Trap-A-Thon arrived in fall of 2007, and showed that Gucci Mane was quickly developing a style distinct from his Atlanta peers. His two biggest influences are Three 6 Mafia and Young Jeezy: from Three 6, Gucci borrowed the staccato chants and monstrous, sometimes deranged soundscapes; from Jeezy, who is only three years his senior, Gucci borrowed slowed-down groans and trap house melodrama. Of course, the two most crucial aspects of Gucci’s development were of his own devising. The first is Gucci’s constant collaborator Zaytoven, whose wobbly, spongy beats provided the rapper with a signature sound. The second is Gucci’s inimitable wordplay. He is one of the few modern rappers who can write a truly memorable hook without resorting to an R&B chorus — just check “Freaky Gurl,” “Choppa Shoppin,” or “Bad Guys.” More crucially, Gucci can fold together dozens of slang words the way a croupier folds together playing cards, witness “Spanish Plug,” which blends Spanish and American into a single potent ghetto vernacular.