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Controversial rapper Gucci Mane speaks to APS students for career day

ATLANTA — Parents and Atlanta Public Schools alumni are upset over one city school's decision to bring in a controversial rapper to speak at career day this week.

Channel 2's Amy Napier Viteri spoke to Crawford Long Middle School parents who believe rapper Gucci Mane shouldn't have been talking to kids.

Gucci Mane, whose real name is Radric Davis, is known for hit songs with catchy beats, but some critics said he's just as known for his criminal record in metro Atlanta. They question whether he was the best choice to be talking to middle schoolers about careers. Pictures on the rapper's Facebook page show him talking to students Wednesday.

Leisle Moody, an APS graduate, said she was stunned to hear Gucci Mane was talking to kids, given his graphic lyrics and arrest record.

"How do you justify bringing someone who is not even at the top of his game in the rap industry, who has a rap sheet because he's been in so much legal trouble?" she told Viteri.

Davis was arrested in 2008, has been in jail in Fulton County and most recently, in DeKalb County. Channel 2 Action News crews were in court with Davis in 2011 after police said he pushed a woman out of a moving car.

"I don't think he was such a good role model. They could have selected another individual," parent Kevin Hall said.

Some parents didn't know about the visit. It sparked controversy on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, with many questioning who deemed the rapper an appropriate speaker.

An APS representative said there will be a follow-up with the school about the visit and added, "We want to make sure people who serve as role models to our students are in line with our ethical and integrity standards."