Today, XXL is launching a brand new advice column with Gucci Mane, which we're calling Ask Gucci. The column will be running weekly and will focus on life advice coming directly from Big Guwop himself. We've been in touch with Gucci from prison—he penned an open letter to fans last month and sent it to us to deliver—and he's agreed to answer questions from fans while he's behind bars.

Click through to check out the first installment of this column right here, where Gucci Mane fields questions about love, work and business, among plenty of other things. And if you have a question for Gucci, send it in to xxl@xxlmag.com along with your first name and city with the subject line "Ask Gucci." —XXL Staff

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Hey Gucci,

What's the key to maintaining the balance of working all the time and still having time to just chill with your friends? I know you work with your friends a lot; are there times when you just say, "Okay guys, enough work for now, let's just hang out"?

Dan

Brooklyn

Dan,

It was a time when I thought that the artist I had, I should distance myself from and just work with them and let our business relationship not complicate our friendship. But I learned that though it leaves you vulnerable, I’d rather allow them to be influenced by seeing me in action, working and also it allows me to be influenced by them and we feed off each other energy. So I combine both.

Sincerely Mr Guccimane

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Gucci,

I have a really good friend that is 35 years old and is still trying to become a rapper. The thing is that he's not really built to be a rapper and is below average on the mic. No one wants to knock his dreams, but I feel like I should really tell him to hang up the mic and pursue other ventures. Would it be right of me to tell him to quit rapping since his friends are afraid to do so?

Roger

Queens

Roger,

I am a 35-year-old rapper myself and I am at the best stage in my career and I think though your friend may not be a great rapper, if he is a great hustler and promoter, he still can find success. So let him pursue his dreams. Who is he hurting by trying to do something he finds is fun and he is passionate about?

Sincerely Mr Guccimane

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Hi Gucci,

I'm a female in her early 20s and am in a long distance relationship at the moment. My boyfriend and I have dated off and on for years and because of financial reasons, I don't know when we'll be able to really be together. What should I do?

Sidney

Brooklyn

Well Sidney,

Me and my girl stay in different cities and it provides a constant spark in our relationship. So focus on what you all have going good and work from that perspective. If money is the issue then you all have to find out what’s more important: being happy or being financially secure.

Sincerely Mr Guccimane

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Gucci,

A group of my friends are trying to open a bar in Brooklyn. The five of us have been working towards this goal for a few months now and some of us are beginning to notice that one of our buddies isn't as serious with the plan as the rest of us. How should we handle that?

Manny

Irvington, NJ

Manny,

If your friend isn’t as serious, I think you and your crew should all sit down and have a conversation and let everyone share what they have to say and what they think is needed to make the bar a reality. Whoever doesn’t fit or see the vision or have the time or brings the resource that you all think is needed, just agree to stay friends but not business partners.

Sincerely Mr Guccimane

Hi Gucci,

I'm a female in her mid-20s to late-20s and still single. I've got a good job—well, a career—and I pay ALL my bills on time. I still live at home but I'm working on moving out. I feel like a relationship is the next goal in my life. What can I do?

Dara

Edison, NJ

Dara,

If you want a relationship you can have one—anyone can—but its what caliber of mate that you want to have that determines what you bring to the table and what you settle for. Just know what you want first and be realistic and open and someone will come along. Life always brings an endless supply of potentials.

Sincerely Mr Guccimane

Gucci,

What do you do if someone is interested in you but you don't feel the same?

Miranda

Morristown, NJ

Miranda,

If someone is interested in and you don’t feel the same, tell them so in the same manner you would want someone to speak with you if you were attracted to them but they didn’t feel the same.

Sincerely Mr Guccimane