The hip hop industry has shaken, and the tremors were felt within the NASCAR world, as Mark Martin’s close friend Gucci Mane was kidnapped. As the case has escalated so far, there is a possible allegation against another singer, Pooh Shiesty, for kidnapping him. While there is no certain confirmation of the situation, Martin has been pretty much shocked, as he expressed his reaction on social media.

“What is the world coming to 🤯” he wrote on X. Martin and Mane have been friends for a long time now. Gucci Mane, known for songs like Wake Up in the Sky, Lemonade, Make Love, is one of the biggest artists in the industry. However, the popularity comes with a price, and in this case, it was far too big for Mane.

He had been in some dispute with artists in the same genre, including Shiesty. While there is no official confirmation about his kidnappers, allegations claim that Shiesty could be behind it. According to the Department of Justice, he had arranged a meeting with Gucci Mane and two others on the 10 of January earlier this year to discuss his contract.

Shortly after this, Shiesty pulled out a firearm and made Gucci sign a termination paperwork, releasing him from a deal with 1017 Records. He is also accused of stealing his wedding ring, watch, some cash, and his earrings. Shiesty, along with his father and fellow rapper Big30, were arrested.

The robbery was massive, as the other defendants also robbed Rolex watches and some jewelry. All of this happened, allegedly, while Big30 guarded the studio door. This was rather interesting, as Shiesty has been found guilty previously and was only released from jail earlier in October of 2025 after having spent four years behind bars.

Understandably, this is shocking news for the music industry, especially the hip-hop artists. Meanwhile, this news didn’t sit well with Mark Martin, either. He has been into hip hop music for a long time, having listened to the likes of Dr. Dre and Eminem in the early 2000s.

When Mark Martin opened up about his friendship with Mane

Although Mark Martin was only introduced to Gucci Mane by a friend of his son, it didn’t take him long to develop an obsession over the artist: “I’m a fanboy for Gucci Mane,” he once said in an interview.

Interestingly, back in 2024, Mane released a song titled GOAT. And he also featured Martin in the song.

“That track goes pretty hard. I like it,” Martin said. “I’m happy to be on it, proud to be on it. Most people don’t know this gray-haired old man talking about Gucci and Datpiff, but it’s all true stuff.”

This was quite a tribute. In the song, he talks about battling setbacks and how he managed to stay in the industry for such a long time, featuring Mark Martin’s words and his career highlights. The latter had quite a long career spell racing in the Cup Series, and had also fought through quite a few setbacks and managed to retire as a legend. Using him as a relative comparison, Mane managed to pay a strong tribute.

Considering how big a fan the NASCAR veteran is, it is apparent that he was shocked to hear about his kidnapping and the subsequent robbery. While the case seems to be tough right now, official reports are awaited.