. I have never seen it in Hip-Hop.”
He continued, “That conversation runs concurrent with, for me and the rest of the musicians, the death of the A&R. The death of musicianship. Those are together for me. So when I say Gucci Mane’s scouting needs to be under examination, it’s because this is now, what? 8, 9, 10? I don’t know. A whole roster that is just suffering from the different strokes curse, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence anymore.”
Wop responded to Budden last October while visiting The Morning Hustle show.
“I think that’s unfair for him to say that, but I guess he’s entitled to his opinion. But to me, who else gon’ give them a chance,” he said. “Like, I’m not tryin’ to sign the guys who don’t need no help; I’m signing the guys who don’t nobody wanna sign.”
“Who saying like, ‘Oh, you got a criminal record, we gon’ stay away from you’ — them the guys I’m giving a chance,” he added.
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